top - Allen B./JCP
dress - Gap/eBay
boots - Black Kitten/Akira
So, on my last day in London I spent all my time in my room for several reasons.
Not just because it was comfy-cozy, which it was.
I wake up and first thing, check my bank account. I would like to know why my card was declined. I see 2 ATM withdrawals equaling close to $500. Now I'm worried. Was the ATM spitting out money and saying declined? Did I imagine the word "declined" on the screen over and over again? The location of the money spitter is different than in the US, so I'm considering that I didn't notice it giving me money. With the time difference, I have to wait hours until I can call my bank. And then I have to spend a lot of money to do it. Ugh, this is what I get for having fun. Anyway, I call my bank and tell them the deal. They give me some information, but otherwise, tell me they will look into it. I try to contact the bank in London, but that gets me nowhere.
After my head clears up a bit, I start doing more digging. I seem to remember the lady at the bank mentioning the failed ATM attempts. Also, the ATM address is in Maidenhead, which is an hour out of London and I don't remember leaving London. However, I feel like I'm missing some time. Now I start worrying that I went to Maidenhead, took out a bunch of cash and gave it to people. Did I get drugged? Crazy scenarios are going through my mind. Of course, I call my BF and worry him too.
Using my bank account (apparently I ate McDonald's at some point), my phone records (I remember calling the bar to see if they had my credit card; still not sure why I called a hostel... I guess I was tired and just wanted to sleep immediately?) and my receipts, I was able to ascertain that there was no way for me to go to Maidenhead and be back in London by the time I knew I was. I felt slightly relieved and had to call my bank back to let them know the charges were fraudulent. The woman I spoke to didn't sound convinced. "You have your card, right?" "Yes." "It was never out of your possession?" "No." "Sometimes the address listed for the ATM isn't the exact location." OK, maybe, but the bank isn't headquartered out of Maidenhead, their headquarters are in London. Then she tells me the charges happened at 4 PM London time. Uhh... I was in a museum, NOT withdrawing all my money.
After I get that all settled, and my card is canceled, I walk over to the grocery store, pick up some hangover fixes and watch a bunch of YouTube videos. I have to be up at 3 AM to head to the train to Paris and now I'm completely reliant on a credit card. Yay.
BTW, I love the grocery stores in London. It's what I miss the most. They have pre-packaged food that looks delicious and when you read the ingredients, it's all food. No mono-this or hydrogenated-that.
