Tingting

Wow, I didn't know that about Starlink. Thank goodness we got ours a while back...very happy with it, too.

Fred, I am so sorry for your loss. Please remember that you're human. You were bound to have days that were less "wine and roses" and more "vinegar and crabgrass." We're human and we're going to experience all sorts of moods when someone we love is suffering. Thank you for allowing us a glimpse into the journey you traveled. I think you've helped many of us realize we need to plan ahead and not take anything for granted. As for Mexican culture...I couldn't agree more. Again, I am truly sorry for your loss.

I found myself at odds many times with Lakeside7, but I'm sorry to hear he's passed. Heck, differences on this board are what keeps things interesting. I'm very sorry for the family's loss.

I got a ticket when the (temporary) speed camera was actually operational on bridge by Itxlahuacan. I took it to an Oxxo to pay...to the great delight of the clerk. I got a big smile and a "tsk, tsk." I believe the cost was somewhere on the ticket. 

I know I'm very late to this topic, but I would recommend Dra. Lulu. While she isn't my regular vet, I went to her for a second opinion on an issue one of my dogs had. She was very honest and said that the care was beyond that of a general vet and he needed a specialist. She was right. She gave a recommendation and we trudged up to Guad for several appointments until our bow$er wa$ fine (lol). I really appreciated her honesty instead of making the dog suffer through worthless treatments that would only allow the condition to worsen. I have gone to her other times for regular care and was always pleased with her services.

I don't know either you or Barbara, Fred, but it sounds like you are doing everything and more for your wife. You sound like an amazing man and I wish both of you all the best during this difficult time.

With sincere respect to John (and it was very informative), that was in the 90s...this is 30 years later and I think it's safe to assume that things have advanced a bit. Whipstock made some very valid points and THERE ARE CAMERAS EVERYWHERE. Plus...if their cameras weren't operational on that day, whose fault is that? Unfortunately, we live in times where it's necessary to use ATMs, but that doesn't mean it's necessary for us to prove to them that they're not working properly. God, this one just has me pounding my poor keyboard. Get 'em, Lexy!

14 hours ago, Whipstock said:

Now it's stuck in my head! 🤣

My work here is done (insert evil cackle).

If you're a vet, don't forget that you can get Fox Nation free for a year. Forget the political side of things, they offer a tremendous number of really interesting crime shows, documentaries, etc. We're binge watching Cops right now...bet you're already humming the theme song! lol

You do need a VPN, though.

It really sounds like they didn't investigate and just hoped you'd go away. The beauty of writing to the federal agencies is not that they'll actually resolve things in your favor, they're usually pretty powerless, BUT it forces the bank to investigate and document why it made the decision it did-- and that involves time and work. It also puts them on notice that you're not going away quietly.

YVW, Lexy. I'm so mad on your behalf and even more so since it's USAA. I didn't want to go too far into this (time/space/don't want to bore readers), but here's something else to consider, based on our experiences w/HSBC:

EVERYTHING is computerized. HSBC was our nemesis when it came to ATMs. I kept using them because the location was convenient (and clearly I wasn't the brightest bulb in this pack). Here's our story:  We had been ETrade clients for over 20 years and loved them. Anytime I went to the ATM and received no money, I took the $0 receipt and went home to do a dispute...except I didn't have to because....ready?...computers! (ok, digital banking) It takes me about 15 minutes to get home from HSBC and by the time I pulled things up on the computer, the withdrawal was credited back to my account already because the machines/digital thingies would self-correct. Then, about 2 years ago, ETrade was acquired by Morgan Stanley (may they rot in hell). From that point on, whenever the machines failed to dispense the cash, it took a phone call, an upload of the receipt, a "provisional" credit and then at least a week before they graciously decided to give us back our own money. I'm not even exaggerating about the gracious part...the letter that they'd send made it sound like they were doing us a favor, us being poor peasants and all. Then, the day before Hubs was scheduled to be hospitalized and I wanted some cash for incidentals, the machine took my card. No warning, just CHOMP! I called to cancel the card and they FEDEXed a new one to our US address. When I tried to activate it, I couldn't. I called and was told that "due to the numerous disputes...blah, blah, blah." We had no access to our money other than online payments (credit cards). Morgan Stanley (may they rot in hell) didn't give a damn. I actually had a rep tell me that we should just wire money to our local bank every so often to access cash. Uh, what? Fortunately, I'm a retired vet, so we've moved nearly everything to Navy Federal Credit Union. We;re just waiting to ensure deposits have been transferred before I close the accounts with Morgan Stanley (may they rot in hell). I am soooooo looking forward to writing THAT letter🤗

ETA:  the bank I've found the most reliable is the Banorte on the corner in Chapala. I've never had a problem w/them and the screen always shows what denominations are available.

First, Lexy I'm so, so sorry this happened to you. Fixed income or not, NO ONE should lose money to an ATM/bank/thief. There are cameras everywhere in the ATM bank sites. If the machine's didn't work, then there are also ones in the ceiling. I guarantee that they know, but either someone has his hand in the cookie jar, or the bank just doesn't give a damn...or both. Don't drop it.

FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE:   https://forms.federalreserveconsumerhelp.gov/secure/complaint/formComplaintIntro.html  Will it make a difference? Hopefully, but even if you lose again, at least you will force your bank to scramble to respond to a federal entity. It's amazing how often this last stand works. More importantly, it's your money; fight for it!  Write reviews on Yelp and anywhere else you can. Don't go quietly.

(okay, hurrah speech over)

BTW -- The machines at HSBC (next to Black Coffee) are also notorious.

Hulu will eventually break the vpn. We had it and lost it several times and gave up. The programs on tvmob and livenet are good, but not reliable. Finally, we just got youtube tv because it works well with Express vpn. The vast majority of shows are there. It's not perfect, but it's definitely worth a look.

This is definitely not our Wal-Mart

pappy, you did a MUCH better job than I ever could at explaining what I meant. I know we can vote (and thanks for posting the link, Ibarra!) and all of that, but I was trying to explain why we wanted to stay linked with the US and didn't do such a hot job.

The original point of the topic was trying to get a virtual phone and text, if possible, but it really branched out into some very interesting points. Again, I want to thank everyone for their help and I'm definitely stealing your lines about text, Lou!

Of course you're right, Lou, and I realize that the party won't be forever. We once had Dish and didn't think twice about it...until it was an issue and we found out that the address used was questionable. These were early days and we honestly thought it was a regular Dish setup since we were still paying the company directly. It didn't take too long to find out otherwise, however.

I have to take (a small) issue with your comment about the trend. My point wasn't about the media (we know better), but simply that the noose is really tightening for expats. It's very hard to open up accounts if you're no longer a US resident. When we decided to switch our brokerage because of the acquisition, it was hell trying to find someone that would TAKE our money! No state driver's license? It's a hard nope. Keeping a small toehold in the US is important because we want to vote in federal elections, bank in the US because our of our savings and pensions, and medical. I have no intention of leaving Mexico, ever. We're fortunate enough that we have insurance that will always cover us so heading back because of medical isn't an issue for us. BUT I never say never because I don't know what's around the corner...and should that day ever come, it won't be the day to scramble and try to get accounts established. My point is that they ARE tightening the noose...or you can call it enforcing rules that have always been there, whatever floats your boat, but just don't assume that because something is working now that it always will. JMHO, of course. I only make this claim because I've lived it...and I was very open and honest will all of the companies I dealt with about our residency, hence the issues. 

1 hour ago, ibarra said:

We haven't had a U.S. phone number since 1998. We bank, receive Social Security, buy items online and have no problem not having a U.S. number or address.  

Keeping in mind that I'm the original technodino...

We've been here since 2005 and have kept our our US accounts but have added a cc or two. That was then. Now we're just trying to hold onto what we have because things are rapidly changing up north. You may find that one day you're asked for a US address (if you're from the US, of course) and phone number. While I'm one step away from illiteracy when it comes to all of the new "stuff," what we're facing is happening to everyone. They are REALLY cracking down. Most of us aren't trying to do anything illegal, we just want to have a bank account in our home country, a TV service for the shows we like, etc.

We're changing our accounts because our brokerage was acquired by another and the downgrade in services is noticeable. The new company is also one of the biggest names to close accounts of expats. You don't live in the US? No soup for you!

I could go on and on, but please be careful.

Thanks to everyone for responding. You came through for me and I truly appreciate it. I'm paying for the service with TextFree for the little extra they give. Oh, and I can now both received AND send out texts. Don't ask...it's embarrassing enough already.🤪

Lou:  you made some really good points. Normally, I tell the company to send an e-mail, but a lot of things were done online and the options were strictly "call or text." We would just use our local number as though it was in the US and then stick our heads in the sand. 

I really like your solution about calling and saying I have problems with texts. Heck, as illiterate as I am with technology, it's totally believable!

If there was any other option than a VP, I'd take it but for the particular situation we're in, there isn't. Just having a US phone number is enough and if the verification works with the text, it's a bonus. 

So for now, this works. If things change, I'll definitely update this.

Again, BIG, BIG THANKS!!

Yes, we've been just putting our local number in and crossing fingers that they didn't send a text that bounced and opened up that can of worms. This has come up many times in the past and we were able to skirt it, but now it's causing a major problem with a credit union. So...read on for the next exciting chapter in the continuing saga of "Technodino Gets Dragged Kicking and Screaming Into the Modern Age."

I just signed on with Textnow. I have a Laredo number and can receive verification texts and regular calls. Right now I can't send out texts with them, but I think that may be because I don't have their sim card(?). Meanwhile, I'm going to sites and selecting the equivalent of "call me." Eventually, I'll have to do more, but it's a start.

Yeah, that's part of the problem...the "call me" since our number isn't from the US. Google Voice tells me that it's not yet available in this country and some companies are requiring a US number. So, I'm still looking.

Thanks for the info and I'll definitely look at the textnow site. From what both of you wrote, it sounds exactly like what I need. Usually the texts are after I've punched something up on the computer and the bank/credit card/whatever sends a verification text. Since it's always when I'm home, I'd definitely have a quick internet connection. I don't even care if it is ever used for a phone call, just to be able to put a US phone number on a form would save so much heartburn. 

BTW, I was actually considering flying up north to get a phone because I didn't know about virtual phones. Holy crap is technology ever running over my dumb buns! 

. I was searching online for some info on phone plans and ran across companies advertising virtual phones. I am about as technically illiterate as you can get, so I'm hoping someone here can answer a few basic questions for me. Can you use a US virtual phone from Mexico? I'm looking to have a US number to match our mailing address so that we can get texts from companies that won't call out-of-country or their websites won't allow anything but US numbers when filling out forms. Most of the companies that offer this service seem to cater to businesses (no surprise) but I found a couple that do personal VPs. If you use one, could you please tell me if you like it, if you've had any problems, etc? Anything else that you might think important would also be very much appreciated. TIA!

Get a vpn. Sometimes you have to try a different city, but it's worth the cost.

Is that a choir of angels I hear?

TY, Spencer!

Or maybe they read Wheat Belly and want to see how much it might help.

On 7/29/2023 at 1:50 PM, HookEmHorns said:

 

I think some people just eat that style because it is an "in" choice, if'n you know what I mean.