I have just experienced the same rip-off from Agoda.

I have made 50+ hotel bookings through their website. All prices are shown in USD, and their service/booking charges are clearly shown. In the past, when I submitted the payment there was a pop up box which gave me the option to pay the USD amount, or to pay in the currency of my credit card which is NZD. I tried both in the past and discovered that when they converted to my local currency I ended up paying MORE, so I only ever accepted the charge in USD.

However recently the box from which you can choose the currency does not appear. I am shown a USD amount to pay which I accept, and it is only AFTER the transaction has been processed that I suddenly discover I have been charged a different amount in a different currency. They should at least give you the option to opt out of this, and tell you the amount you are going to pay BEFORE they have charged you for it.

I emailed Agoda about this and they kept answering questions which I didn't ask them. Initially I thought this was due to the lack of English language ability from their customer support staff, but eventually I realsied that they were deliberately not answering my questions or acknowledging my concerns regarding their currency conversion procedures.

They eventually offered me a 5% discount on one of the bookings I had made, but not the other 3 in which I had been charged extra. They also refused to address the core issue whatsoever.

I find it hard to believe that they are not breaking Visa's merchant T&C's by a) not allowing their customers to opt out of the "service" and b) by not informing their customers them amount they are being charged until AFTER they have already been charged.

I am going to complain to my credit card company on the other 3 charges, and will continue to do so for each transaction done by Agoda in this manner.

I thought Agoda was a reputable site and I liked the transparency that they show you what their fees and service charges were, they don't try to hide charges from you. But this Direct Currency Conversion debacle (and lack of adequate communication) has completely eroded my trust in them.