RANT ALERT! If you don't want to hear it; move along!
Just back from Europe.
Bought some shoes in Rome - entered my pin on merchant keypad - clearly stating 94 Euros. All good and the machine starts whirring
No mention of AUD or paying in AUD or a choice of either AUD or €.
Then a printout comes out which I have to sign? I start to read it but get the irritated "hurry the f... up" wave of the shopkeeper's hand. I sign.
Outside the shop with my two pairs of Italian loafers I see that I have accepted that "I was offered to pay in AUD or Euro but chose to pay in AUD, blah blah blah..... final and binding blah, blah, blah"
Also at a cough exchange rate and with a 3% mark-up - about 4.6% worse than the XE spot rate, all up.
Then to cap it off I get home and see that my cc provider has lobbed on an overseas charge of 3.4% - a total penalty of 8% !!!
I watch like a hawk on merchant terminals and always choose Euro of GBP or whatever, never AUD.
Anyway I got stiffed this time and am pretty pee'd off.
My only consolation was that I have two pairs of shoes for $150
And I also rang my cc provider to complain and initiate a chargeback and they offered to reverse their 3.4% fee. I accepted this small win with thanks
p.s. Ryanair are total mongrels at this - I screenshotted everything on their last airfare and they changed me to AUD at the last minute without my permission. Couldn't be bothered following that one up!!