Non-sterling transaction charges when in the UK

Net0926

Hi, I recently booked a hotel in New York with booking.com. The total price was quoted in pounds and dollars and said tax wasn't included. it was the type of booking where payment is taken pretty much straight away so I was expecting the money to come out of my account.
When checking a couple of days later, the full amount including 15% tax had been devoted as well as a non-sterling transaction fee of£44.27 and a non-sterling purchase fee of £1.50. I queried this with booking.com who said to take it up with my back so I contacted Halifax.....
Halifax told me I had been charged 2.7% for using my card abroad then tried to sell me a credit card that doesn't charge for transactions abroad. I tried to explain that I made the booking in the UK with a British company using my debit card but apparently it doesn't matter!

Was just wondering if there was anything I could do. I would expect charges of paying by credit card or actually being abroad when using my card but not this. Feel ripped off

Chino

Net0926 wrote: »

I tried to explain that I made the booking in the UK with a British company

1. From "http://www.booking.com/index.en-gb.html?sid=1c3d1b20833148a625e644af89626ee7;dcid=1":

"Booking.com B.V. is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands"

2. From "http://www.booking.com/content/about.en-gb.html?dcid=1&sid=1c3d1b20833148a625e644af89626ee7":

"Booking.com B.V. is registered with the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, under registration number 31047344. VAT registration number is NL805734958B01. Registration number with Dutch Data Protection Authority is 1288246."

Presumably if Booking.com debits your card then, being a Dutch company, it would debit your card in euros making it a non-sterling transaction. Alternatively, if the hotel debits your card then, being an American hotel, it would debit your card in dollars also making it a non-sterling transaction.

However, it is misleading for Booking.com to present prices in sterling but for people's cards to debited in some other currency.

colsten

They generally state something this for hotels abroad, at the bottom of the page that lists the prices.

You will pay the hotel in the hotel’s local currency (xyz). The displayed amount (in GBP) is indicative and based on today’s exchange rate.

As well as something like this on the actual booking page:

*You'll pay XYZ Hotel in the property's currency (exchange rate may vary): £xxx = US$xxx

Net0926 wrote: »

Was just wondering if there was anything I could do.

Record your current booking as a (slightly expensive) lesson learnt. Read all the conditions next time you book. Definitely a good idea to get yourself a credit card for spending in foreign currency. The Halifax Clarity is quite a good one.

grumbler

Chino wrote: »

"Booking.com B.V. is based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands"

And? Who cares where it is based?

"Booking.com B.V. is registered with the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, under registration number 31047344. VAT registration number is NL805734958B01. Registration number with Dutch Data Protection Authority is 1288246."

And? Why gives a !!!!?
Amazon is American company. Amazon Europe that trades in UK is registered in Luxemburg.

Presumably if Booking.com debits your card then, being a Dutch company, it would debit your card in euros making it a non-sterling transaction.

There is no need to presume anything. You authorise the amount and the currency and they can only charge the card with the amount and the currency that you aouthorised.

Alternatively, if the hotel debits your card then, being an American hotel,

Again, it doesn't matter that it's American or Russian. It can charge in any currency, although this is purely theoretical in this case.

However, it is misleading for Booking.com to present prices in sterling but for people's cards to debited in some other currency.

I haven't checked how it really looks, but if there was no warning about charging in other currency, the transaction is subject to chargeback should the OP wants this.

Chargeback Management Guidelines
Reason Code 76: Incorrect Currency

InsideInsurance

grumbler wrote: »

And? Who cares where it is based?

And? Why gives a !!!!?
Amazon is American company. Amazon Europe that trades in UK is registered in Luxemburg.
There is no need to presume anything. You authorise the amount and the currency and they can only charge the card with the amount and the currency that you aouthorised.
Again, it doesn't matter that it's American or Russian. It can charge in any currency, although this is purely theoretical in this case.

I haven't checked how it really looks, but if there was no warning about charging in other currency, the transaction is subject to chargeback should the OP wants this.

Chargeback Management Guidelines
Reason Code 76: Incorrect Currency

The OP is the one saying its a UK company, the other poster just corrected that statement which was a fairly reasonable thing to do.

Looking at a number of US hotels on the book.com site they all state:

You will pay the hotel in the hotel’s local currency (US$). The displayed amount (in GBP) is indicative and based on today’s exchange rate.

On the next page it has:

Total Price (your currency)*
Hotel's Currency in USD
TAX (12%) not included
*You'll pay Holiday Inn Club Vacations: Las Vegas at Desert Club Resort in the property's currency (exchange rate may vary)

Seems user error and therefore no grounds for a chargeback

grumbler

InsideInsurance wrote: »

The OP is the one saying its a UK company, the other poster just corrected that statement which was a fairly reasonable thing to do.

Thanks for clarifying (genuinely), but my point still stands: it makes no difference whatsoever where the company is registered.
So, IMHO it was misleading, not reasonable, to argure/clarify that the company was located/registered in some other country(ies) than the OP assumed.

InsideInsurance

grumbler wrote: »

Thanks for clarifying (genuinely), but my point still stands: it makes no difference whatsoever where the company is registered.
So, IMHO it was misleading, not reasonable, to argure/clarify that the company was located/registered in some other country(ies) than the OP assumed.

I agree it is irrelevant to the issue as its actually the location of the hotel that is driving the issue rather than the website but the OP's rational was revolving around where they are physically located and where the website is based.

The other poster however seems to have been trying to help but was pointing out possibilities - they gave two possible causes of it being that the website is not UK based and that the hotel is not UK based. A fair number of people on this site do give possible explanations as to something (or possible course of actions to take). In fairness to the other poster both of these were reasonable even if in reality one turned out to be true and the other erroneous.

As someone who picks up on poster's attitude to each other it does feel a little "pot kettle black" to flame someone who was trying to assist someone

The true reason for it is the fact that the hotel is the one that charges and it is charged in local currency. I do think the footer on the first page on booking.com is well below the page fold, especially if the hotel has lots of room types/ rates, however on the actual booking page its much more obvious occupying a big blue box on the top left below the header. Whilst a travelling newbie may not look at it properly with the excitement of booking a holiday etc I dont think it is hidden or small print etc. The OP did pick up on the fact that tax isnt included in the prices quotes which is in the same box as the fact you will be billed in the local currency of the hotel as per my quoted text above.