Warning About Visa and Phone Charges
This past June while waiting in the Florence, Italy airport for a
flight back to Seattle via Amsterdam I made the mistake of calling my
sister in Seattle using my Visa card. The 2-minute call to tell her
we were leaving on time (she was picking us up in Seattle) cost me
$35.82 !! A significantly longer call using Italy's phone cards cost
about 5000 Lire - about $2.94 at the exchange rate then.
I am currently trying to dispute the charges through VISA. The phone
gave no indication what the charges would be. I assumed based on the
Italian phone cards that maybe worst case I would be charged three
dollars for the 2-minute call plus some sort of transaction fee. Is
anyone aware what reason the Italian phone company cites for the
disparity? Visa claims they do not charge any sort of separate fee -
the $35.82 is entirely due to the phone company.
Just want others to avoid the hassle.
Sincerely,
Mark Early
Seattle, WA
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