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debit card dispute?

I am honestly not even sure of this is the correct place, but here goes nothing.

I went to Marrakesh on honeymoon, used my debit card to get a prepaid debit card (which i have not used), on the way home i went back to the exchange desk and they assured me they'd refund me.

This was in October, i've had no refund despite multiple emails/a complaint to them. I have gone to my bank and they've said it's gone through as an ATM withdrawal - which it wasn't. It seems this currency place does this to loads of people. I used my debit card on a chip and pin machine at the desk. I did not receive any cash in hand

To be honest I think I'm out of luck with this one and down a few hundred quid, am i correct?

Comments

  • Brie
    Brie Posts: 13,438 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    sounds like the same thing that happens at lots of foreign exchange desks where if you get USD or euros that's considered a cash withdrawal rather than a purchase and so you get charged like that.  Just because it's a card that's holding the money rather than you having currency in you hand it's treated the same.  

    Where was the place you bought the card from??  Airport or similar?  In the UK?  That might all change the advice.
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  • Mark_d
    Mark_d Posts: 1,934 Forumite
    1,000 Posts First Anniversary Name Dropper
    When you bought the prepaid debit card/loaded cash on to it - this is a cash transaction rather than a retail purchase.  If you had used a credit card rather than your debit card, it would have been treated as a cash advance.
    As a learning point for next time, don't trust these foreign financial institutions because they're not regulated in the way British institutions are.
    When I go abroad I withdraw a small amount of cash from a bank's ATM using my Kroo bank card, for places where I can't pay by credit card.  Wherever possible, I make payments using my Halifax Clarity credit card.
  • born_again
    born_again Posts: 18,320 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fifth Anniversary Name Dropper
    mawdeuce said:
    I am honestly not even sure of this is the correct place, but here goes nothing.

    I went to Marrakesh on honeymoon, used my debit card to get a prepaid debit card (which i have not used), on the way home i went back to the exchange desk and they assured me they'd refund me.

    This was in October, i've had no refund despite multiple emails/a complaint to them. I have gone to my bank and they've said it's gone through as an ATM withdrawal - which it wasn't. It seems this currency place does this to loads of people. I used my debit card on a chip and pin machine at the desk. I did not receive any cash in hand

    To be honest I think I'm out of luck with this one and down a few hundred quid, am i correct?
    Do you still have the card?

    Sadly the bank are right. Unless you have a receipt stating that you were refunded ££ on date to card ed 1234
    Life in the slow lane
  • mawdeuce
    mawdeuce Posts: 2 Newbie
    First Post
    I bought it at the exchange desk. They did not give me a receipt, apparently this is quite common for them. I still have the card but you can't use it in the UK.

    annoyingly we have a Revolut card and it was the ONLY thing my husband was responsible for, he forgot until we were in Morocco. We had no signal to move money to the Revolut card in the queue :-( 
  • Jumblebumble
    Jumblebumble Posts: 1,933 Forumite
    Sixth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Mark_d said:
    When you bought the prepaid debit card/loaded cash on to it - this is a cash transaction rather than a retail purchase.  If you had used a credit card rather than your debit card, it would have been treated as a cash advance.
    As a learning point for next time, don't trust these foreign financial institutions because they're not regulated in the way British institutions are.
    When I go abroad I withdraw a small amount of cash from a bank's ATM using my Kroo bank card, for places where I can't pay by credit card.  Wherever possible, I make payments using my Halifax Clarity credit card.
    I personally use my Clarity Card to make withdrawals overseas and pay it off fully same day which incurs a tiny amount of daily interest as I read the trustpilot reviews for Kroo that suggest that they have a habit of ignoring customer service complaints and like to close peoples accounts. 

    It is not obvious how they have a sustainable business as everything seems to be free and their accounts show a loss 28 million in 2023
    I will caveat that I have a grandfathered  Santander Zero fee free card as well 

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