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Old April 20th, 2004, 09:57 AM
Alec
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Default Beware - credit card rip-off


"Andy Pandy" wrote in
message ...
There is a new "facility" you may encounter when paying by credit card in

a
foreign currency. The POS terminal identifies which country your credit

card is
from and conveniently converts the local currency into your home currency.

Your
credit card is then billed in your home currency rather than the local

currency.

Might sound helpful, but the catch is that the exchange rate at which the
conversion is done is almost certainly a lot worse than your bank would

use if
you got billed in the local currency. The retailer usually gets a cut of

the
exchange rate markup so it's in their interest to bill you in your home
currency.

They are supposed to ask you which currency you want to billed in, but it
practice it doesn't always happen, and the default is to bill you in your

home
currency. But you are perfectly entitled to insist you are billed in the

local
currency, after all the product or service will have been priced in the

local
currency. Don't let retailers rip you off in this way!

It's called 'Dynamic Currency Conversion' in the trade-speak. It's touted
among retailers and service providers (hotels, car rental firms etc) doing a
lot of business with foreign visitors, and also on-line dealers. The card
processors entice them with 'customer satisfaction' and 'extra income
stream' (i.e. sharing exchange mark-up).
First developed by the Irish firm Forexco, it's now offered globally and
adopted by leading retailers like Harrods and international hotel groups. I
now make the point of insisting before my card is swiped that I want to be
charged in the local currency. Visa/Plus and Mastercard/Cirrus regulations
stipulate that customer must be given a choice. If they still put through
the transaction in the card's billing currency, refuse to sign the slip and
ask them to void it. If they still refuse, tell them you'll ask your card
issuer for a chargeback. Expect a dirty look or take your customs elsewhere.

Alec