Abbey charges 2.75% fee for buying online?!?!

pin

darbooka wrote:

The bank statement specifically says the charge is levied because "you usedyour card outside the UK". It does not say that it is because a purchase was made in a foreign currency.
What if a purchase was made in Euro currency? Is Europe considered foreign?

Yes, its not in the UK.

M_Thomson

darbooka wrote:

The bank statement specifically says the charge is levied because "you usedyour card outside the UK". It does not say that it is because a purchase was made in a foreign currency.
What if a purchase was made in Euro currency? Is Europe considered foreign?

Why wouldn't it be?

lisyloo

re the 2.75%, its not hidden, if you read your banks T&C's you will see it will state how much the bank will add as a foreign conversion fee.

pin - whilst I agree with you technically...for the vast majority of "average joes" who do not spend their life pouring over Ts & Cs this is to all intents and purposes - hidden.
A lot of people (like the poster earlier on this thread) even deny they are paying any charges.
It doesn't show up as a seperate item on the statement so most people are not aware of it.

I don't personally think the banks are particularly at fault for deliverately actively hiding it and I think people have to accept some responsibility themselves if they fail to read information provided to them, however the fact remains that the vast majority of people have no idea it's being charged and this is what I think people mean by "hidden".

pin

lisyloo wrote:

pin - whilst I agree with you technically...for the vast majority of "average joes" who do not spend their life pouring over Ts & Cs this is to all intents and purposes - hidden.
A lot of people (like the poster earlier on this thread) even deny they are paying any charges.
It doesn't show up as a seperate item on the statement so most people are not aware of it.

I don't personally think the banks are particularly at fault for deliverately actively hiding it and I think people have to accept some responsibility themselves if they fail to read information provided to them, however the fact remains that the vast majority of people have no idea it's being charged and this is what I think people mean by "hidden".

As far as I understood the banks charges are on the back of your statement.

Consumers SHOULD pay more attention in looking at terms and conditions, after all it it THEIR money.

M_Thomson

pin wrote:

As far as I understood the banks charges are on the back of your statement.

Consumers SHOULD pay more attention in looking at terms and conditions, after all it it THEIR money.

Most banks do not put charges on the back of normal current account statements. They do on credit card statments. I agree with you 100% what you said about paying attention to t's and c's. I do and most people on here do, but the unfortunate fact is most people do not read them.

pin

M_Thomson wrote:

Most banks do not put charges on the back of normal current account statements. They do on credit card statments. I agree with you 100% what you said about paying attention to t's and c's. I do and most people on here do, but the unfortunate fact is most people do not read them.

Sorry, I hate to say it, but caveat emptor. People need to start taking more responsibility for their actions and what they do with their money. I feel too, too many people are spoon fed and take anything they get at face value.

darbooka

The bank charges are not on the back of my statement and I see nowhere where they indicate that online pucharases from my own home constitute purchases abroad. I think I'll write to Abbey and if their reply is not adequate I'll let the Banking Obudsman determine whether they are right or not.

M_Thomson

darbooka wrote:

The bank charges are not on the back of my statement and I see nowhere where they indicate that online pucharases from my own home constitute purchases abroad. I think I'll write to Abbey and if their reply is not adequate I'll let the Banking Obudsman determine whether they are right or not.

If you make a purchase online that is based in another country in a different currency than how can that not constitute a purchase abroad? I fail to see the logic in your argument. Also, the ombudsman will not even look at your complaint until you have exhausted all of Abbeys complaints procedures. Although using that argument, I don't think your complaint will get very far.

Paul_Herring

darbooka wrote:

The bank charges are not on the back of my statement and I see nowhere where they indicate that online pucharases from my own home constitute purchases abroad.

But you haven't purchased them from the UK. You purchased them from a foreign company, in foreign currency. The fact that you were physically in the UK at the time of the order does not exempt you from paying the exchange charge.

I think I'll write to Abbey and if their reply is not adequate I'll let the Banking Obudsman determine whether they are right or not.

Don't hold your breath expecting a decision in your favour.