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Duped in Cuba using Visa card - what can I do?
JennyP
Posts: 1,072 Forumite
I was a little bit conned in Cuba when using a credit card.
Basically, we had four nights without accommodation at the end of our package holiday so we could go off on our own. Our travel plans didn't work out so we decided to stay put in the hotel in Havana. We asked our rep about extending and she said we could pay the hotel direct.
If you use a credit card, 11% gets added, but the rep said the money also got converted into dollars. Since the dollar was 0.8 to the cuban convertible and had a good rate against the pound, we calculated that even with the 11% this was a bit of a saving against using our travellers cheques. So we paid with Visa.
The money wasn't converted into dollars at the rate of 0.8. They simply charged in dollars what they were charging in Cuban convertibles. So they basically charged us about 20% more. I thought I was being charged in convertibles when I wasn't. What can I do?
OBviously I will be writing a letter to the holiday company but can Visa take this up too?
Basically, we had four nights without accommodation at the end of our package holiday so we could go off on our own. Our travel plans didn't work out so we decided to stay put in the hotel in Havana. We asked our rep about extending and she said we could pay the hotel direct.
If you use a credit card, 11% gets added, but the rep said the money also got converted into dollars. Since the dollar was 0.8 to the cuban convertible and had a good rate against the pound, we calculated that even with the 11% this was a bit of a saving against using our travellers cheques. So we paid with Visa.
The money wasn't converted into dollars at the rate of 0.8. They simply charged in dollars what they were charging in Cuban convertibles. So they basically charged us about 20% more. I thought I was being charged in convertibles when I wasn't. What can I do?
OBviously I will be writing a letter to the holiday company but can Visa take this up too?
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Comments
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The agent gave you incorrect info, so register a complaint with them. Once you've done that, contact your credit card provider and refer them to this complaint and have them investigate the matter.0
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Do you have any proof of the price you agreed to pay? If you can demonstrate that you agreed to pay (say) 1,000 of one currency, and you were charged 1,000 of a different currency then the vendor has acted fraudulently and you would have grounds for a charge-back.0
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It doesn't sound like the vendor has acted fraudulently, as it was the travel rep that gave the incorrect information. Therefore you would need to take up your complaint with the the travel company.Gone ... or have I?0
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It doesn't sound like the vendor has acted fraudulently, as it was the travel rep that gave the incorrect information. Therefore you would need to take up your complaint with the the travel company.
Except the agreed price was a certain number of Cubanos. It really doesn't matter whether that amount of money get converted into dollars, eros or rupees on the way to getting charged to the purchaser in pounds. What is clear is that an agreed price of 100 Cubanos is not the same as 100 dollars.0 -
I thought I was being charged in convertibles when I wasn't.
The OP thought this because the rep told them this was the case. The OP did not enquire with the hotel how they would make the conversion.What is clear is that an agreed price of 100 Cubanos is not the same as 100 dollars.
If the hotel choose to use this rate, that is their prerogative. They can charge whatever rate they want, so long as if they are asked, they are honest. It is up to the OP to enquire as to the conversion rate. They did, but the person (not an employee of the hotel) gave them incorrect information.
The same kind of practice goes on in some places in Morocco. Their official rates are approx £1 = 16 Dirham, and 1 Euro = 10 Dirham. However, several shops offered for me to pay in GBP, and when I enquired as to the rate, I found that they wanted to charge me £1 = 10 Dirham.Gone ... or have I?0
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