Beware of foreign outlets selecting to pay in £ rather than the local currency

fifeken

fifeken wrote: »

I'm just about to start another one with Halifax from a purchase on Sunday where I wasn't offered the choice of currency.

The transaction appeared on my account yesterday and led to an interesting discussion with Halifax.

The operator appeared to fully understand what had happened but insisted the merchant was under no obligation to ask me which currency I would like to pay in.

When I insisted she allegedly spoke to a supervisor and returned with the same story.

I indicated I wanted to lodge a complaint and she then spoke to the escalations team. She returned to tell me that I would lose any case that was raised, but she was prepared to reimburse me what I'd lost through the DCC as a goodwill gesture, which I accepted.

I honestly don't know what to make of it after all I've read on here and elsewhere.

vienly

i just made call to halifax about the same and the girl was clueless, she said i had to wait to for it to appear from pending to going through before they can do anything. i did call just now from hong kong and i think i woke her up with her attitude!

grumbler

fifeken wrote: »

I'm just about to start another one with Halifax from a purchase on Sunday where I wasn't offered the choice of currency.

fifeken wrote: »

The operator appeared to fully understand what had happened but insisted the merchant was under no obligation to ask me which currency I would like to pay in.

When I insisted she allegedly spoke to a supervisor and returned with the same story.

Well, I don't see anything stopping any website based anywhere from showing prices in £ and not offering to chose the currency you pay in.

The problem arises only if the prices are shown in another currency.

chattychappy

grumbler wrote: »

Well, I don't see anything stopping any website based anywhere from showing prices in £ and not to offering to chose the currency you pay in.

The problem arises only if the prices are shown in another currency.

I agree. Really the question is one of authorisation. If you are in Spain and the amount comes up in GBP and you have no choice, then by agreeing to the GBP you have authorised the transaction. Afterall, you can always walk away.

BUT, we are told that the rules on DCC are that the customer MUST be offered the choice. I think this is the grounds people use when they dispute the transaction in the case they had no choice - even though the agreement concerned is between the networks and merchants rather than the CC and cardholder. I would imagine that some domestic laws would have a problem with a shop displaying prices in a local currency together with CC logos, only for a customer to be told at the point of sale that they must pay what amounts to a different price.

bigadaj

You could certainly argue the internet is different but physically being in a country and being denied the opportunity to pay in the local currency is bizarre, in Spain would they get a Spanish person to pay in sterling?

I've had it a few times including a Novotel in Spain, it was changed between entering the pin and getting the receipt. I got quite angry with the receptionist and had it reversed and charged in euros on a clarity, she seemed quite confused, and I hit the impression their training might be that doing dcc was a good thing for non euro customers.

dogshome

Yes - Beware Novatel
Paid for a 3 night stay in Spain with my Clarity card on arrival, then haveing found the room looked the invoice, charges listed in Euros, but small print at the bottom refers to £ exchange rate.

Returned to desk and told by senior manager that "You have been charged in Euros and the script at the bottom is only an illustration"
My C/Card statement says otherwise and it's cost me £3.80

Biggles

fifeken wrote: »

The operator appeared to fully understand what had happened but insisted the merchant was under no obligation to ask me which currency I would like to pay in.

That may (or may not) be true but isn't really the issue.

The issue is agreeing to pay an specified amount in the local currency and finding the vendor has charged you an undisclosed rate for converting that to a quite different currency, without even telling you, for no good reason other than for them to turn a profit.

fred246

I have had a few transactions where I have felt that a retailer has acted fraudulently. I have phoned the credit card company asking for a refund. It was once explained to me that they won't argue for amounts less than £20. It's just like "We really can't be bothered listening to this, if you want £20 we will give you £20 to get you off the phone and let us do something else". You get the cash back so you don't lose out but you feel the bank should be sorting the dodgy retailer out.

Ben8282

bigadaj wrote: »

You could certainly argue the internet is different but physically being in a country and being denied the opportunity to pay in the local currency is bizarre, in Spain would they get a Spanish person to pay in sterling?

I've had it a few times including a Novotel in Spain, it was changed between entering the pin and getting the receipt. I got quite angry with the receptionist and had it reversed and charged in euros on a clarity, she seemed quite confused, and I hit the impression their training might be that doing dcc was a good thing for non euro customers.

Yes. Spain is a country where I have encountered this problem and you are right. I have also gained the impression that the staff believe they are doing a good thing for me by doing dcc. As we have no idea of how knowledgeable individual staff members are about this subject, it may well be that they do genuinely believe that they are.


It may well be that some people, for example elderly people who could worry about such things or those on a tight budget, knowing the exact GBP amount to be debited at the time of making the purchase is more important than the relatively small extra cost. However, it is wrong for them not to be given the choice.


Another dcc culprit is Spanish customs at the Gibraltar frontier. Having decided that my 1 carton of 200 cigarettes was a commercial import and that I was to be charged duty on it, they then proceeded to apply dcc without asking. On this one occasion I didn't quite dare say anything and let it go through ....


Another problem that I have encountered in Spain is retailers who appear to have somehow set the PIN terminals to decline every transaction attempted in order to force the customer to make a cash withdrawal from an ATM to make the purchase. This has happened at least twice from two separate retailers for largish transactions. Being determined not to have to take cash advances, we both tried every possible card in our possession (Visa, MasterCard, Amex charge card, Diners charge card) ... all inexplicably declined.

cheesetoast

I've only been done over with DCC once - the merchant pressed "pay in pounds" for me, and the language barrier was enough that I wasn't comfortable arguing the point - something that would have cost me £9.60 ended up costing me £10.03.

Although, that said, the blurb that printed on the receipt was a complete lie...

"I HAVE BEEN OFFERED A CHOICE OF
CURRENCIES INCLUDING MUR AND AGREE TO PAY
IN TRANSACTION AMOUNT AND CURRENCY AS
STATED ABOVE.. DYNAMIC CURRENCY
CONVERSION IS OFFERED By
ROOODA ART CRAFT
PLEASE DEBIT MY ACCOUNT"