Using a credit card at Home Pro

[ranma500]

I made a few purchases recently at Home Pro, the DIY and household goods store.

 

I paid using my UK Visa card.

 

The credit card purchase slip arrived for me to sign.

 

I was just signing it when I actually read it.

 

It had the cost marked first in Thai Baht, then in pounds.

 

Underneath it said:

 

I accept that I have been offered a choice of currencies for payment. I acknowledge I had a choice to pay in THB. I understand the chosen currency is final and that this service is not offered by Visa.

Reference rate by SEB wholesale rate as of today. Mark-up on reference rate = 2.5. Commission = 0.00

 

The exchange rate was marked at 68.0272.

I don't know if this was a good rate or not. I had no way of checking. All I knew is that generally using a credit card will automatically give you the best exchange rate.

 

But the point was that I was being asked to sign to say that I had been offered a choice of currencies for payment, when of course no such offer had been made.

 

I pointed out to the cashier that in fact I hadn't been given a choice, and that I wished to pay in THB, and let my own home country bank do the exchange.

 

She didn't understand at all, as she couldn't read English, or understand the message printed on the receipt.

 

It took about twenty minutes and many many staff before someone was found who could read the receipt and explain it to the other staff members, who looked terribly confused. It took at least another ten minutes before I was finally presented with a new credit card slip for Thai Baht.

 

The staff did tell me that the new electronic credit card machines they have installed in Home Pro will always do this automatically.

However, no-one had trained any of the staff in how to deal with it.

 

I wonder if this is happening in other stores, and I wonder if anyone can tell me whether it is indeed better to pay in THB, or let the Thai bank convert it to pounds.

 

ranma

 

 

[Mekong]

One of the reasons I have a Thai Credit Card.

 

Another pet peave about using a UK, or any non Thai CC for that matter, if the purchase is over 10K they sometimes ask you for proof of ID, I dont go shopping with my passport.

 

 

[pasathai1]

One of the reasons I have a Thai Credit Card.

 

Another pet peave about using a UK, or any non Thai CC for that matter, if the purchase is over 10K they sometimes ask you for proof of ID, I dont go shopping with my passport.

 

 

 

some time ago purchased some items at tops, the girl noticed my cc was not signed and would not accept it till I signed it.

 

no id check, just signed the back of the cc.

 

real thai style security