1. A travel forum.
Read travel forum posts about using credit cards while travelling abroad.
Choose the best summary for each post.
2. Meaning in context.
Read the last two posts again. Choose the best definition for the underlined words.
Weadles on Aug 19, 07 at 4:08pm
Absolutely! I just got back from Turkey, Greece and Italy. I had notified our credit card companies of our travel dates, but forgot to tell our bank, which promptly put a hold on our debit cards. It was a complete hassle trying to get through to a customer rep from Turkey and Greece. And it took several days before the debit cards were useable again.
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bettyB on Aug 19, 07 at 5:12pm
I had this problem last November in China. When I arrived at the hotel at 11 p.m., the card was blocked. Fortunately, I had another card. I called the bank to complain about this, and a few minutes later the card was working again. The person I spoke to told me that the card had been blocked because I had made a reservation for the hotel that day and the amount was only one dollar. (The hotel just wanted to check that my card was working.) However, the computer at the bank automatically blocked the card because they suspect fraud when you use the card for small amounts! The good thing about this bank is that they tried to reach me by phone and on my mobile after they blocked the card. They couldn't reach me in China, but at least they tried.
3. An urgent call.
Listen to an urgent call to the credit card department at a bank.
Choose the best summary of the call.
4. An urgent call.
Listen to the call again.
Choose the correct options to complete the summary of the situation.
5. An urgent call.
Use the phrases to complete the conversation. Then listen again to check your answers.
Now listen again to check your answers.
6. In the bank office.
In the bank office, Adam explains the situation to Joanne, a colleague.
Watch the video and put the sentences in the order that these points are mentioned.
Watch the video again. Turn on and read the subtitles.
8. Watch again.
Watch the video again and mark the statements true or false.
Watch the video again. Turn on and read the subtitles.
9. Word order.
Put the words in order to complete Joanne's sentences.
Now listen and practise saying the sentences.
10. Speaking practice.
Listen to the complete conversation and read the transcript.
| Mr Vecchi: | Hello. Frank Vecchi speaking. |
| Joanne: | Hello, Mr Vecchi. Joanne Sims here. I'm phoning from Austral Bank, about your credit card. |
| Mr Vecchi: | Yes, I've been waiting for your call. Listen, I got the card back in the end. I managed to persuade the people at the tollgate to give it to me, and it appears to be working now. |
| Joanne: | Yes, Mr Vecchi. The card was reactivated immediately. |
| Mr Vecchi: | But I'd just like to say that I think it's amazing that the card was blocked like that in the first place without even telling me or phoning to check with me. I mean, you have all my details. You have my work number – they would have to told you that I was travelling abroad. And you even have my email address and mobile number. |
| Joanne: | Yes, we are extremely sorry about the inconvenience to you and your family, Mr Vecchi. However, as we weren't notified that you were travelling abroad, the card was blocked as a precautionary measure. |
| Mr Vecchi: | Yeah, but I've been travelling all around Europe for four weeks! Not much of a precautionary measure. In the future, please at least contact me first. |
| Joanne: | Yes, Mr Vecchi. We'll do that. Once again, please accept our apologies for the inconvenience, and we wish you all the best for the rest of your holiday. |
| Mr Vecchi: | All right, then. Thank you. |
| Joanne: | Thank you, Mr Vecchi. Goodbye. |
Now practise the conversation. You will hear Mr Vecchi's part, and then you must say your part in the silence that follows. Practise until you can complete your phrases in the required time.
| Mr Vecchi: | Hello. Frank Vecchi speaking. |
| Joanne: | Hello, Mr Vecchi. Joanne Sims here. I'm phoning from Austral Bank, about your credit card. |
| Mr Vecchi: | Yes, I've been waiting for your call. Listen, I got the card back in the end. I managed to persuade the people at the tollgate to give it to me, and it appears to be working now. |
| Joanne: | Yes, Mr Vecchi. The card was reactivated immediately. |
| Mr Vecchi: | But I'd just like to say that I think it's amazing that the card was blocked like that in the first place without even telling me or phoning to check with me. I mean, you have all my details. You have my work number – they would have to told you that I was travelling abroad. And you even have my email address and mobile number. |
| Joanne: | Yes, we are extremely sorry about the inconvenience to you and your family, Mr Vecchi. However, as we weren't notified that you were travelling abroad, the card was blocked as a precautionary measure. |
| Mr Vecchi: | Yeah, but I've been travelling all around Europe for four weeks! Not much of a precautionary measure. In the future, please at least contact me first. |
| Joanne: | Yes, Mr Vecchi. We'll do that. Once again, please accept our apologies for the inconvenience, and we wish you all the best for the rest of your holiday. |
| Mr Vecchi: | All right, then. Thank you. |
| Joanne: | Thank you, Mr Vecchi. Goodbye. |
11. Speaking Tutorial 2.
Send your tutor an email suggesting a day and time for the speaking tutorial.
During the tutorial you will practise the phone call that you studied in this section. You are phoning a customer who is travelling abroad and whose credit card was blocked.
You take the part of the bank representative. Your tutor will take the part of the customer.
During the conversation, do the following:
- Say hello and say who you are and why you are calling.
- Explain that the customer's card was automatically blocked.
- Explain that there was no notification that the customer was travelling abroad.
- Explain that the incident has been listed as possible fraud.
- Tell the customer that the card has been reactivated.
- Apologise for any inconvenience.
- Strongly suggest that the customer notify the bank when he/she is going to travel abroad in the future.
Remember, you can also ask your tutor any questions you have about what you have studied in this section.
Useful phrases for the speaking tutorial:
Hello, this is ....
Can I speak to ..., please?
Hello ..., this is .... I'm calling to do Speaking Tutorial 2 of the Banking and Finance module.