Virgin Money - dispute transaction?

Emily_Joy
Emily_Joy Posts: 1,230 Forumite
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in Credit cards
I have a Virgin Money all-rounder credit card which gives 12 months interest free on purchases + no non-sterling transaction fee + no balance transfer fee.

Travelling in Asia where it was hard to find an English-speaking shop assistant/cashier I was caught by DCC a couple of times and it was a reasonable amount. I would like to dispute these transactions as in reality I wasn't given a choice to be charged in pounds on in local currency. (The shop assistant kept a POS terminal in his hands all the time).

I've tried to contact Virgin Money by secure messaging but didn't get any reply, just an automatic confirmation email saying they are going to reply within 3 days which they didn't.

I've tried visiting a local Virgin Money store and was told they don't deal with Credit Cards.

I've tried calling the number on the back of the card and after being on hold for some 40 minutes was told that they can't help as it is for the store to decide.

Any suggestions on how to proceed are very welcome.
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Comments

  • Paul_DNAP
    Paul_DNAP Posts: 751 Forumite
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    Ultimately I would say you're going to be lucky to dispute these charges, as ultimately it is your responsibility as the card holder to ensure you are using it correctly and you entered your PIN to denote that you approved the transaction, which includes the currency conversion method the store holder chose. If you had any concerns about the shopkeepers integrity, you should not have completed the transaction.
    (Although I could be wrong, I often am.)
  • Emily_Joy
    Emily_Joy Posts: 1,230 Forumite
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    Paul_DNAP wrote: »
    Ultimately it is your responsibility as the card holder to ensure you are using it correctly and you entered your PIN to denote that you approved the transaction, which includes the currency conversion method the store holder chose. If you had any concerns about the shopkeepers integrity, you should not have completed the transaction.


    I've tried but failed. The receipt I have does show amount in local currency only. It's only when I checked my bill online after coming back to the UK I've realised I've been charged in pounds.
  • eDicky
    eDicky Posts: 6,570 Forumite
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    Emily_Joy wrote: »
    was told that they can't help as it is for the store to decide.
    This is not true, regulations require that the cardholder be given the choice of paying in home currency or local currency. Don't let Virgin CS fob you off, there's a code for this particular dispute but sorry I can't look it up right now. Raise a formal complaint if they don't agree to charge back the difference.

    It's strange that the receipt doesn't show pounds. Which country was it, and were other transactions there free from DCC?
    Evolution, not revolution
  • Emily_Joy
    Emily_Joy Posts: 1,230 Forumite
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    eDicky wrote: »
    This is not true, regulations require that the cardholder be given the choice of paying in home currency or local currency. Don't let Virgin CS fob you off, there's a code for this particular dispute but sorry I can't look it up right now. Raise a formal complaint if they don't agree to charge back the difference.

    It's strange that the receipt doesn't show pounds. Which country was it, and were other transactions there free from DCC?


    It was in China. Yes, other transactions were free from DCC, including multiple ATM withdrawals and a transaction in the same shop two days before the one I'd like to dispute.
  • Paul_DNAP
    Paul_DNAP Posts: 751 Forumite
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    You could try again, based on the retailer not following the procedure laid down by the credit card regulators (e.g. VISA) and that they (VISA) have a responsibility to ensure that the retailers they extend their facilities to are people of some sort of repute.


    But, overall, you found a shady shop keeper in China, which isn't particularly hard to do, just chalk it up as one of the wondrous experiences you have when travelling the world.
    (Although I could be wrong, I often am.)
  • SnowTiger
    SnowTiger Posts: 4,458 Forumite
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    Emily_Joy wrote: »
    I've tried but failed. The receipt I have does show amount in local currency only. It's only when I checked my bill online after coming back to the UK I've realised I've been charged in pounds.

    I think there's a bit of over thinking going on here.

    You paid for something in China costing X yuan. You have a receipt that shows you paid X yuan.

    Your credit card statement shows you paid Y pounds.

    You have obviously been charged incorrectly because your receipt doesn't match what appears on your credit card statement.

    Forget the different currencies. Treat it as you would if you bought something from Tesco for £10 and have a receipt showing you paid £10, but your credit card statement shows you paid £30.

    The fact the Chinese merchant did a bit of behind the scenes keyboard tapping isn't your problem. You have a receipt showing you paid them X yuan, not Y pounds.
  • Emily_Joy
    Emily_Joy Posts: 1,230 Forumite
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    Paul_DNAP wrote: »
    But, overall, you found a shady shop keeper in China, which isn't particularly hard to do, just chalk it up as one of the wondrous experiences you have when travelling the world.
    I travel the world as a part of my job and I like to think that I do it well.
  • Emily_Joy
    Emily_Joy Posts: 1,230 Forumite
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    SnowTiger wrote: »
    You have obviously been charged incorrectly because your receipt doesn't match what appears on your credit card statement.

    The fact the Chinese merchant did a bit of behind the scenes keyboard tapping isn't your problem. You have a receipt showing you paid them X yuan, not Y pounds.
    My main difficulty is to get a reply from Virgin Money. They keep sending me their "promotional" offers... sigh.

    Is there any time frame? I am struggling to find enough time between 8am and 5pm to get through by phone.
  • MEM62
    MEM62 Posts: 4,746 Forumite
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    eDicky wrote: »
    This is not true, regulations require that the cardholder be given the choice of paying in home currency or local currency.

    I'll throw something out there just for the fun of the debate.

    It would be interesting to see that regulation tested in this instance. The OP is travelling in a country where he does not speak the native language. Would the expectation therefore be for the shop assistant is able to communicate in English to facilitate this choice? Personally, I cannot see that standing up.
  • SnowTiger
    SnowTiger Posts: 4,458 Forumite
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    Emily_Joy wrote: »
    My main difficulty is to get a reply from Virgin Money. They keep sending me their "promotional" offers... sigh.

    Is there any time frame? I am struggling to find enough time between 8am and 5pm to get through by phone.

    If I were you I'd send them a letter and a copy of the receipt.

    And get a proof of posting (certificate of posting) from the Post Office when posting it.
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