AmEx emergency cash

In my letter “Nightmare in Guatemala” (June ’04 , pg. 34), I mentioned American Express and the long time it took for us to get replacement checks after our kidnapping ordeal, plus all the personal information AmEx requested while all of us were using the reception desk phone in a hotel lobby.

I wrote to AmEx over these issues and received a personal phone call on June 4 from one of their executive customer relations agents.

I learned that Guatemala City not only had a bank available but an American Express office, though they were closed at the time we called on Saturday, Feb. 21 (in my letter I mistakenly said Friday).

Further, a different AmEx crew is on weekend duty and not located within the normal headquarters used during the week. They did not make it clear that we could have been wired a small amount of local money (i.e., $100) on our loss immediately through Western Union and still have received our replacement checks as we did on Wednesday.

AmEx’s ad claims replacement usually within 24 hours, depending on circumstances such as country, local laws and issues of identity. Verification of passport number or driver’s license number is needed plus verbal personal information only you would know. (At their request, I am not including specifics about that information here due to security and fraud issues.)

Should you be unable to reach American Express through their 800 number, you can call them collect at 1-801/964-6665. If you are in a country where calling collect is not possible, phone them on “your dime” and they will call you right back.

BARBARA VIRDEN
Santa Ana, CA