Originally Posted by
Majuki
Would you care to name and shame the hotels for our reference here? I'd like to see the receipt with the 7% DCC offer if you can redact personal information and are in a position to post it. That's just criminal and probably no improvement over cash exchange rates at airport bureaus de change.
I haven't been to Portugal, but in Spain every merchant is required to have hoja de reclamaciones sheets at the establishment. Sometimes they'll say they don't have them, but this is illegal. You are within your rights to call the police to make a sworn statement, and if you call their bluff they will definitely capitulate.
I always specify that I want euros in a place like Spain, knowing how awful the DCC situation is there. Of the 7 DCC transactions, 3 asked if you wanted euros or your card's currency? For the 2 arguments with the merchant, did you end up paying cash after voiding the sale or get them to rerun the transaction without DCC? Finally, I'm trying to understand the mechanics of the hotel's DCC. Was it integrated with the guest folio, or did you have to sign a thermal or carbon copy receipt upon checkout?
I'm happy that you're disputing the charge. Which card is this, and who is your issuer? Be sure to specify that it's a Reason Code 4846. How did you make a written refusal? Did you deface the credit card signature slip? There must have been something you signed for the charge.
1) First hotel, Dublin Hilton, no mention of DCC at any time, handed me bill in Euros on departure and I signed slip in EUR, but was billed in USD anyway so they must have discarded the first slip and substituted another. Second hotel, a Spanish parador, as described below.
2) Of the seven DCC transactions, five asked, and three accepted my "no" without a problem. Two others ignored my "no" and attempted to bill with DCC, one successfully; two others never asked but simply did the DCC, one of which made it to my credit card bill. In the two cases where I was able to stop the attempted DCC, I made them redo the transaction and did not pay cash, but it was a big PITA.
3) I'm aware of the hoja de reclamaciones and would certainly have called for it had I known what was going on, but I didn't find out until I got my credit card bill.
4) The card is United Presidential Plus and the code is Other for grossly unsatisfactory product, I am challenging the entire bill on grounds of attempted theft, not on grounds of DCC.
5) The method of the scam should be seen in the three images I'm trying to append: at checkout, front desk prepares a base bill in EUR. I am asked whether I wish to pay in dollars, I say no. Out pops a DCC consent form; I check the EUR box and sign it. Attendant: "Can I put this all in an envelope for you?" Folds everything up and staples it and puts it an envelope. I never see or sign any credit card receipt. What she presents to me appears to be the base bill with the DCC form stapled to it, EUR selection plainly visible. In fact, she has slipped a completed credit card transaction with DCC, complete with the certification that I was offered a choice of currencies and chose USD, between the two invisibly. The commission (undisclosed) was about 7.7 percent (EUR/USD=.7477 vs. 8056 charged that day by my card on another transaction.)
I do have clear photos of everything but it is not obvious to me how to post them within a message; the "Insert Image" button seems to want a URL.