Re: 28° Mastercard Cash Advances while overseas [No more free cash advances from ...
I use the 28 degrees MasterCard extensively in Mainland China, and frequently encounter enforced/involuntary DCC into AUD at unscrupulous merchants or those who have no idea how their POS terminals work. Generally at larger hotels I can avoid it and be charged correctly in RMB, but still at some other businesses you may be offered no choice, or offered a choice that is not honoured when the transaction is actually processed.
I have had many arguments about this at merchants (which, with the language barrier is often a problem), with them blatantly lying to me telling me "its the same" or "all overseas cards are like this". Where it can't be avoided at the point of sale, I will always issue a chargeback to 28 degrees based on non-compliance with the MasterCard rules. I fax the details of the "enforced DCC" to Latitude finance, complete with a background note, copy of the receipt and have found that they are always resolved within 3 weeks, crediting back either the disputed amount (the difference between if it had been processed correctly in RMB and the "DCC amount in AUD"), or the whole transaction, accompanied by a corresponding correct transaction in RMB. Over a 12 month period my losses due to DCC would have run into thousands of dollars if I didn't pay attention at the point of sale, and dispute the transactions that are not correctly processed, so it is significant to me, even though the individual transaction value might be low.
Latitude Finance have been excellent at dealing with the issue.
In other countries (France, Indonesia, USA) I have found that DCC, where offered, has generally been offered in a compliant manner allowing people to opt out and be charged in the local currency. I have had issues in the past in both Taiwan and Hong Kong, in addition to Mainland China.