<p>From what my relatives in Spain have told me, these are professional groups of thieves. They are rampant in some parts of Spain. Don’t expect any return of items and don’t expect any interest from the Spanish police. (I think your experience already upholds that.) You can proceed from there. </p>
<p>Does most of her stuff need to be replaced? Cameras and the like are much more expensive in Europe. If she only has a few weeks left, there isn’t much point in spending the extra money for a few photos (surely her friends can share some of theirs.) She should contact the American Embassy about the passport copy, but be careful - it would be easy for the report to be erroneously extended to cover all passports, and this could make for major problems.</p>
<p>Turns out her passport copy was not in her purse; one good thing out of this mess. She did fill out the police report online and will go by the police station in the morning to sign it. Seems the bus drivers are on strike again and are not driving on Saturdays and today she was sick so did not get out of the house.</p>
<p>As far as replacements, I will replace her camera as she will be traveling during and after her program. Luckily, my son is going to visit her next week so will take her the camera when he goes. The ipod we decided she could buy a shuffle in Madrid as she works out most days. Once she gets home, dad will inherit the shuffle!!</p>
<p>I still have to get her drivers license replaced, but for some reason the online was not working this weekend. I hope I can call on Tuesday and get that taken care of. I would like her to have that when she returns home so she can drive to work.</p>
<p>Snowball:</p>
<p>I don’t know what state you’re in but my D had her purse stolen with her DL in it. I think she had to go to the DMV personally to get a replacement license. I don’t know if you’ll be able to do it for her. My D’s DL is in California.</p>
<p>No, in our state you can replace a lost license online. She will have her same picture and you can not change an address, but otherwise it can be done online.</p>
<p>That’s good. I was surprised my D had to go to the DMV, I figured she could do it online, but they require a trip to the DMV for a lost or stolen card.</p>
<p>I started the lost wallet yuk thread posted on this thread but my son’s wallet was stolen in our home state of CA. The DMV thing was a pain and yes, you do have to go in person. Not sure if that is because CA has so much going on with immigration. Of course, back in my day that whole online replacement thing didn’t exist anyway but when the drinking age went from 18 to 21 it was an old trick to get someone’s older sibling who looked like you to go to DMV and get a new license saying theirs had been stolen/lost. Viola instant ID and not a fake…
Good stuff on this thread, when losing a purse or wallet overseas, there are some other considerations, including the obvious regarding passport/documents.
When I or anyone in my family renews their passport I always immediately make a copy and store it at my office where someone who is not in the family and never travels with me knows exactly where it is. If any passport is lost or stolen, then I can call and get the passport number. So far, we haven’t needed it, thank goodness…</p>
<p>I am shipping my daughter her credit card, ATM and US phone sim card tomorrow once they all arrive here at home. I am a bit nervous about listing credit cards on the customs form for Fedex, UPS, or DHL. I know you have to list everything on the form, but I feel like it is an open invitation for the envelope being opened and something going missing. I would love to just list documents, but I guess I can’t do that.</p>
<p>Any suggestions as to what I should do? Do I have anything to worry about shipping the credit cards in a letter envelope provided by the shipper? Would customs open it to see what is inside? I know they opened the package of clothes I sent her and that got help up for weeks; I can’t afford for this to be held up as she is travel in a few day and has no money, ID, or credit card.</p>
<p>Snowball, my recommendation is that you ship each item separately, and in a book or card. In other words, one contains a credit card, one contains an ATM card, etc. Yes, please use the shipping envelope provided by the shipper - it will sail through whereas a personal envelope will be subject to greater scrutiny. </p>
<p>I am not aware that you are required to list with precision what each item is. “greeting card” or “book” should do it (provided that is what you are shipping).</p>
<p>That would be a good idea, but I don’t have the time, nor do I want to spend $100 to send a package. I was going to send them in a Fedex letter envelope so that they will arrive in 2 days. If I send a book, it would be another package, and it isn’t cheap. Plus, if they go through the book there is no telling what would happen with the credit card.</p>
<p>I was going to tape all to a piece of paper and then put other papers on both sides so that you would not be able to feel the cards through the cardboard envelope. I guess I could put a magazine in the envelope and then tape the cards in the magazine. I would not think customs would open a Fedex (or UPS/DHL) letter envelope, but you never know.</p>
<p>Rather than sending her credit card and an ATM card, can you just send her some kind of prepaid CC that requires a passcode to use that you could tell her verbally? It doesn’t seem like she’d need both for her remaining time there.</p>
<p>She still needs a credit card and her ATM as she is going to travel after her program is over. It is easier for her to charge the hostels and other incidentals as we are paying her bill until she gets home. Once home, we will see what charges are hers and what mom and dad will pay for.</p>
<p>I just figured what to put on the customs form when her credit card arrived today. Inside the UPS Express letter envelope was a regular legal size envelope addressed to my daughter. I will just put each piece of mail in the larger envelope and mark the customs form as mail. I might throw in a magazine if I have room weight wise, so if it gets opened at customs they will just see mail and a magazine.</p>
<p>Hopefully that will work.</p>
<p>Can you not wait until her brother goes next week and have him take it all to her? It would be a better, safer thing to do. If you mail them, do NOT activate them before you send them, but record the numbers and phone # and then call AFTER she receives them.</p>
<p>I wish I could wait, but she has no money at the moment. She has borrowed from friends to get by, but I hate to continue to do that. Plus, I now am a bit leary of my son having his and her ATM and credit cards. If he loses his wallet, we really will be in trouble!</p>
<p>I think sending them on together through Fedex or UPS will be ok. If something happens, we will just get them replaced again! I had not planned to activate them until she receives the cards; I will email her the number to call or I will call for her. I do not think the ATM card will have an activation number as they mail the pin at a later date; although she was told she could keep the same pin.</p>