Crap goes the credit card

Argh... I've gotten my credit card account frozen due to "unusual credit activity", and, conveniently, I can't unfreeze it until I can call a 1-800 number. From the U.S., obviously. Great.

The unusual activity may have been the act of using it in Morocco, but more likely it was due to the situation I got myself in during my day of wandering yesterday.

Day 0.5 while I wandered the medina with a few conference mates I met on the flight from Casablanca, I saw some hand stitched quilted blankets that I loved. So, my first full day after a few hours of wandering and practicing my bargaining skills, I decided to give it a go. I went to a shop where I'd seen some the previous day and asked to see a range of colors and tried to begin the process of bargaining. The guy charmed me into considering buying several instead of just one, and as I thought they might be enjoyed by others as well I eventually agreed. 30 minutes of negotiation over, we settled on a price... then realized that he didn't have a way to charge my credit card, and I definitely didn't have that cash on me. While it may seem obvious that credit cards aren't guaranteed, I'd had better luck at other places and thought they might be able to accommodate.

Anyway, the sales guy, panicked at the thought of losing the big sale he'd worked on, offered to walk with me down the plaza to an ATM. I agreed, a little embarrassed at the situation. Which was only then made worse when I realized that I was carrying only my credit card -- and not my check card -- around. Cash rates for a credit card are abysmal, but again, I was a little uncomfortable already and the guy was accommodating.

Next problem: putting my card in the ATM I realized that I'd never used it for cash before, and my regular PIN wasn't going to work. I tried to guess what the number was twice, then gave up. The sales guy wasn't having it though, so we went to one more ATM, where my next possible number also failed.

Final plan, which probably is NOT what the State department would recommend: the sales guy and I took a cab back to my hotel where my other card waited, then tried to get cash from the hotel exchange desk (once again, they're out of dirham!), and finally to an ATM. Check card gives me cash; guy gives me blankets.

And, after our bonding experience, he also gives me his number, email address, a request to join him at the disco that night (he tried to make me promise before giving me said blankets, but I demurred), and finally asked for us to take the picture you see here.

Not sure all that was worth getting my credit card canceled, but perhaps there are life lessons to be found in any case. :-) Beyond always carry your debit card.