Originally Posted by
JEFFJAGUAR
What do you mean it won't help to circle the local currency amount and write local option not offered. The merchant can process the charge anyway he wishes. You dispute the charge with visa (or mc) and they will charge it back through the visa (or mc) network. At least that's what happened the few times I've had to resort to this.
Yeah I've done it, with A Lorcha. My evidence was ironclad tho, it was a carbon slip with an carbon-imprinted X clearly marked against the MOP option.
Originally Posted by
JEFFJAGUAR
BTW in the case of the Irish charge, my bank simply credited the difference (something like 50 cents US or thereabouts) and did not bother with a chargeback which quite frankly I would have preferred to punish these vermin.
I would have tried not to accept that.
Originally Posted by
JEFFJAGUAR
Also I think I read in another thread of your problem (or somebody else's) problem at Harrod's. Any transaction can be voided (what happens if a clerk accidentally enters the wrong amount; I simply don't accept it can't be voided). Either I owuld have walked away and told the clerk I changed my mind about buying it or I would have written on the sales slip local option not offered and circled the amount in local currency.
BTW Harrods did offer a refund, but only in GBP (we tried it). The DCC markup was locked in as a result. At no point in the Visa International Operating Regulations is a Void option mandatory - it really depends on the POS design and designers can simply decided to not put one in (Harrods, and Apple Store HK also) or lock it with an admin password (St. Regis Shenzhen).
Originally Posted by
JEFFJAGUAR
Maybe it's different in Hong Kong. What I do know is that on the couple of occasions I have had to resort to this, unlike the Burger King episode where they simply credited the difference, my visa bank did charge the charge back to the merchant. I don't see where your bank has any choice in this matter and let Harrod's handle it and deal with it.
Problem is with the UK slip the DCC option came in the POS, and was not subject to customer choice - cashier choice only. So it'll be an uphill battle proving you did not select DCC (c.f. A Lorcha carbon slip above).
Sometimes we have to take the dispute to the next level (the HK bank regulator HK Monetary Authority). As a govt bureaucracy, you don't want to go there unless your documentation is ironclad.
Strict reading of the VIOR would suggest not being able to tick a choice to opt in DCC on the slip is prima facie non-compliant.
But I'm not sure if the UK regulator (APACS?) will see it that way - their Chip and PIN don't really require a signature all the time, anyway.
Same with Korea, where the cards are still magstripe and sign but the signatures are all electronically recorded (no merchant slip). DCC choice is be made at the terminal.