hi. i just booked a flight from bogota to san andres isla on avianca airlines. their website was down, so i booked via the call centre. after quoting my VISA card number and receiving a confirmation number from the booking agent, i was asked to photocopy my VISA card and snail mail it to the call centre office located in (i can't remember the name of the city), colombia. i told the agent i wasn't comfortable doing so, and he said it was perfectly normal and not to worry.
i do not wish to send a photocopy of my credit card number in the mail where it could be easily intercepted at many points along the way (i'm in canada). i gave him the last 3 digits on the back of my card, and the billing address for my card. presumably that is enough for him to verify the credit card number with my name on it.
has anyone else had this experience with avianca? what did you do? anyone have any advice??
thanks so much,
tw
Hi, I booked a flight with Aviance once with my credit card. Did not work in the beginnning and then suddenly worked out fine. I would suggest you try to book the flight online in a few days when they will have fixed their problem.
You gave them all the information they need to confirm the card. Do not send a photo copy to Colombia.
I live in Medellin and if I go to the supermarket and use a credit card, they insist on seeing my passport, likewise at a lot of restaurants, and they may even take a copy of it. That is just the way it is here.
Have not booked with Avianca but I have made many other airline rsvtns online and never had to send a copy of the card. There must be other options available other then mailing a fax copy of your card. Pursue it.
I booked with Avencia last week. Same story. They emailed me a credit card authorization form, which I printed...signed, scanned...and emailed back to them, with a scan of my credit card and my drivers lisence. This is their attempt to prevent fraudulent credit card use. It is supposed to be a consumer protection thing, not a scam.
If they wanted to scam your credit card you have already given them the name, number, security number on back. What more do you think they would get off a copy of the card?
thanks to all for helpful comments.
to those who thought i was saying that avianca was trying to scam me: pls re-read my original post. i said that i wasn't comfortable sending my credit card info in the mail "where it could be easily intercepted at many points along the way." i did not say that i didn't trust avianca.
in the past 3 yrs, i've backpacked through most of mexico and all of central america. i am well aware that businesses in these areas often require photocopies of cards and passports. that's not what i was concerned with or inquiring about.
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