My daughter, in Paris, had her purse stolen last Monday, May 14, and used a friend's phone to call me (in California) immediately so I could cancel her ATM card and her credit card (through the same bank). I did. Since then, she arranged to have another card fedexed to her Tuesday, May 22, but she e-mailed me that it didn't come. I am not on her credit card account, but my phone is the only phone credit card or bank people have for her (because hers was stolen, as they are aware). The credit card folk called me to say that the bank has said it won't issue the card, but the bank won't talk to me because I'm not on the account, and my emails to my daughter are going unanswered.

A friend suggests that there are e-mail problems in Europe for the past couple of days; can anyone confirm or refute this? What an awful mess - my daughter leaves Paris on Monday for Italy! Thanks, folks; I really don't know where else to turn.

Not a direct answer to your question, but a suggestion: can you arrange to get her a card or cards on your account?

When this happened to us, we called the credit card companies( 2 different ones) directly from Europe using the phone number on the back of the card. They FedExed new cards to us at our hotel immediately.

As for the email problems in Europe...I don't think so. All seems fine re: my own exchanges with accounts in various European countries.

&quot;<i>the bank won't talk to me because I'm not on the account</i>&quot; I agree w/ Happytrvlr - she should phone the credit card company herself. If it is her account, they should only release info to her

&quot;used a friend's phone to call me (in California)&quot; - it looks, she doesn't have a phone access to call you, if this is a financial issue only, she doesn't have money to pay for the phone, can you call her? Do you know where she is? Hotel? Friends' house?

I've been getting my usual emails from Europe with no problems for the paast few days, and mine are going through fine, too.

Also, is it possible for you to send her some cash, maybe through Western Union?

I'm not much of a techie, but I didn't think email worked that way that an entire continent could have problems compared to other continents. Anyway, I've gotten several emails in the last week or so from France and some other European countries, in fact, some of it is too much spam, as usual (I get some French spam due to things I've signed up for online). I get regular newsletters from Paris Opera and SNCF and have gotten them this week.

Why don't you talk to your daughter by phone rather than trying to communicate by email? Surely she can spend a few euro for a phone card or something, and use a pay phone somewhere.

Thanks to all:

Padraig, I tried to get her a card on my account but was told &quot;that would involve paperwork&quot; and could not be done in time.

Happytrvlr, that's what we thought would happen (she did call them last week, and was told to expect a card but the card never arrived and she has failed in her later attempts to get in touch by phone, perhaps because the &quot;24-hour&quot; service number is really just an answering exchange, and since the bank is in Hawaii the time difference is a problem).

Smarty, thanks for the up-to-date info.

Janisj, yes, if she could get through to the bank that would be great, but I myself have spent a total of hours (literally) today on hold, only to be told to call back later, and to be put on hold again. I'm not surprised that my daughter has trouble getting through from Paris.

I guess it's time to trust in fate and cross my fingers . . .

No problems here in Paris with e-mail (touche bois!).

There is no problem in Europe with e-mail. It's a bit like saying is there a problem with rain, or is the power out. There are so many Internet companies and telecom companies in Europe that e-mail is never &quot;out&quot; for Europe as a whole, although specific customers of a specific company might of course have a problem from time to time if that company's network has problems. Europe is a big place. Even in France, there are never e-mail problems on a country-wide basis.

Can't you just call the bank and pretend to be her?

Again, thanks to all.

St. Cirq, Christina, Toupary, and AnthonyGA, I know that email isn't a &quot;European&quot; phenomenon, but it helps to know that someone has actually used it to/from Europe today.

FainaAgain, I already sent her some money via Western Union (it cost me $70+ bucks to do so), but since she needs to make reservations on planes and trains, cash isn't the entire answer. I will probably have to send more, however, so that avenue is one I will keep in mind. All her friends over there have cell phones whose numbers I don't have, no land line in her apartment, and we have relied on Skype and e-mail. Of course, she knows my number and can call me, so I guess I can use that fact to cheer myself up (unless I use it to worry myself to distraction about why she hasn't called).

Jody, that strategy would not be beyond me, but I don't know how to make the arrangements as far as when/where/how to get the card; I don't even know if they can fed ex direct to her apartment (which has a code just to get in to the building before you can ring to be let into the stairway).

Hold good thoughts, please . . .

Again, your daughter needs to call the banks/credit cards herself. All of my CCs have collect call numbers to dial from overseas and work 24 hours. Say her Hawaiian bank doesn't have 24 hour service, how hard it is to calculate the time and call again when it is open? I would think that's the number one thing she needs to do, more than sleeping.

You're doing too much for her. She needs to call the bank, period.

My understanding is that she did call the bank, and arranged to have a card delivered. It didn't come. She called the bank again but couldn't get through; I don't know why. I am not concerned that she is sleeping instead of taking care of business; if she is, she will hear from me and it won't be pretty.

To all who responded: Thank you!

Finally, I hear (tersely) that my daughter has spoken to the VISA people and between them they have made the bank see reason. I will investigate further, but as for now, all is scheduled to be well. And I have lived on the support you all have given me today - thank you so much.

when we travel, we carry a tiny (and I do mean tiny) piece of paper containing the numbers of any credit or atm cards we are taking with us, with emergency numbers in case of loss. We also have a photocopy of our passports, numbers, and a spare set of pictures, in case we have to have them replaced at an embassy. We carry several copies of these numbers, stuffed in various places of our luggage and handbags, etc, so if one is stolen, we still have others!

I do as marlynek does.

Time for your daughter to get a new bank.

It's Memorial Day weekend now so everything will be closed on Monday. I suggest that you get the name and phone number of the president of her bank. Call on Tuesday morning and read him/her the riot act.

My experience with Fedex deliveries overseas is that they are intecepted by Customs officials for inspection. This adds a couple of days and gives them the opportunity to add a tax, which is usually greater than the value of the goods. It is better to use US Postal Service Global Priority, and cheaper.

We dealt successfully with Wells Fargo VISA card customer service on Labor Day during nighttime hours in the US . FedEx delivered the new cards overnight, no hassels.