EasyJet Debit/Credit card charge/ripoff

Digbywright

I booked two cheap tickets to France last thursday which was great at £5.00 each one way, couldn't take advantage of the £5.00 back on the Monday, as needed to return on sunday which was £48.00, okay not too bad, but they charged a wacking £8.99 for paying by debit card for each passenger travelling, and I didn't see any warning of this until I had paid and you get the flight details page.

jenny-wren

I would get in touch with them considering that they have charged you more for paying with a debit card then is stated in their terms and conditions. You should have only been charged £1.75 - unless you used a Carte Bleue or Visa Electron card.

A transaction fee will be applied when you pay for new bookings by Visa debit or credit card, MasterCard, Diners Club, American Express, ELV, or Maestro, except for payments by Carte Bleue or Visa Electron. Credit cards incur a percentage charge of 2,5% of the total amount payable, with a minimum charge of £4.95. Debit cards, except Carte Bleue or Visa Electron, are subject to a fixed £1.75 charge.
For flight and name changes paid by Visa debit or credit card, MasterCard, Diners Club, American Express, ELV, or Maestro, except for payments by Carte Bleue or Visa Electron, a flat transaction fee of £1.75 will be applied.

briona

Er... somehow I don't think so!

Easyjet sets out their prices clearly at every step (and no, I DON'T work for them!). The total cost of the flights is displayed before you even get to the payment screen, which gives you a chance to check all the details/additions carefully.

Are you sure it wasn't the taxes? Or did you fail to uncheck the box for European travel insurance (this is automatically added and it's up to the passenger to cancel it).

From EasyJet's website:
A transaction fee will be applied when you pay by Visa debit or credit card, MasterCard, Diners Club, American Express, ELV, UATP/Airplus or Maestro/Solo, except for payments by Carte Bleue or Visa Electron. Credit cards incur a percentage charge of 2.50% of the total amount payable, with a minimum charge of £4.95. Debit cards, except Carte Bleue or Visa Electron, are subject to a fixed £1.75 charge.

So hardly an £8.99 debit card fee each then?! :rolleyes: And if you used Visa Electron, it appears to be charge free.


EDIT: Cross posted with jenny-wren!

Digbywright

Many thanks Jenny, I will do.

benjus

This topic comes up all the time - do a forum search to find previous posts. Are we talking about Ryanair here? All the charges are listed on the T&C page.

It basically comes down to which of the following points of view you subscribe to:

1. Airlines can price their tickets using whatever pricing structure they choose. Just because the bank charges them 20p (or whatever) to process a debit card transaction, it doesn't mean that they have to pass on the same price to the customer. It's a bit like PC World selling cheap printers, then charging £15 for the cable, when the same cable was available on Ebuyer for 50p - overpriced, but not a scam. In the case of Ryanair, the customer can choose to get a Visa Electron card and pay with that to avoid the charge. At the end of the day the only thing that matters is the final price, so if that's a good price, don't argue over how it is structured.
2. Airlines should pass credit/debit card charges on to customers at cost price (or thereabouts). Ryanair is charged roughly the same amount for processing Visa Debit transactions as it is for processing Visa Electron transactions, so how can they justify charging £8 for one but nothing for the other? Therefore it is a false charge, just put there to get around a technicality in the charging rules - and it should be made illegal.

Both points of view have some valid points, although I tend to side with 1.

Incapuppy

Oh dear, has anyone else woken up thinking that its Groundhog Day?

benjus

Sorry - didn't notice it was EasyJet when I wrote my post - still, the same principle applies.

Inactive

benjus wrote: »

This topic comes up all the time - do a forum search to find previous posts. Are we talking about Ryanair here? All the charges are listed on the T&C page.
QUOTE]

The clue is in the header; Easyjet.;)

benjus

Inactive wrote: »

benjus wrote: »

This topic comes up all the time - do a forum search to find previous posts. Are we talking about Ryanair here? All the charges are listed on the T&C page.
QUOTE]

The clue is in the header; Easyjet.;)

Yes, I already posted about that... for some reason I frequently fail to notice the titles of posts.

Inactive

benjus wrote: »

Inactive wrote: »

Yes, I already posted about that... for some reason I frequently fail to notice the titles of posts.

Specsavers.. :rotfl:

Saint_Chris

sorry but

Oh dear, has anyone else woken up thinking that its Groundhog Day

:rotfl:


op did you untick the box for insurance.