January 23rd 2018:
Got my credit card stolen in the streets of Bogotá about a week ago. The N26 does not want to send the new one outside of Europe, so the fast option is to pay €25 to have it sent to a relative. It takes 2 days, or ~2 weeks if you can wait, in which case it’s free.
And then the next stage, get it sent to Colombia. The fast option, Chronopost, cost €60, but they don’t like to let credit cards travel, and they may scan the delivery, so it’s at your own risks. The safer option is a registered letter. Costs €13 but takes 6 to 10 days.
So in total, 2 weeks in Bogotá, and €38 spent on the card. Still a couple more days to wait. In the meantime, I met French folks at the hostels, they withdrew cash for me and I transfer them the money. Simple and efficient.
January 30th 2018:
A card arrived at my hostel. Not my name. Zach’s, from the UK. He waited for the whole month of… December, in Bogotá.
February 20th 2018:
Still no card. The post refuses to give me information, because until I get the packet, it belongs to the sender, my brother. He contacts the Post, all they know is that it should be in Bogotá. After insisting, they tell him only the Colombian company in charge of the transfer: 4–72.
I spend 20 minutes with the hostel receptionist trying to get information about the localisation of the packet, until it simply says that it’s not in their system. She sends an email, same answer:
In response to your request, I would like to inform you that by performing the verification in our management system, your shipment has not been submitted to our postal administration, you can also access to verify the status of your shipment through the website of the country of origin , when this is already in our postal administration you can directly access our website
Except that the French post says the packet left France on January 22nd.
I got to the nearest 4–72 office. After a long wait — very common in Colombia, land of the unoptimised — she says that the packet is ‘on its way’. Probably taking holidays in Japan, Australia, California, Mexico.
Annoying…
