Jul 13, 2022, 8:15 am
Last edit by: moondog
The "FT People on WeChat" group
Our group chat is comprised of FT members and friends of FT members. We talk about pretty much anything except for politics (because Papa Bear has the ability to watch over us). The group has its own QR code, but it has a short shelf life (e.g. about 5 days), so I'm not including it here. The easiest way to join is to add me as a contact (moondogsh) and let me put you in the group.
Contacting Tencent Customer Support
If you want to get in touch with Tencent customer service (e.g. to update your passport number or change your name format so it aligns with your bank accounts), most web resources will advise you to simply message the "WeChat Team" contact. It is extremely difficult to get a human response when using this approach. Calling them also results in a bot experience.
However, the following drill works as of July 2022 (specific menu options can always change, of course; the key is getting yourself to step 5 below):
1. Dial 95716 (or +86 4009100100 from outside of China)
2. Select option 1 for personal accounts
3. Enter your connected phone number followed by #
3. Select option 2 for other questions
4. The bot will ask you to describe your issue using voice; just speak to it in English; it won't understand and will ask you to repeat 3-5 times before giving up
5. Now, the bot will give you ~8 menu options; through trial and error, I can state that option 7 is good for immediate transfer to a human (some of the others might work as well)
6. When the representative picks up, you definitely need to speak Chinese, but your request is presumably fairly easy to convey, and their responses are also pretty simple
7. They might want to move the conversation over to WeChat; this is okay because they will send you an invite to a special customer service queue, which is only ~60% automated
Our group chat is comprised of FT members and friends of FT members. We talk about pretty much anything except for politics (because Papa Bear has the ability to watch over us). The group has its own QR code, but it has a short shelf life (e.g. about 5 days), so I'm not including it here. The easiest way to join is to add me as a contact (moondogsh) and let me put you in the group.
Contacting Tencent Customer Support
If you want to get in touch with Tencent customer service (e.g. to update your passport number or change your name format so it aligns with your bank accounts), most web resources will advise you to simply message the "WeChat Team" contact. It is extremely difficult to get a human response when using this approach. Calling them also results in a bot experience.
However, the following drill works as of July 2022 (specific menu options can always change, of course; the key is getting yourself to step 5 below):
1. Dial 95716 (or +86 4009100100 from outside of China)
2. Select option 1 for personal accounts
3. Enter your connected phone number followed by #
3. Select option 2 for other questions
4. The bot will ask you to describe your issue using voice; just speak to it in English; it won't understand and will ask you to repeat 3-5 times before giving up
5. Now, the bot will give you ~8 menu options; through trial and error, I can state that option 7 is good for immediate transfer to a human (some of the others might work as well)
6. When the representative picks up, you definitely need to speak Chinese, but your request is presumably fairly easy to convey, and their responses are also pretty simple
7. They might want to move the conversation over to WeChat; this is okay because they will send you an invite to a special customer service queue, which is only ~60% automated
wechat（微信）
May 29, 2021 | 11:45 pm
#361
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I checked the “add card” and it shows AmEx as an option. But I have no way of knowing if AmEx has a different success rate for charging directly.
The charge on my credit card just shows AliPay as the merchant and is equal to the RMB charge amount times the day’s exchange rate. Just like any other foreign CC transaction.
The charge on my credit card just shows AliPay as the merchant and is equal to the RMB charge amount times the day’s exchange rate. Just like any other foreign CC transaction.
May 30, 2021 | 4:31 am
#362
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I checked the add card and it shows AmEx as an option. But I have no way of knowing if AmEx has a different success rate for charging directly.
The charge on my credit card just shows AliPay as the merchant and is equal to the RMB charge amount times the days exchange rate. Just like any other foreign CC transaction.
The charge on my credit card just shows AliPay as the merchant and is equal to the RMB charge amount times the days exchange rate. Just like any other foreign CC transaction.
I don't know if AliPay is converting it to USD or it's just passing the RMB to your Chase card. Assuming I am reading what you typed properly, then it means RMB is charged to the Chase card, which is great as I want Visa to handle the foreign exchange.
May 30, 2021 | 6:14 am
#364
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Assuming this solution sticks around, this could be the first time I can go completely cashless in China. I'm sort of surprised that you don't have an AMEX. Seems like I'm probably the only credit card fanatic in this thread, I'll be sure to test out Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX when I can go back to China. Last year, I thought it would be 2021. We're almost at the midway point of this year and it's starting to look like it'll be 2022 now.
May 30, 2021 | 7:12 am
#365
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Location: CA, FL, and China.
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I love the optimism but I think we need a major change in the covid narrative out of China and APAC in general for there to be tourism in 2022.
I honestly question whether China wants to ever open up again.
I honestly question whether China wants to ever open up again.
May 30, 2021 | 7:29 am
#366
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I have no doubt it's going to happen. The Asian countries want American tourism dollars. Most Americans will be fully vaccinated by the end of the year. China and the rest of the APAC countries are insane if they want to keep their borders closed.
May 30, 2021 | 8:58 am
#367
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lsquare If you are into $2,000 dinners, I would frown upon the extra 5% if I was your CFO.
May 30, 2021 | 9:20 am
#368
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Location: CA, FL, and China.
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Posts: 704
I would actually bet money that the tourism industry in China is doing better with borders closed than open. The others, besides Singapore, will open up eventually after a long and economically damning political process.
May 30, 2021 | 9:22 am
#369
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Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: CA, FL, and China.
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Posts: 704
Of course, it will happen, but when is anyone's guess. Shanghai seems to be bustling pretty well, in spite of the shortage in foreign faces. When I go to happy hour at 1515, guess who buys the Y2500 steaks and Y10,000 bottles of wine v who grabs the Y40 cocktails and free sliders?
lsquare If you are into $2,000 dinners, I would frown upon the extra 5% if I was your CFO.
lsquare If you are into $2,000 dinners, I would frown upon the extra 5% if I was your CFO.
Alipay is way more useful than WeChat pay
May 30, 2021 | 9:27 am
#370
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My data set is limited because I only know about the Portman and the JA Shangri-la. Both are at 90% occupancy after dropping their rates by 10% since COVID came to town. The thing is, Goldman Sachs guys can't expense $2000 dinners unless they are closing a deal, but tourists don't face any restrictions of this sort, and American tourists tend to stick to budgets. If we have less of them and more Asians/Chinese, Shanghai makes out well.
May 30, 2021 | 10:08 am
#371
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[QUOTE=percysmith;33288131]
I did that for AliPay with Canadian MasterCard.
IME The HK BoC mainland acct for WeChat works better for HK based users for frequent business visit to GBA.
IME The HK BoC mainland acct for WeChat works better for HK based users for frequent business visit to GBA.
May 30, 2021 | 10:11 am
#372
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May 30, 2021 | 10:23 am
#373
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I like them because they are cool with moon/dog and dog/moon. I am not willing to change my name on record at BOC.
May 30, 2021 | 7:47 pm
#374
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,397
Option 1 merchants pay a minimum of 1% transaction fee while option 2 merchants can get the money for free (they may have to pay a withdrawal fee of 0.1% but there are ways around that).
May 30, 2021 | 7:52 pm
#375
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