AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[oz_mark]

They must localise the message. I got

Check our mapping tool and you'll see that in your area your Card is now more welcome at Melbourne Airport Parking, Ted's Camera Stores, and Wittner Shoes.

Although I get a nasty server error when I try the mapping tool!

 

[albatross710]

Just received this e-mail:

Dear Flashware,

If you've ever been charged extra for using your Card, rest assured we are working hard to change this practice. We have a dedicated team working with businesses to stop surcharging, and we're happy to announce that we have already convinced thousands of merchants across Australia.

I had the discussion with Amex along these lines a couple of months ago. For the piddly reduction in transaction fee that they were offering in return for me not on-charging the surcharge it really wasn't a good deal for Merchants.

 

[RB]

They must localise the message. I got



Although I get a nasty server error when I try the mapping tool!

I get the same error. Also I note that I have never reported non-acceptance or surcharge & the 3 business listings made on my received email do not exist in my semi-rural area!

 

[JohnK]

Yeah those back of the card specials "$15.40 ride from XX to YYY" miss all of the information required on a legal tax receipt... ABN, date, GST amount....

I have to prompt the drivers for a *Real* receipt each time. Usually the line `I work for the ATO and this does not suffice as a legal tax receipt` does the trick.

Real receipts are printed from the machine and include all their information including abn, gst, time, cab# etc... Anything else won't pass an audit.

Young kids these days. A taxi receipt written on the back of a taxi business card outlining trip, taxi #, fare is more than enough.

So as I said earlier. Would you like a real taxi receipt for a trip never taken? Don't tell me you also pay GST for all personal work carried out by certain tradesmen? Learn to milk the system.

 

[JohnK]

Just received this e-mail:

Dear Flashware,

If you've ever been charged extra for using your Card, rest assured we are working hard to change this practice. We have a dedicated team working with businesses to stop surcharging, and we're happy to announce that we have already convinced thousands of merchants across Australia.

Why is Amex contradicting themselves? When I called recently about the 3% surcharge at Bob Jane Blakehurst the consultant on the phone was taking the merchants side. She said to me "they are allowed to surcharge".

Was this her opinion or Amex's real stance on surcharges?

 

[Mal]

If you've ever been charged extra for using your Card, rest assured we are working hard to change this practice. We have a dedicated team working with businesses to stop surcharging, and we're happy to announce that we have already convinced thousands of merchants across Australia.

Didn't get the email, but had to laugh. So they obviously realise that there is a public perception that Amex is surcharged at higher rates than Visa/MC etc. Perhaps they should try harder to sort the merchants out.

Got yet another "Upgrade to a Plat Credit Card" offer from Amex yesterday. Do they want me to get a second one to add to the collection?

 

[dede]

This is a reply I got from an email sent last night!

Dear Cardmember,
Thank you for contacting American Express® regarding your recent experience at HOLIDAY INN POTTS POINT SYDNEY.

We have contacted the management at this establishment and are pleased to inform you they have agreed to warmly welcome the American Express Card and also not impose any surcharge. We will remain in contact with their management to ensure ongoing American Express Card acceptance.

You can find more places that warmly welcome the American Express Card at
Customer Service - American Express Australia (Australia)
or American Express - New Zealand - Customer Service - Business Directory (New Zealand).

We thank you again for your valuable feedback.

Eva Brennan
Global Merchant Services
Please do not reply to this e-mail address as this e-mail was sent from a notification only address. We cannot accept incoming e-mails.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

The same email that they sent me Re: Crowne Plaza, only two days after I submitted the lead (usually it takes weeks at minimum). After contacting Crowne Plaza management, I found out that Amex hadn't even bothered to contact them, and that the surcharge was still in place...

Crowne tried to say something like "it's not a surcharge, simply the merchant service fee we incur when accepting credit cards"... even though when passed on, by definition is a surcharge... (and they wouldn't pay a flat 1.5% for everything anyway - often much less (particularly for standard personal Visa/MasterCard cards swiped in the terminal) I would suspect

 

[oz_mark]

Given its an across the board charge at all the Intercontinetals, Crowne Plaza's and Holiday Inns in Australia, I would have thought that Amex would have to deal further up the chain than at the individual hotel.

 

[iluvmyamex]

I agree, which is why we pre-booked our visit through Qantas Hotels - the $4.95 fixed credit card fee worked out to be much less than the 1.5% if we had of booked directly (while still earning 3QFF/$1 on top of the 1QFF/$1 Amex earn), and I was also able to book a better room type that was no longer available for direct booking... The 1.5% was just for room service, which also earned a total of 4QFF/$1

If you can prebook - which usually means prepay, then look at hotelclub dot com dot au.
They will not only book the likes of Crowne Gold Coast without surcharge but give it to you for a better rate and as per a recent Amex leaflet I was sent will pay you a BONUS 5 points against every dollar spent against Amex!
Go onto Amex site under bonus points.
If you don't change your travel arrangements this can become extremely cost effective.
So against my Plat Amex I will get 6.5points per dollar spent - not bad!!!

 

[yohy?!]

just advised that McDonald's nationally will accept Amex upon completion of upgrades to new Eftpos pinpads (contactless). Should be done by end of May - my local once has already completed and now accepts Amex to the confusion of staff :mrgreen:

 

[ChrisFlyer]

That sounds fantastic!

I would have to assume that only the franchise ones would be accepting it (the ones that have been added to the Amex Business Directory), as the remaining stores are owned by corporate who say to me time and time again that they have no interest in accepting Amex.

(2/3 of stores are franchise, 1/3 are corporate)... unless their position has changed?

EDIT: Whoa... I just checked the directory for my local store (which just happens to be the state office/a store mixed into the one building), and it is actually in the directory now despite being corporate-owned... yay!

 

[yohy?!]

That sounds fantastic!

I would have to assume that only the franchise ones would be accepting it (the ones that have been added to the Amex Business Directory), as the remaining stores are owned by corporate who say to me time and time again that they have no interest in accepting Amex.

(2/3 of stores are franchise, 1/3 are corporate)... unless their position has changed?

EDIT: Whoa... I just checked the directory for my local store (which just happens to be the state office/a store mixed into the one building), and it is actually in the directory now despite being corporate-owned... yay!

From what I was told it would be all stores, I actually queried head office because I got sick of being told a different story all the time.

 

[kyle]

From what I was told it would be all stores, I actually queried head office because I got sick of being told a different story all the time.

Excellent news.

I was at Melb Airport Maccas a few weeks ago and they had a different EFTPOS terminal. Is that the new one? I put in my chipped Visa and no PIN or signature is required as the transaction is under $35.

So with the new terminals, does Amex require a signature?

 

[yohy?!]

Excellent news.

I was at Melb Airport Maccas a few weeks ago and they had a different EFTPOS terminal. Is that the new one? I put in my chipped Visa and no PIN or signature is required as the transaction is under $35.

So with the new terminals, does Amex require a signature?

Yeah sounds like the new one...no sig for V or MC....Amex still requires sig

 

[Limewood]

Received a pre approved ANZ FF Amex card recently as I found out Aust Post takes it and I spend over a grand a week there, also BP for juice, Office Works, Bunnings, Woolies and BigW, couple restaurants I frequent too, all with no extra charge.
My travel agent takes it with a 1.25% premium but booking 2 Bus Class flights to Hong Kong last week made up for it big time, yep I'm reaping the QFF reward points at a rapid 1.5 to every $1 spent.

 

[Deleted member 18152]

My local computer shop used to have a 5% surcharge. Now it's zero.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Hm... well many who have Foxtel would know that the Ovation channel has been replaced with STVDIO (#132), but that Ovation will be available again from June 1... The only catch is that you have to subscribe directly with Ovation, rather than adding the channel through Foxtel (who take Amex & Diners)... Ovation however take neither of these cards, so I've sent them an email telling them I'll subscribe (~$120/yr) when they take Amex... will be interesting to see what happens! haha

 

[Mal]

Hm... well many who have Foxtel would know that the Ovation channel has been replaced with STVDIO (#132), but that Ovation will be available again from June 1... The only catch is that you have to subscribe directly with Ovation, rather than adding the channel through Foxtel (who take Amex & Diners)... Ovation however take neither of these cards, so I've sent them an email telling them I'll subscribe (~$120/yr) when they take Amex... will be interesting to see what happens! haha

$120 / year just for one channel ... on top of the ~$1200 per year just for Foxtel?

Australians are being ripped off.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

$120 / year just for one channel ... on top of the ~$1200 per year just for Foxtel?

Australians are being ripped off.

Lol well Foxtel is costing me $135/mo (we have more than one set-top-box), so $1620/yr...

Foxtel have then forced this channel from being part of a package to being completely independent, but just available via the service... Because when you have multiple boxes, if you subscribe to a package, those channels are activated on all of your boxes for the same fee... But my concern is that this could be $120 per box per year... which is just getting ridiculous...

So yeah... I'll only be subscribing if they take Amex, and also can activate all boxes for the one subscription fee (like what is done with all other Foxtel packages) lol