"Mastercard chargeback doesn't cover incorrect fees"

epm-84

Gandalf644 said:

epm-84 said:

I withdrew from an ATM abroad using a Chase Mastercard. The ATM informed me there was a fee of 11%. I proceeded with the transaction and selected the local currency option.

On checking the receipt either the fee was calculated incorrectly or additional unadvertised fees were added, as I was charged fees totalling around 34% of the transaction fee.

I asked Chase about a chargeback for the fees and their response was as the ATM gave you the cash you requested, you can't dispute the fee charged through Mastercard. Is this correct?

I do believe (having once had a similar case of overcharging fees at an ATM in Cyprus), that you have to complain to the bank or other institution owning the ATM overseas. They are the ones both making the charge and passing on their charge to your account.

In my case, the bank in Cyprus response was I must have misread the screen regarding the amount they charged, which they stated was a flat withdrawal fee plus the usual percentage fee, which I did challenge as it did not display all the fees.

In the end the Cypriot Bank simply stated again it was down to my misreading of the charges involved on the screen.  And that was that.

I suppose I could have taken the matter forward with the Cypriot Bank regulator, but without a contemporary photograph of the screen showing the advertised charges involved set against what I was actually charged, what evidence did I have?

In the end I wrote it off as it was only about £10.00 and wouldn’t have been worth the hassle of chasing it up further. 

Yeah that's exactly the problem. Who takes a photo of the ATM screens just in case there's an issue later on?

Kim_13

born_again said:

epm-84 said:

TadleyBaggie said:

Whether it is 11% or 34%, it is an outrageous fee. When abroad I will only use an ATM that charges a small  fixed fee and then take a large amount. in local currency using my Chase or Starling card and there is no additional fee.

Yeah I didn't agree with the fee but didn't really have another option. The remote retailer I was buying from had a card machine but it wasn't working and they wouldn't accept cash payment in a foreign currency.

So while you did not agree with it you clicked you did on the ATM?

If you did not agree then you should have rejected & gone to another ATM...

There is a difference between reluctantly agreeing to 11% and getting charged 34%, the latter of which OP did not agree to either in principle or otherwise. 

Very few ATMs abroad don't charge, so the advice to go to another ATM is hardly a realistic solution. OP found themselves in a situation where they had to reluctantly agree to a small-ish fee (which they did) or forego the purchase due to no fault of their own.

I helped someone to get a Starling account this summer as their existing cards were all what MSE would describe as cards from hell. On their trip, they were also stung by an ATM - I assumed they had failed to correctly select the local currency option as advised, but they had managed it for all debit card purchases. Reading this makes me wonder if ATM charges being higher than those prominently displayed at the time is a common occurrence. 

epm-84

Kim_13 said:

born_again said:

epm-84 said:

TadleyBaggie said:

Whether it is 11% or 34%, it is an outrageous fee. When abroad I will only use an ATM that charges a small  fixed fee and then take a large amount. in local currency using my Chase or Starling card and there is no additional fee.

Yeah I didn't agree with the fee but didn't really have another option. The remote retailer I was buying from had a card machine but it wasn't working and they wouldn't accept cash payment in a foreign currency.

So while you did not agree with it you clicked you did on the ATM?

If you did not agree then you should have rejected & gone to another ATM...

There is a difference between reluctantly agreeing to 11% and getting charged 34%, the latter of which OP did not agree to either in principle or otherwise. 

Very few ATMs abroad don't charge, so the advice to go to another ATM is hardly a realistic solution. OP found themselves in a situation where they had to reluctantly agree to a small-ish fee (which they did) or forego the purchase due to no fault of their own.

I helped someone to get a Starling account this summer as their existing cards were all what MSE would describe as cards from hell. On their trip, they were also stung by an ATM - I assumed they had failed to correctly select the local currency option as advised, but they had managed it for all debit card purchases. Reading this makes me wonder if ATM charges being higher than those prominently displayed at the time is a common occurrence. 

Thank you for the sensible reply.

Regarding ATMs abroad - in some countries e.g. Greece there's no such thing as a fee-free ATM when using a foreign bank card. I recall arriving at Athens airport and trying multiple different ATMs, and each one told me there was a fee for using it. I later found out that every Greek bank charged for transactions using a foreign bank card - even HSBC Greece if you used a HSBC UK card. Fortunately I didn't need to withdraw any Euros while in Greece. I just tried to get some extra emergency cash, but as bank cards were widely accepted, it wasn't needed.

Regarding the ATM I started this thread about. I have contacted the bank who owns it, through their website, and asked for clarification on their fees. They haven't responded. I don't suppose everyone working for that bank would speak English, but they do have an English language website.

Maegi

I personally decline DCC but when I encounter one of these ATM surcharges, the proposed surcharge is listed as a monetary value in local currency. Then if I opt to proceed all values (Withdrawal, surcharge and total amount being debited) are detailed on the printed ATM receipt.

Did the screen value, printed receipt value and amount debited differ?