Lotus Hang Dong (Chiang Mai) now doing DCC transactions

[wimpy]

At my last two visits to Lotus Hang Dong, they did the DCC nonsense. This is new. The first time, the fellow asked if I wanted it in baht or $. Today, the girl just did it in $. I refused to sign, and she had to re-ring everything to do the transaction in baht. I suggested she ask customers next time, and she apologized.

[Regyai]

To be honest any time you use an overseas card it pays to scrutinise the transaction, as either by stupidity or design you'll often be stiffed with a dynamic conversition.

[Pib]

It's easy to avoid and spot a DCC charge at a store.

First, when handing them you card tell them to Charge Baht, Not USD/Euro/Pounds/etc.

Second, when the receipt for signature sprint out if it reflects USD/Euro/Pounds/etc "and" Thai baht then it a DCC transaction. STOP...don't sign...point out to the clerk you do not want to be charged in your home country currency; you want to be charged in Thai baht. It only takes about 30 seconds to cancel the transaction (it has happened to me maybe 10 times over the last few years) and then rerun it in baht (regardless of what the clerk/store manager may say). You are looking for a receipt that only reflects Thai baht.

The clerk will first give you the transaction cancellation receipt and then the rerun transaction in baht. Even though te cancelled transaction may initially hit your credit card account as a charge, don't worry as it will fall off after a few days. Seems every few months I go through this process personally because even though I told the clerk to process the transaction in baht, the clerk still does the DCC thing...either they didn't understand me or they just messed up. But I've never had one give me any grief in cancelling the transaction and rerunning it in baht.

Yeap, DCC bad, very bad for the customer (due to low exchange rate); DCC good, very good for the merchant. And what really sucks if you do get hit with a DCC transaction with the currency exchange happenning on the Thailand end with a low exchange rate, your home country bank/credit card company is still probably going to charge you their foreign transaction fee (if any) even though they were not involved in the currency exchange--they don't care...all they care about is it was a foreign transaction in some currency...therefore you get charged the fee. It's like rubbing salt into a wound.

[wimpy]

At Lotus, they had to rescan all 30+ items into the register to redo the transaction in Thai baht. Will be making a point of saying Thai baht in the future.

[Pib]

At Lotus, they had to rescan all 30+ items into the register to redo the transaction in Thai baht. Will be making a point of saying Thai baht in the future.

I've never had a store have to rescan everything when cancelling a DCC transaction...like a HomePro buy of numerous items or Sizzler when the bill consists of numerous items off the menu. The clerk just uses the same POS machine to pull up the transaction, they hit the cancel button, and then reswipe the card/run the transaction again. Maybe the Lotus clerk/manager on duty didn't know how to do this...or worst yet they just wanted to make it hard for the customer so he will be less likely to protest a future DCC transaction.

[wimpy]

The girl called over the floor manager, and that is what she told her to do. The people in line behind me looked a bit perturbed.

[Pib]

The girl called over the floor manager, and that is what she told her to do. The people in line behind me looked a bit perturbed.

That's OK...their "bit perturbed" was far outweighed by you "not getting ripped off in a DCC transaction." Hopefully, the floor manager will relay to his/her higher ups the kind of customer dis-satisfaction/impact (you and others behind you) that can occur with DCC transaction...and maybe even mention it's a pain/inefficient for the clerk have to rescan everything. But with that being said, I expect profit can override customer satisfaction and employees might not want to point-out negative things to their higher-ups.

[Maybole]

I'm dumb . What do you mean by DCC ?

[AyG]

DCC = Dynamic Currency Conversion

I.e. the bank charges your card in your home currency with an atrocious exchange rate and pockets the difference.

In my experience the slip you sign always says that this is optional, and it's what you want. However, I did have an experience buying a computer where the staff in the store simply didn't know how not to do DCC. (The request provoked a group discussion.) In the end I asked them to cancel the transaction and went to the nearest ATM to withdraw cash.

[55Jay]

DCC = Dynamic Currency Conversion

I.e. the bank charges your card in your home currency with an atrocious exchange rate and pockets the difference.

In my experience the slip you sign always says that this is optional, and it's what you want. However, I did have an experience buying a computer where the staff in the store simply didn't know how not to do DCC. (The request provoked a group discussion.) In the end I asked them to cancel the transaction and went to the nearest ATM to withdraw cash.

After learning about DCC here, first catch was at Sizzler a few years ago. Manager led a group huddle, took about 15 minutes to unwind and do a new one.

[Pib]

I just came back from the Lotus I shop at all the time...in Bang Yai (western Bangkok)...bought a cart of stuff in the main store...used my CapOne MasterCard at the main checkout...no DCC...and I didn't tell them to charge in baht as I know they have always charged in baht. Then on the way out I stopped in their separate Liquor Store to buy a case of beer....once again no DCC..and once again I didn't say anything about charging in baht because they have never tried DCC on me. Then while walking out of the Lotus mall the wife and I stopped at a Bata Shoe Store and bought two pairs of shoes...I had never bought anything at this store...I handed the clerk my MasterCard and intentionally did not tell her to "charge in baht, not USD" in order to find out if this store typically does the DCC thing on foreign cards...nope, no DCC, charge was in baht.

I will earn 2% cash back on all the purchases today and I have new shoes and more beer...life is good.

[sas_cars]

I just came back from the Lotus I shop at all the time...in Bang Yai (western Bangkok)...bought a cart of stuff in the main store...used my CapOne MasterCard at the main checkout...no DCC...and I didn't tell them to charge in baht as I know they have always charged in baht. Then on the way out I stopped in their separate Liquor Store to buy a case of beer....once again no DCC..and once again I didn't say anything about charging in baht because they have never tried DCC on me. Then while walking out of the Lotus mall the wife and I stopped at a Bata Shoe Store and bought two pairs of shoes...I had never bought anything at this store...I handed the clerk my MasterCard and intentionally did not tell her to "charge in baht, not USD" in order to find out if this store typically does the DCC thing on foreign cards...nope, no DCC, charge was in baht.

I will earn 2% cash back on all the purchases today and I have new shoes and more beer...life is good.

You are only lucky soul. Really envy.