Ryanair DCC Rip-Off

Si67

Ryanair has just tricked me and I need some advice

I've just purchased some flights via the Ryanair website. The flights were one-way, from Spain back to the UK, so the prices are in EUROS.

Now, I consider myself to be fairly astute when it comes to Ryanair's 'trickery'. I purchased the tickets using my FairFx card; primarily in order to avoid the so-called admin charges, but also to get a decent exchange rate. However, that's where they got me!

The total price quoted was 360 EUROS. I know Ryanair try to disguise the fact that at the point of sale they actually intend to convert it to pounds sterling at their own inferior exchange rate, but I'm wise to this! There is a small-font link that you click to elect to pay in EUROS. Clicking the link displays a pop-up box that says

Currency Conversion Offer

Exchange rate of EUR 0.8910169 to GBP on 11 December 2010 = GBP 321.34

If you do not wish to accept the exchange rate please untick the check box below. The rate on this currency transaction is guaranteed and will not wary.

If you untick the checkbox below, the rate you receive from your bank is not guaranteed, and is subject to daily fluctuations, which could result in a significantly higher cost to you.

Please go to our terms and conditions for details of our guaranteed exchange rate.

We recommend you do not untick the checkbox so that you receive our guaranteed exchange rate

I ignored their "recommendation" (which, after all, is for their benefit not mine) and I duly unticked the checkbox, thus ensuring that I would indeed pay in EUROS.

However, it ignored me, and went ahead and charged me in pounds sterling regardless.

The result is that I've paid about £20 more than I should have.

The question is, what can I do about it? With FairFx there is no Section 75 protection, and Ryanair charge £1 per minute just to talk to them. I can't find an email address.

The price was quoted in EUROS, and I actively elected to pay in EUROS, but they ignored this and charged me in pounds.

Surely there are some consumer protection laws against this?

I've always considered Ryanair business practises to be based on trickery and deception, but I've played along with their puerile little games; I did everything right, and I still got duped.

Anyone?

melb

this happened to me but, if i remember correctly, there is another box you need to click or something else you need to do further down the line which isn't immediately obvious

Si67

I meticulously verified (& my wife double-checked) everything as I went, as I always do when I deal with such tricksters.

It's just so frustrating - the time I spent researching prepaid mastercards (with help from people on this forum - thanks!), booking a return trip as 2 singles and tracking the exchange rate in order to avoid Ryanair's FX racket; all for nothing.

I don't know what's worse - being ripped off for 20 quid, or just being taken for a fool.

I intend to complain formally to Mastercard, but it seems their site is currently under another DDOS attack.

Not my day

melb

there was a post on here a while ago - sorry can't remember who it was - and he went step by step what you had to do to avoid this - i followed it and still came unstuck and I, too, like to think I'm meticulous (specially when it comes to saving money!)

Si67

Surely this sort of conduct is illegal, or at least contrary to Mastercard rules.

Any legal beagles out there?

StuieUK34

I thought section 75 does apply to Prepaid cards, thats why i bought one.

dzug1

StuieUK34 wrote: »

I thought section 75 does apply to Prepaid cards, thats why i bought one.

It doesn't. Prepaid cards are not credit cards. Section 75 is about provision of credit.

peterbaker

The OP seems to have discovered some new development. This is just one of the threads I have started/contributed to over the years: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2793628

As usual, it looks like some kind of Ryanair moving feast until it gets stamped upon. Ryanair are playing too crafty by half with this.

Si67

Cheers for that.

I note the familiar dialog box in the screenshots in post
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=33264447&postcount=23

I did exactly that (although the currency conversion was the other way around)! I cleared the checkbox, and double checked that the link had in fact changed before pressing "Purchase Now", but it still charged me in GBP at their inferior rate.

Now, I'd have thought that this sort of thing would at least constitute a violation of Mastercard regulations, if not EU law.

I'm sending Ryanair a fax, requesting a refund for the difference. If they refuse, I'm getting the OFT and Mastercard involved.

The sum involved is actually less than 20 quid, but it's the principle. I just don't like being taken for a fool.

peterbaker

Ah ... my intended edit crossed with your reply ... so to keep things in order let me restate things here:

Just to be sure that MSE'ers fully understand the way I make certain I will NOT be caught by Ryanair's Dynamic Currency Conversion, on the Input Card Details/Payment Screen I always
(a) firstly, never click Purchase Now until I have double-checked that all looks well, and
(b) especially check the small print in the Total Amount line just above has changed TWICE from

Total amount (Including Administration Fee) ..................................................... EUR €€.€€
to
(i) Total amount (Including Administration Fee) (GBP ££.££) More Information ............ EUR €€.€€
and thence to
(ii) Total amount (Including Administration Fee) (Click here to convert to GBP ££.££)... EUR €€.€€

NB1 Changed version (ii) is what appears after you remove the tick from the hidden box when you've clicked on More Information in version (i)

NB2 Having got (ii) to display, DO NOT then Click here and see what happens. If you attempt to double-check or otherwise admire your handiwork by bringing up the tick box screen for a second time and putting the tick back in the box, then when you want to remove the tick again you may find you can't. Instead, Ryanair will take that fateful Click here and your putting of the tick back in the box as a final decision that you really wanted to pay in GBP! All links to the tick box screen will then have disappeared you will have a achieved an unwanted third change to the small print line (which is a dangerous cue that all is no longer well) that looks like

(iii) Total amount (Including Administration Fee) (GBP ££.££) ......................... EUR €€.€€

The only way to rectify your mistake from there is to use the Back button in the browser and to fill in the details on previous booking page again.

NB3 The ' (GBP ££.££) More Information ' part as in (i) will not appear until you have both entered a card number which Ryanair checks 'on the fly' to see if it is issued in a different currency to the quoted fare and clicked on another input box.

Si67

Yep, I got to...

(ii) Total amount (Including Administration Fee) (Click here to convert to GBP ££.££) EUR €€.€€

...then I clicked "Purchase Now".

I'd like to think that it's an unintentional glitch on the website...!