Virgin "Australia" [forex] rip off.

[sookie2]

I recently purchased a Virgin Australia ticket on line - the cc transaction was processed in New Zealand ( " oh no, we don't send work off-shore!") and I was charged a $35 international transaction fee! I'd phone and complain if I could find a human to answer the phone. Any similar experiences? Solutions?

 

[Mwenenzi]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

.... Solutions?

Fly with an Aussie airline ??
Virgin off shore more than QF. including med - heavy maintenance

Was it a ticket from NZ to Aust ?

 

[sookie2]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

No, it was one way Denpesar to Melbourne!

 

[Austman]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

No, it was one way Denpesar to Melbourne!

Charged in USD. With a USD 7.00 credit card fee. Are you sure the AUD 35.00 was not from your credit card provider?

 

[sookie2]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Yes, on closer inspection it was charged in USD ( why?) but processed in NZ. The fee is a cc fee for "international transaction fee NZL". My point is why is this being billed off-shore and maybe I didn't read the small print but why USD's?

 

[Noob]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Melbourne to DPS is operated by Pacific Blue who is based in New Zealand.

 

[notzac]

Given you were buying something originating in Indonesia, I'm not sure that it's a reasonable expectation that you would be billed in Australia in AUD. Most if not all airlines charge based on originating point.

 

[medhead]

It is being billed in USD because it was sold in Indonesia as that is the origin of your booking. The $35 is a separate transaction? are you sure it is from virgin and not the card issuer. Normally virgin includes the card fee in the total price.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.

 

[markis10]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Sorry but being charged an overseas fee when buying a ticket from overseas to Australia is only natural, Qantas would do exactly the same in the same circumstances, although they require you in a lot of cases to front up to the local office and prove you own the card!

 

[oz_mark]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

If it is in US dollars being charged to an Australian card, it really does not matter where the transaction took place. Most banks will have a 3% (give or take a bit depending on your issuer), which would give $35 for a fare around $1200.

 

[Homer]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

...maybe I didn't read the small print but why USD's?

I just made a dummy booking online and they clearly state that the fee is in USD at the top of the page and the total, at the bottom, is expressed as "xx_.xx USD". That also happens to be in the largest font size on the page so it's not exactly "small print". As others have said, this makes sense given you are booking a flight out of Indonesia.

 

[Justchecking]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

YEs I can confirm that international credit card transactions do incur an additional fee. This is standard and the fee is levied by the cc issuer not the company putting through the transaction. The OP effectively purchased a ticket in Indonesia with an AU based card, hence the international transaction fee. The same happens to me when I bend my plastic in Thailand on my holiday shopping sprees. I chalk it up to just another holiday expense as I'm still ahead in terms of the item price compared to shopping in Oz. :mrgreen:

 

[sookie2]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Thank you all for your input and explanations.

 

[munitalP]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Regardless of where the flight originates etc... bla bla bla

If the OP entered a .com.au website called virginAUSTRALIA to make a purchase, it is implied through his actions that he is dealing with an AUSTRALIAN entity, not being bounced around the Pacific picking up credit card charges.

Not having purchased a VA ticket back into AU, does the website take him to a pacificblue.co.nz or pacificblie .indonesia.whatever - yes/no? If the answer is no, an I was the OP (obviously after redoing a dummy booking to see if there were warnings) be kicking up a merry stink.

 

[sookie2]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

well, as the OP, I can accept the USD charge but there is no transparency with the billing location or "parntership" between VA and Pacific whatever.....but do I have the time to kick up a stink? Not really, so I'll just vent here instead!

 

[Austman]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Regardless of where the flight originates etc... bla bla bla

If the OP entered a .com.au website called virginAUSTRALIA to make a purchase, it is implied through his actions that he is dealing with an AUSTRALIAN entity, not being bounced around the Pacific picking up credit card charges.

Not having purchased a VA ticket back into AU, does the website take him to a pacificblue.co.nz or pacificblie .indonesia.whatever - yes/no? If the answer is no, an I was the OP (obviously after redoing a dummy booking to see if there were warnings) be kicking up a merry stink.

It's an interesting argument. But neither Virgin (stays virginaustralia.com), Qantas (stays qantas.com.au) nor Jetstar (stays jetstar.com) do this. But they all make it clear that the fare is in a foreign currency. If a credit card provider charges a foreign transaction fee that's a different matter, not just limited to air fares.

 

[straitman]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Regardless of where the flight originates etc... bla bla bla

If the OP entered a .com.au website called virginAUSTRALIA to make a purchase, it is implied through his actions that he is dealing with an AUSTRALIAN entity, not being bounced around the Pacific picking up credit card charges.

Not having purchased a VA ticket back into AU, does the website take him to a pacificblue.co.nz or pacificblie .indonesia.whatever - yes/no? If the answer is no, an I was the OP (obviously after redoing a dummy booking to see if there were warnings) be kicking up a merry stink.

It's an interesting argument. But neither Virgin (stays virginaustralia.com), Qantas (stays qantas.com.au) nor Jetstar (stays jetstar.com) do this. But they all make it clear that the fare is in a foreign currency. If a credit card provider charges a foreign transaction fee that's a different matter, not just limited to air fares.

See posts #11 & 12 above.

It seems too be quit obvious.

 

[markis10]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

Regardless of where the flight originates etc... bla bla bla If the OP entered a .com.au website called virginAUSTRALIA to make a purchase, it is implied through his actions that he is dealing with an AUSTRALIAN entity, not being bounced around the Pacific picking up credit card charges. Not having purchased a VA ticket back into AU, does the website take him to a pacificblue.co.nz or pacificblie .indonesia.whatever - yes/no? If the answer is no, an I was the OP (obviously after redoing a dummy booking to see if there were warnings) be kicking up a merry stink.

.com.au are domain name entities, not an indication of a companies registered office for its local domicile entity, eg Ebay.com.au bills you from Switzerland, Priority Privilege from London. The .com.au 2LD is for commercial use but the only requirement is it be an Australian Company, a foreign company licenced to trade or an Australian trademark holder, there is no requirement for transactions to be processed in Australia through a .com.au 2LD.

 

[sookie2]

Re: Virgin "Australia" rip off.

I can wear the USD's ( ok I didn't read the large print) but the cc fee was for the NZ processing, not the USD's.

 

[medhead]

I can wear the USD's ( ok I didn't read the large print) but the cc fee was for the NZ processing, not the USD's.

Who charged the fee? The card issuer? Was it about 2.5 to 3 percent of the fare price? I suspect it is a foreign currency fee from your card issuer.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.