xyz123

Guys, check out this article:

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money-s...p;in_page_id=5

Hopefully mastercard and visa can put an end to this filthy scam one way or another.

Interesting, in all the posts we have read about dcc, not one person has ever said they appreciate this service of knowing exactly how much something will cost, even if they are being ripped off.

Remember the crooks pulling this garbage off advertise it as providing a service for the customers.

Nikki

I found it interesting that the article says that Britons are being targeted. Everything is a matter of perspective.

P_M

I thought it was only Americans that were targeted for dcc, but it makes sense that anyone with a foreign credit card could be a victim. I hope American merchants will never do this to our foreign visitors. Or is that happening already?

ron

P M, I suspect that it is a lot less likely to catch on in the US, not that your merchants wouldn't mind earning an extra half percent on some of their credit card transactions, but because foreign visitors make up such a small percentage of tourists, that it is not worth the bother.

xyz123

Don't kid yourself ron, the crooks who market this scam are pushing US merchants to take their equipment and accept it...do a google or yahoo search on dynamic currency conversion and you can read some of the garbage put out by these crooks telling merchants how they can better service their international guests and of course make some more money for themselves.

I e-mailed a couple of them asking why they didn't make stronger notices to their clients that they must give customers a choice of whether they wish to be ripped off but of course got no answer.

Again hopefully the article is correct and mastercard and then visa will once and for all put an end to this obnoxeous rip off of tourists.

xyz123

Understand how this works or is supposed to work...the merchant does not indicate you are American or a Brit or an Aussie...rather when the credit card is swiped in the pos terminal, from the numbers the data base of the computer processor looks up the number in its data base which immediately tells it that it is a foreign card and from what country...at that point based on the rip off currency rate the processor has decided to use that day, the amount in local currency is converted to the currency of the cardholder and the merchant is asked if the customer wishes to accept the transaction in that currency. It is at this point that the crime occurs, the clerk is supposed to ask you if you wish the charge written up in your currency at the rate of whatever. In practice, this is not done. Clerks have been taught not to ask but if for some reason the customer notices what's going on and actually reads what he is being asked to sign (I agree that I was offered the chance to pay in local currency and my choice is final( the clerk is taught to LIE LIE LIE with such LIES as

Well the USD (or sterling or Aussie dollar amount) is just an approximation.

Visa requires us to do the charge in your currency.

The laws of our country require us to do the transaction in your currency.

The charge has been done and it is too late.

We cannot prevent the terminal from processing the charge in your currency.

Why are you objecting, this is to your advantage it is an excellent rate just check what the bank is charging.

I have heard every single one of these lies but I stand my ground and say to these clerks (I know it's almost always not their fault) now that you've finished lying to me and trying to rip me off, kindly void the charge and do it in local currency. Usually they say they can't. I say fine, bring over the manager. And then sometimes the manager repeats the same lies but after he does I say, "Don't waste your time. I know what you're pulling with this dynamic currency conversion scam. Now void the charge and do it in local currency. Every single time they have not voided the charge but processed a credit and then magically figured out that if they answer the question no, the charge will come out the way it is supposed to, in local currency.

Now I admit the only two places they have tried to pull this on me have been in Ireland and Scotland where there is no language problem. I will be visiting Italy in January and we'll see what happens there when they try to pull this garbage on me and they claim they don't understand English.

teatravel

Check this out: http://www.planetpayment.com/images/dynamicCurrConv.jpg

nonnafelice

Very helpful, xyz -- thanks for bringing this to our attention and explaining it in detail. I will be on the lookout when we go to Italy next week.

Robert2533

Here are two more items to add a little more fuel to the fire on this DCC scam. This first is an article published in June and the second is a promotion from one of the main companies pushing the DCC. Read and “buyer beware”.

http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/20050624a1.asp

http://www.shift4.com/DCC.cfm

DeborahAnn

nonnafelice, could you please report back after your trip about any experiences of DCC, hopefully there will be none. It would be very helpful for those of us traveling to Italy later this year. Have a great trip and I hope to read about your travels upon your return. Deborah

clevelandbrown

In all the postings I have seen regarding DCC, I can't recall one where the merchant was identified. Its always "a hotel", or "a little restaurant".

If we really want to combat this, it seems to me we should identify the merchants who are practicing it, and boycott them. Even better, enter the establishment and ask them if they do DCC; if they do, tell them goodby and go elsewhere. If their business drops off because they are using DCC, that will be a powerful incentive for them to abandon the practice.

Robespierre

You don't have to boycott anyone. Just don't accept the DCC. Ask them to re-do it in local. If they refuse, write this on the sales slip (where it can't be torn off):

<b>Local currency not offered</b>

and tell them you're going to dispute the charge when you get home. Since a rejected charge costs them time and effort, they might undo it on the spot. In any event, you won't be scammed.

Do NOT offer to pay in cash, because that's just playing into their hands.

Holly_uncasdewar

Well, I've seen a few mentioned already. The Riviera restaurant in Venice, and the Duomo Hotel in Orvieto, for starters.

Poohgirl

I never had any of the owners of the B&amp;B where I stayed pull this DCC stunt on me. One of them never even heard of it, so I clued him in. I always paid for my meals in cash, so that wasn't an issue. However, EVERY SINGLE merchant where I tried to use a credit card tried this scam. I was always prepared to walk out of the store if they refused to do it the honest way, but that never had to happen. Occasionally I would tell the clerk right away to please charge me in Euros, and there was no problem. Judging by my experience, if you boycott places that use DCC, you will have to boycott stores everywhere.