AMEX not accepted or surcharge

[JohnK]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Why can't you support your local butcher/greengrocer etc etc?

My parents do the shopping and most of the time they do support the local shops. They usually buy meat from the local butcher, fruit and vegetables from the local greengrocer, bread from the local bakery and fish from the local fish shop. Sometimes it is convenient to buy some of these items at Woolworths as they may not have time to go shopping elsewhere.

The local butcher in Toowong thinks that lamb grillers are worth $14/kg and you have to buy 2kgs to get that price. No thanks. The local greengrocer accepts Amex and is not bad but again it is much easier for me to buy everything at Woolworths rather than go around to all the small shops.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

I remember the days when Disnleyland properties around the world ONLY accepted Amex and Cash. Visa/Mastercard not welcome.

 

[docjames]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

I remember the days when Disnleyland properties around the world ONLY accepted Amex and Cash. Visa/Mastercard not welcome.

Or The Olympics which have only accepted VISA and cash for official tix / merchandise since 1996.

 

[oz_mark]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Coles/Woolies is rubbish, but good for convienence! I have lost count of the number of times the fruit I buy from Coles/Woolies is rotton after just 1 or 2 days at home!

Fruit shop fruit/veggies always taste better/last longer, plus I am not supporting the big bullies ripping off the farmers, but that's another argument

Which is more the reason I buy much fresh food outside Coles/Woolies. I don't think I have ever bought fresh fish from either of them

 

[lovestotravel]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Which is more the reason I buy much fresh food outside Coles/Woolies. I don't think I have ever bought fresh fish from either of them

"Fresh fish" and Coles/Woolies should never be used in the same sentence.

From last time I looked pretty much everything was very poor looking

Coles/Woolies good for late night shopping but not much else

 

[coco50]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

I remember the days when Disnleyland properties around the world ONLY accepted Amex and Cash. Visa/Mastercard not welcome.

I got caught like this in a restaurant on the upper west side in NYC last year. I had taken my daughter out to dinner and they only took AMEX or cash. My Visa was in the hotel safe. Fortunately we had enough cash between us.

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Speaking of surcharges, I bought a car stereo, GPS, ipod cable and paid for car stereo install from Wow Sight & Sound (who used to welcome Amex & Diners), but now they're asking for a 2% surcharge!

I paid for this with my MasterCard instead, have reported the issue to Amex, and will never be shopping there again so long as there is a surcharge. While a store may think that surcharging adds to their revenue or helps to re-coup costs, what they don't see are all of the times that people like me (who prefer Amex) do not return, and take their business elsewhere in the future to merchants that do not surcharge - far more hard-hitting to their bottom line than by simply sucking it up and absorbing the Amex merchant fees in the first place.

My two cents

 

[Chicken]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

I paid for this with my MasterCard instead, have reported the issue to Amex, and will never be shopping there again so long as there is a surcharge

Even if they have better service than anyone else, better price than anyone else?

 

[rhjames]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

"Fresh fish" and Coles/Woolies should never be used in the same sentence.

From last time I looked pretty much everything was very poor looking

Coles/Woolies good for late night shopping but not much else

I don't know where you live. Here in Sydney I buy fresh fish from Woolies and have never had a problem. For special occasions I pre-order it. Meat is great - better quality and cheaper than the butcher. (not so good at Coles)

I'm going to cancel my Amex card, and just use visa. No more hassles, no more junk mail. No more phone calls to see if I want insurance. I can do without all these complications

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

better price than anyone else?

They did actually... otherwise I would have told them to forget the whole thing

 

[Chicken]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

They did actually... otherwise I would have told them to forget the whole thing

So what you said, about not going to any merchant who imposes a surcharge on AmEx, is false, right?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

So what you said, about not going to any merchant who imposes a surcharge on AmEx, is false, right?

... Um no - had you bothered to read my message properly, I was already there and had already spent time finding and selecting the products, including a matching cable to connect the ipod (and booking the install prior to arriving at the register), so I paid by MC to save time in this case (was not worth it to put everything back and go and do it all again at another store). Had I known before going shopping that Wow was now imposing a surcharge, I would have just gotten one of their catalogues and gone to a non-surcharging merchant who price matched.

And as I mentioned, now that I know they surcharge, I will not return.

Understand now?

 

[Chicken]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

And as I mentioned, now that I know they surcharge, I will not return.

Understand now?

So next time, if you need an item, which is $500 there + surcharge, or $600 at Sydney Hi Fi, you would rather pay $600 at Sydney Hi- Fi rather than going to WOW at $500 + $10 AmEx surcharge at WOW?

 

[ChrisFlyer]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

So next time, if you need an item, which is $500 there + surcharge, or $600 at Sydney Hi Fi, you would rather pay $600 at Sydney Hi- Fi rather than going to WOW at $500 + $10 AmEx surcharge at WOW?

Do you really find it necessary for self-gratification to argue every single point I've made on here, even though you haven't really read my messages properly?

In response to your question, if it was Wow's catalogue price, I would simply take it to a non-surcharging merchant who price-matched (... which, again, I've already said). Your question makes it seem as if there are only two stores to shop from - quite the opposite actually.

As I'm a new member on here, I've found you to be extremely rude for no particular reason, and will not waste any more of my time replying to your messages.

 

[Chicken]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Do you really find it necessary for self-gratification to argue every single point I've made on here, even though you haven't really read my messages properly?

Unless I missed something, I only asked about what you said, that you will never go to any merchant where there is a surcharge for AmEx. You simply will not go.

So I thought of an example, to see what would you do in that situation.

In response to your question, if it was Wow's catalogue price, I would simply take it to a non-surcharging merchant who price-matched (... which, again, I've already said).

If you can find another shop who is willing to match and does not surcharge, yes, sure, I would do the same (I love my AmEx); but there are a lot of times where this is not possible, i.e. My last encounters when shopping for a dishwasher, or the famous MSY computers (try asking Harvey Normal price match MSY, they will simply tell you to get F)

As I'm a new member on here, I've found you to be extremely rude for no particular reason, and will not waste any more of my time replying to your messages.

I just thought of a situation which we will all face, so would like to see what would you do in this situation. Of course, how you shop is your problem, but just food for thought, I think.

So I don't understand why is this "rude".

 

[Moody]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

How's this for weird.

I just paid for a hotel room over the internet and when I selected Amex as the card type the credit card surcharge disappeared!!!!!

You heard me right - Mastercard and Visa = add 2%, but Amex = no charge. It's a business trip so it makes no difference to me anyway, and I wasn't aware of the different charges until I had picked the hotel and made the booking, so the chances of it influencing my buy decision were minimal. Sure if it was my money and I had the choice of Amex vs CC, the 2% discount would seal the deal. I just don't think there will be many punters in that situation.

 

[Chicken]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

How's this for weird.

I just paid for a hotel room over the internet and when I selected Amex as the card type the credit card surcharge disappeared!!!!!

1 - Hey, share the love!

2 - Maybe it is a promo?

Because my work recently received a reduction on rate from AmEx, but we also needed to agree that we would not charge customers more than what we would charge them if they pay with other cards.

 

[docjames]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

I've lost count of the number of times i've told amex about non-acceptance at Ikea.

You'd think for the volume gain they would make, Amex could give Ikea a decent rate and allow it to be offered.


Oh, and +1 on which hotel or chain?

 

[Moody]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Oh, and +1 on which hotel or chain?

The hotel is Mantra on the Esplanade in Darwin and looking through their T&C's (also a hot topic elsewhere) it seems that the Stella Hospitality Group is some sort of Amex Rewards partner. So it's a mutual back-scratching affair.

But all I cared about was the rate - $198 compared to $270 for the Novotel and stupid money for the Crowne Plaza.

 

[docjames]

Re: AMEX not accepted or surchage

Thanks - have trip to drw next year so useful to know. I usually like Crowne Plazas but if $$$$$ then will have to consider others.