If your wallet gets stolen at UA

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
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<p>Ok, so S calls me early this morning (most unusual) in the 5 minutes he has between his 8 am and his 9 am classes: his wallet was “stolen” in lecture today. He’s a bit distraught, naturally, because he has to go to his next class in 5 minutes, and could I help him. It’s 8.55 am and I haven’t had my coffee yet. Um, er, yes, OF COURSE! :slight_smile: Roll Tide.</p>

<p>So, I call UA’s Action Card office first - their number is 1-205-348-2288. They can put an immediate hold on the account over the phone, and the student can come in later and get a new card. They are located in 104 Student Center (the bld opposite the Supe Store in the Ferg Plaza). There is a $25 charge, HOWEVER, if you file a police report and bring a copy to them (within a day), they will “not process” the fee as it really wasn’t your fault, right? (Simply “lost” cards will incur the $25 fee.)</p>

<p>I next call the bank, and honestly, I must tell you, I thought I would get no joy out of the University (because I’m the parent, not the student), and yet I AM the custodian of my S’s account and he is underage, etc, so…but the bank would do nothing for me, whereas the University bent over backward for me. My son had to be the one to call into the bank, not me. I explained that he was in an important class…that of course I had permission to contact the bank as a custodian on the account, and could they please put a stop/cancellation on this debit card…and that my son would call if he could, but he was busy at school… No joy. Nothing. They would not help me.</p>

<p>So, gambling that this could wait a few hours or so until my S does get out of class and can go to the police station…and in the few minutes he has to get to his next class (W is a busy day!), he can call the bank, which he eventually does…I make my coffee and wait. My entire day is now on hold because of all this.</p>

<p>I did text my S two important things, which helped him not to panic. First, we had made a copy of his complete wallet contents before we packed for UA - we laid out all of the cards at Kinko’s and took a photocopy of the front of everything and the back of everything. This proved valuable in knowing where to start, as I have no other easy record of his card numbers. So, I tell him where this photocopy was - it is in a safe place in his dorm room. Second, I sent my S off to college with a passport, which he also keeps in a safe place in his dorm room. This is so that he has some form of government-issued ID, if he needs it. (What if this had happened one day before Thanksgiving break, and he had no license to check in with at the airport…? We live in IL.)</p>

<p>Late in the afternoon, on his way to the police station (which is located a bit further south of Moody Music, phone # 1-205-348-5454), S gets a text from UA, saying that someone turned in his wallet back in the Shelby lecture hall office. Ok, I had told him that “finders” usually just take the money and leave the wallet, as they know the cards are (probably) useless anyway and have ‘stops’ on them. He had about $40 in the wallet, he thinks, and I had suggested that at the end of the day, he go back to the bld he was in, and look in every garbage can and every bathroom, etc. for the cash-empty wallet.</p>

<p>He makes it back all the way to north campus to the bld…and goes into the office…and has a look at what is left in his wallet.</p>

<p>There is not only his complete collection of cards and IDs and stuff…but the entire $52 he has leftover from his birthday money given to him just this past weekend. Roll Tide.</p>

<p>I wanted to share this story with you because: a) your student might, unfortunately, have a similar situation and be in a huge flippin’ panic; and b) readers will find this yet another reason why our kids are attending a university like UA, where common courtesy and honesty is not just talked about, but regularly practiced. </p>

<p>Further: son says he now has an Action Card with a new photo which doesn’t make him look like a creeper. I told him the $25 fee is indeed coming out of his birthday money… Roll Tide.</p>

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<p>Wow…and all this without coffee!!
Roll Tide indeed!</p>

<p>Thankfully, all was well.</p>

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<p>So true. Roll Tide and have yourself a doppio! You’ve earned it.</p>

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<p>Roll Tide!</p>

<p>:)</p>

<p>My older son had a similar experience on the Crimson Ride. His wallet fell out of his gym shorts and it was turned in with nothing missing.</p>

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<p>I just read this detailed, well written story and I thought to myself… there’s much to be learned from what happened here AND most of all it made me “feel good” about the UA community. Then I left the page to get some work done; but I thought to myself, quit being a “lurker” and thank the AEROMOM for taking the time for sharing her experience for all of us to benefit. So, I came back to this post to say “Thanks AEROMOM!” and I’m glad it all worked out in the end. :-)</p>

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<p>Glad it worked out, aeromom. And you have some great suggestions (none of which we have done). Had not considered losing the government-issued ID before a flight.</p>

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<p>Thanks Aeromom. I just instructed D to scan everything in her wallet and e-mail it to me. She was supposed to do that before she left home in August but procrastination won the day.</p>

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<p>I hate to be the one to state the obvious, but your son dropped or left his wallet somewhere. It was not stolen. And I hope your son realizes that he was “caught” and will be honest with you next time.</p>

<p>And it is not a “Roll Tide” thing.</p>

<p>There are articles in the paper about wallets being found and returned intact all the time.</p>

<p>And, in fact, this happened to me twice.</p>

<p>Once my wallet fell out of my briefcase near where I work. About an hour later I got an email that it was found and left with the building security office.</p>

<p>Another time I was on vacation at a beach resort one summer and my wallet fell out of my pocket. I was also in a panic especially because I had to fly back home in a few days. In addition I was a little perturbed with the local police who said that it was an “honest” town and that the wallet will turn up soon. And, sure enough, it did.</p>

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<p>GolfFather…I hardly ever post, but my goodness you really irritated me! Why turn a positive thing negative??? Go back to bed and start your day over. oh and ROLL TIDE!!!</p>

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<p>He probably assumed his wallet was stolen at the time, but it was actually lost. Fortunately his assumption was wrong, and perhaps rather than “if your wallet gets stolen at the UA” the title of the thread might have been “lost and found.” I don’t think there was any intent to deceive his mom or anyone else.</p>

<p>I’m glad it worked out as it did. There are honest and dishonest people everywhere. Sadly, I think his chances of receiving his lost wallet back intact are much less in some places than others. I’m happy for him that the chances are pretty good at the UA and that his lost wallet was returned intact.</p>

<p>The tips the OP provided will be helpful to others and I’m glad she shared the experience.</p>

<p>Roll Tide!:)</p>

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<p>True, and thank goodness for that, but it’s still wonderful when it happens. I’ve had my wallet and/or purse lost or stolen several times in NY and Chicago and I never got it back intact. I had my wallet taken from my purse on a subway platform in NYC - in front of plainclothes police officers no less - and even though the man who did it got three squares and a roof courtesy of the NY taxpayer for the following year, the money was still missing from my wallet when it was finally returned to me, and the thief didn’t have that wallet in his possession long enough to get it out!</p>

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<p>Yes, his wallet was likely dropped/left behind somewhere and not stolen. He didn’t lie, he thought it was stolen.</p>

<p>And, yes, it is a Roll Tide moment. We don’t only applaud good results when they’ve never happened before…jeez!!!</p>

<p>That said, this good result doesn’t mean that kids can be cavalier with their stuff. There have been things stolen at the Rec Center…there are people out there that will take advantage of a situation (an unwatched purse, wallet, etc)</p>

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<p>The other positive here is the list of steps taken ahead of time to make things easier if a wallet is lost or stolen. The university was willing to act on aeromom’s word, though the bank was not. They had a list of the contents of the wallet, to expedite calls to cancel everything if necessary (and it is still necessary if you lose your wallet). He has his passport, which he does not carry with him, but which can be used as ID until he replaces the wallet contents. This is not just important when flying, but if he has to do any business with the bank (because some things can’t be processed over the phone).</p>

<p>One note I would suggest. For those who do not want to spend the money on a passport, but like the idea of a backup ID (or if you don’t want them taking their passport with them), you should apply for a passport card. It’s good for the same 10 years as a regular passport, but it can’t be used for international travel by air. It can be used as ID for domestic flights, just like license or state ID. For those without a license, it may be the better option too, because it’s good for 10 years instead of whatever your state allows (our is 6 years for the same $40). Just make sure they don’t leave the passport card in the same wallet as their other ID, if it’s going to be a backup.</p>

<p>Glad he got his stuff back!</p>

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<p>Wow, first of all what great ideas on photocopying everything, and a passport is a must!. Secondly, I almost feel that some of these threads must be rigged, Bama is an amazing place!!!</p>

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<p>I’m glad to hear that your son’s wallet was returned intact.</p>

<p>upstate13, the culture in Alabama can often be summarized as “Think about what your momma would think about your actions and act accordingly.” Bear Bryant’s official reasoning for returning to Alabama was “Momma called. And when Momma calls, you just have to come runnin’.”</p>

<p>You may also enjoy reading quite possibly the most heartwarming story about Bear Bryant and the UA culture [It</a> Don’t Cost Nothin’ To Be Nice | Bleacher Report](<a href=“Bleacher Report | Sports. Highlights. News. Now.”>Bleacher Report | Sports. Highlights. News. Now.).</p>

<p>The passport card is useful, but cannot be used for air travel, and may not be considered valid ID in for alcohol or tobacco purchases in Alabama. A passport costs around $40 more and is a very useful thing to have.</p>

<p>If one meets the strict requirements, including US and Canadian government background checks, I highly recommend applying for one of the Trusted Traveler programs. For $50 I was admitted into both NEXUS and Global Entry, which allows me to enter the US and Canada using a machine or crew lane and usually get the special TSA PreCheck security which means that it takes less than a minute to pass through airport security. The membership card also proves citizenship.</p>

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<p>upstate - I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen entries on the class of 2016 facebook page of kids posting that they have founds keys, wallets and action cards and posted “If you know ________ let them know I found their stuff and I will get it back to them”</p>

<p>Bama has a number of very good kids, of course like anywhere else they will have a number of bad ones too. But, I have been impressed with the fact that the number of good at Bama seems to greatly outnumber the bad. Makes me feel very good knowing our DS is at school with these folks.</p>

<p>Roll Tide !!</p>

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<p>We can’t wait to come down, y’all!!! (and I was kidding about the threads being rigged :))</p>

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<p>As a public service to help ease the potential anxiety of the O/P or anyone else who may face this situation:</p>

<p>The U.S. federal government says a person is not responsible for the charges put on a lost or stolen credit card (up to $50):</p>

<p>[Credit</a>, ATM and Debit Cards: What to do if They’re Lost or Stolen](<a href=“http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre04.shtm]Credit”>Lost or Stolen Credit, ATM, and Debit Cards | Consumer Advice)</p>

<p>[Am</a> I responsible for unauthorized charges if my credit cards are lost or stolen? - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau](<a href=“http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/29/am-i-responsible-for-unauthorized-charges-if-my-credit-cards-are-lost-or-stolen.html]Am”>http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/29/am-i-responsible-for-unauthorized-charges-if-my-credit-cards-are-lost-or-stolen.html)</p>

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<p>Reading stories like this make me smile for many reasons, but I have shared this story before, and I will share it again:</p>

<p>At Bama Bound this summer my DW was given one of those “Bama Mom” pins. She was proud to have it, and promptly affixed it to her purse. While taking in a movie in town to kill some down time, we found ourselves amongst maybe 10 people total in the theatre.</p>

<p>After the show, the house lights come on, and my wife can’t find her prized button. A couple who did not know us from Adam helped us look for it for over 10 minutes until it was located. </p>

<p>We live squarely in the midwest, and I can tell you unequivocally that had that happened at home, my wife would have probably been partially trampled in the aisle because she had the audacity to stop the procession and look for a personal item.</p>

<p>Say what you will about other places, and while I realize Bama doesn’t hold this distinction alone among southern locales, I am firmly convinced that common courtesy and manners DO count there, and my family is more than proud to perpetuate that. I can’t say that about the rest of the country, and I have been through the majority of it.</p>

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<p>We believe someone picked up my D bag by accident on Thursday night. Hopefully when they realize it, they will return it to her. It has her license, credit and debit card, ACT card, gift cards, jacket, room key… besides the value of just the bag. I told her to go file a police report and see if she can get the $25 fee waived. Thank you for pointing that out! She is hopeful it will be returned to her sorority house or to her soon!!</p>