Originally Posted by
STS-134
I stayed at the Parkyard Hotel in Shanghai one time and they hit me with DCC and refused to reverse it. So I just initiated a chargeback and hit them where it hurts the most: on their bottom line.
Originally Posted by
Majuki
What happens if you refuse to sign the charge slip? It seems as though most people have been successful getting the charges voided, but it doesn't help end this practice if you end up paying cash. Furthermore, if you're with a group of friends, they'll think you're creating a scene and being petty over something immaterial.
Chargeback - I rather not. I rather void the slip and present alternate payment (in my case in the PRC this will obviously be Unionpay).
OK, just a short explanation on my circumstances
- I live in HK and have permanent residency. This means I've access to RMB/HKD denominated Unionpay cards and RMB accounts to settle them with. I can draw cash out of RMB ATMs in HK and recently I can even put them back in again.
- I have family in Australia and in any case since I'm based in HK, my travel is mainly redemption travel with CX and its OW partners and my primary miles program is Asia Miles (though I recently added Avios for better short-haul redemptions inside Asia).
Most of my miles are from credit card spend. HK is a haven for earning miles with credit cards and I try to maximise earning from card spending for everything I have to pay.
This may result in me paying with Visa in China instead of taking the more convenient option of paying with Unionpay e.g. Unionpay cards earn RMB4/mile, but a Visa card on a promo may earn HK$1.11/mile. Of course the promos usually state the promo must be free of DCC i.e. the HK bank must earn its 1.95% foreign curerency translation fee.
But really using Visa in China is increasingly frustrating. I think for 2012 Christmas I've spent a full day in Shenzhen dining, wining and shopping without being able to pay Visa or alternatively being able to pay for it without DCC.
I tried studying and disarming card terminals, but I'm not convinced Chinese banks really have to let us opt out given the lack of policing and policy encouragement to DCC. Normally when I see DCC language my SOP is to:
- void the slip,
even if it takes me 30 minutes to do so
- (really haven't done this yet) tick the merchant slip, photo the slip and dispute it
I've done a
full chargeback before. But I'm finding there are fewer Visa promos applicable in China and the marchants to use them on for me to use Visa in the face of DCC.