Diners Club Club Rewards - An Open Letter to DCNA Chairman and CEO Brian Lifsec

I sent this letter to Diners Club North America Chairman and CEO Brian Lifsec earlier this week. This was after a frustrating phone call with DC Customer Support, in which the rep said:

- it couldn't fax or otherwise send me a copy of the DC Carte Blanche Terms and Conditions. This was my fourth request since September 28 for the document.

- it does not post the T&Cs on its web site.

- it would mail me a copy, which would take 7-10 business days.

- a CS supervisor would call me back within 48 hours to discuss the issue. That deadline passed and still no call back.

If any FT member has a copy of the DC CB Terms and Conditions he or she could easily scan and email me or fax me, please PM me. I would appreciate it.

I can't believe how ridiculously difficult it has been to get this simple document from Diners Club.

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Brian Lifsec
Chairman and CEO
Diners Club North America
50 Northwest Point Blvd.
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 60007-1032 USA

Dear Mr. Lifsec:

REF: Diners Club Carte Blanche Account XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-1884

I am writing to you because I have exhausted all avenues within Diners Club Customer Service.

My request is simple: I would like a copy of the Diners Club Carte Blanche Card Terms and Conditions, as I cannot find the copy that was sent to me a few years ago.

I need it because unlike virtually every other credit card provider, Diners Club does not print the foreign currency exchange rate per transaction (e.g., the conversion factor from Singapore dollars to USD) nor the foreign currency conversion fee (3%) on customers’ monthly statements. Diners Club simply prints a total foreign currency charge total for all foreign transactions on the statement, and only prints the conversion fee percentage on the terms and conditions document.

This has made it extraordinarily difficult and time-consuming for me to file expense reports with my company for my trips to Asia. I have no documentation from Diners Club that shows me what foreign currency exchange rate was used per purchase, and what currency conversion fee applies for those purchases.

I have asked for this document four times from Diners Club Customer Service since September 28, 2007. To date, I have not received it, despite repeated assurances from your customer service reps. I asked them to overnight me a copy as I need it urgently, and was told that was impossible to do.

I am asking that Diners Club send this to me no later than Friday, 30 November 2007. Thank you.
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...unlike virtually every other credit card provider, Diners Club does not print the foreign currency exchange rate per transaction (e.g., the conversion factor from Singapore dollars to USD) nor the foreign currency conversion fee (3%) on customers’ monthly statements.

All USA issued Citi cards appear to use the same method, this is not unique to Diners Club. For comparison, American Express does not itemize the exchange rate. Both companies show the amount in the original currency plus the amount in US Dollars for each transaction. American Express includes the conversion fee in the US Dollar amount of each transaction. Either way the customer must do some arithmetic to see the exchange rate. However, American Express does mention the 2% fee on the statement, and I cannot think of any good reason Citi would not do the same.

The terms are probably not the same for every cardholder and it may not simply be a matter of sending the current terms. Still Citi should have a record of the terms which apply to your account and be able to supply a fresh copy on the first request.