Ira, I'll remember that!

Simply write on the slip dcc declined, cross out the home currency amount and circle the euro amount then when the bill comes through apply billing error disputes.

I think all this advice to write "refused" or "declined" on the charge slip is dangerously confused and hysterical (and I don't mean it is funny).

If you don't pay for services rendered, the merchant will call the police, and yes, they will respond.

A saner course of action would be to have the charge reversed and pay in cash, and of course, ask for a discount for saving the merchant the charge card fees.

What does "near criminal" mean? When I went to law school an act was either criminal or not criminal. Has something changed?

The merchant is breaking the rules...the merchant has to indicate on the terminal whether or not the customer wishes to accept being ripped off with this procedure, hence it is nearly criminal. If you want to say that means it isn't a crime, fine.

You are not refusing to pay, you are refusing to take part in a scam that is prohibited by visa/mc rules. The merchant has not right to assume you wish to have the currency converted at his end; as a matter of fact in some countries it may border on illegal as some countries require that only their currency is legal tender.

You are not refusing to pay, you are willing to pay in accordance with the contract the merchant has signed with the credit card companies namely to give the customer the choice as to whether he or she wishes to pay for the merchandise or service according to its posted price or wishes to allow the merchant to rip him or her off by converting currencies at an inflated rate.

I don't see what that's so hard for you to understand.

The charge is not being refused, the customer is quite willing to pay the charge in local currency, the illegal conversion is what's being refused.

And if the merchant can void the transaction if you wish to pay cash, then the transaction can be voided and properly written up in local currency.

I guess the reason this practice seems even more offensive than the bank charges is that it is a case by case thing. The merchant sizes you up, finds out where you are from, and proceeds to rip you off. Not the nicest welcome to their country, even if they are otherwise wonderful people...What might be helpful is a copy of VISA's policy in different languages...not that the folks who uniformly charge us 2-3% for conversion would be so willing...

And the banks charge us for conversion when it already has been converted for them by Visa.

Don't forget, Visa STILL charges you 1% for any charges made outside the US, even if the chrage is in US$.

I think xyz has a point about crossing off the US$ portion and the blurb on the bottom. I refused to sign a charge slip with DCC. On the slip was the statement, "I accept the currency conversion used". I told the merchant that I did NOT accept their conversion and wanted to be charged in the local currency instead. I was told they couldn't do it any other way! So I was given NO CHOICE despite what the slip said.

Of course you understand now the merchant lied but that's one of the lies these near criminals use to try to scam and rip you off.

Visa does not charge you 1%.

Visa charges your bank 1%.

Your bank may or may not pass the 1% through to you.

Many do. Mine doesn't.