kilton

Basic question: How does one quickly detect that DCC was used before signing the receipt?

RTW1

The currency for the amount you are paying?

And sometimes it's clearly mentioned on the receipt that DCC is used (even with that wording) and the exchange rate that is used is normally mentioned.

Christopher

Check the amount: unless the two currencies are trading on a 1:1 basis, the amount will be a different number from what you would be expecting if it was being charged in the local currency.

Of course, you might not always have an exact idea of the amount (e.g. when checking out of a hotel) and some currencies are near enough that confusion could occur (e.g. the US dollar and the euro): there will also be a note of the currency somewhere on the receipt to be signed (and if there's not you should be kicking up a big fuss anyway).

JEFFJAGUAR

When the sales slip you are presented to sign has both an amount in local currency and an amount in your currency listed along with an exchange rate. Often the clerk will tell you the amount in your currency is unofficial and shown just for your convenience which is a lie (one of a few they use to try to sucker you into falling for this scam).

If you read closely what you are being asked to sign it will say something to the effect that you were offered the opportunity to pay in local currency and declined to do so and accept the conversion rate being used as final.

We went through what you should do. Ask the clerk to void the transaction. If he doesn't ask to see the manager. If you can't get them to void the transaction, don't offer to pay cash. Cross out the amount shown in yor currency, write on the slip local currency not offered and tell the manager you will be disputing the charge and when you get the bill, dispute the charge. MC/visa MUST charge it back to the merchant as they will not have a signature showing you accepted the charge. Has worked for me every time I've gotten involved with this and they have never failed to charge it back to the merchant. Only way to deal with the situation. If the merchant gets enough chargebacks, maybe they'llo stop trying to cheat their customers with this garbage.

meester69

Oberoi hotels repeatedly scammed me like this.

I got a bill for ~150,000INR (nearly $3000) in the first I stayed in, I asked my wife to settle it, while I filled in some stupid 'for your satisfaction' questionnaire, what I didn't realise was that they switched it to pounds. The additional cost was around $150. I was fuming all the way to the airport.

Eventually got the charge cancelled by the next hotel, but it didn't stop them repeating this in the gift shop of another of their hotels. I wasn't going to stand for it, and made them change it.

Just one of a number of overcharging incidents I experienced there.

Not cool.

kilton

So you don't sign the slip? Just cross out the amount shown and write local currency not offered?

Just confirming. :-)

TRAVELSIG

Complain directly to the General Manager.

If they are not able to fix it send a letter to the hotel owner and cc the Tourism Board or similar body in the country explaining the practice which should be illegal.

People are being tricked into signing something fraudulent. There is no "convenience" in DCC.

I have advised two hotels that I will no longer stay with them as a result of this practice and in both cases I have followed up with a letter to Tourism and the Ministry of Industry.

This probably sounds like going overboard- however the practice is so low that there is only one way to deal with it.

eefor jfp

This happened to me twice on a recent trip to Poland (first time in a long time to meet up with DCC). When I noticed it a few days later, I called Chase to dispute the charges, since i hadn't been offered the option as stated on the receipt. Chase offered me a $5 credit, which I reluctantly accepted since I felt like the merchants should have to be hit with a chargeback for their scam. But Chase wasn't willing to pursue this, so that was that. Next time I travel to Poland I will watch every transaction carefully and, as others have stated, refuse to sign those not in the local currency.

I would use Amex but my Chase card is one of the many that are foreign exchange fee free and that is a better deal than the 2.7% Amex charges.

chuckisduck

This happened to me in the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney, when I was a "well educated" Business traverler. I just happened to look at the exchange rates, as was under US perdiem and it was more than the daly rate alloted. I asked him to convert to AUD, and saved about 12 USD on a 1 night stay. They clerk didn't want to do it because "you are getting a better rate when we show it to you in dollars". I didn't know what DCC (thought it was limited to my forex experiences) was until today though, will be looking out for it on future travels.

JEFFJAGUAR

The clerk was absolutely right. You do get a better rate when they show it to you in dollars.......Australian dollars that is.

chuckisduck

You got me there, guess it was Schrodinger's Dollar. I think the only reason I noticed was that they were charging me more USD than AUD at that time (would be a great exchange rate now)

lilyluvx

This is actually a very good idea. Next time we'll try this method instead of trying to talk sense into them because most of the time the clerk has no clue what I'm talking about. Especially when there are people behind you in line waiting for you to finish the transaction asap.

TimothyTaylorLandlord

you paid for a $9 meal on a card?

GHU

JEFFJAGUAR

Is there anything so strange about that? BTW, every morning when I am in London, my routine is to stop at Tesco, purchase two small containers of teso orange juice for 54p each or £1.08 something like $1.59 and I use a credit card...then hop over to McDonald's for breakfast, get a bacon, egg and cheese bagel ,meal for £3.29 (choosing as the beverage coffee), down the orange juices with the meal. Later on in the day, since I admit I am terrible addicted to it, I might stop at Tesco again or some other grocery chain and purchase 2 500 ml bottles of diet coke cherry for £1.19 and use my credit card.

At home, I might stop in by Mickey D and Burger King and buy something for $2 or so and use a credit card. As a matter of fact, every since my nearby Chinese take out place started taking credit cards (they use square), I can't remember the last time I spent cash for anything.

And you know something. I don't have the slightest bit of a guiltfeeling about it. What's wrong with charging a $9 meal anyway?

GUWonder

Quite routinely, I do something like that. I already carry over a dozen different currencies and don't need to have a bunch of loose change and random bills to add to my collection.

I use my bank cards for even $1-$5 purchases at Starbucks when home, for example; and I tend to do the same thing overseas too.