Hi All,
Not sure if this post is in the right place but here goes.
Today my daughter went to a Thomson holiday shop in her dinner hour and stood in a queue for ages to change some USD into Euro for her forthcoming holiday.
As she was leaving the counter and stuffing the receipt in her bag the assistant said something to the effect that she had put the 'buyback' deal on to the transaction. On arriving back at work and inspecting her receipt my daughter found she had been charged £3.50 in case she wanted to return any of the currency she would get the same exchange rate guaranteed. As she only got €140 it is extremely unlikely she will take any of it back. She feels extremely annoyed as she has been deceived, mislead and charged for something without being asked. She heard another customer being charged over £6 so maybe they do it as a percentage.
After complaining by telephone most strongly my daughter was told the company have decided that this is the way they will operate their exchange services! She can go queue again tomorrow and they will refund the £3.50!
How many customers don't even realise they have paid this charge? What a rip off! It must be clear profit. Just another way of hitting the customer in the pocket.
Jean
Hi Jean - a similar story.....
My son purchased some dollars for our forthcoming holiday to Mexico, at our local Thomson shop. He asked, how much approx $600 would be in sterling. The assistant told the price in £'s and he said he would just go to the ATM, just next door and withdraw the cash, then come back and purchase the dollars. She told him there was no need to get the cash, he could pay on his card. She never mentioned any charges, he got the dollars, and when he checked the reciept, he had been charged over £13 more :omg. She charged him % for using the card, and then charged him a % for 'buyback' !! At no time did she mention any charges at all ! Surely thats not legal??
Denny
My son purchased some dollars for our forthcoming holiday to Mexico, at our local Thomson shop. He asked, how much approx $600 would be in sterling. The assistant told the price in £'s and he said he would just go to the ATM, just next door and withdraw the cash, then come back and purchase the dollars. She told him there was no need to get the cash, he could pay on his card. She never mentioned any charges, he got the dollars, and when he checked the reciept, he had been charged over £13 more :omg. She charged him % for using the card, and then charged him a % for 'buyback' !! At no time did she mention any charges at all ! Surely thats not legal??
Denny
Hi Jean
I had the same thing happen to me 3 weeks ago when i went to turkey i didn`t know nothing about it until i went outside and said to my friend i`ve been charged £2.50 for buy back and he said go back in and get them to give you a refund as it was only £100 i said its okay as there was a queue forming i just said i`ll know the next time but i know for sure that i won`t be going back there. Like you said there must be a lot of people out there that don`t know about this charge .
Sheena
I had the same thing happen to me 3 weeks ago when i went to turkey i didn`t know nothing about it until i went outside and said to my friend i`ve been charged £2.50 for buy back and he said go back in and get them to give you a refund as it was only £100 i said its okay as there was a queue forming i just said i`ll know the next time but i know for sure that i won`t be going back there. Like you said there must be a lot of people out there that don`t know about this charge .
Sheena
Wow, what a sly tactic!! When we purcahsed our USD in June from First Choice we were offered this facility but declined as for such a small amount we would only save what the fee was. Here's hoping this tactic is not encouraged with First Choice now they have merged with Thomson. Would trading Standards be interested in hearing this?? 
The underhand methods and downright deceitful practices of some travel companies and their agents, make the much maligned estate agents look squeaky clean. There needs to be much tighter regulation of the travel industry, the Package Holiday Regulations are just not enough.
I think they might if they get a complaint from someone who has been stung. They might even consider a test purchase of currency themselves.
Peter
Would trading Standards be interested in hearing this??
I think they might if they get a complaint from someone who has been stung. They might even consider a test purchase of currency themselves.
Peter
Thomson did exactly the same to us last week - it was only when we left that we realised we had been charged £3.50 for their buy back service!!!
Rip off!
Rip off!
Sure is a rip off!!!
Like emmarushuk I go to First Choice for my holiday money and they actually ask me if I want Buy Back which I decline. No need never come back home with any to change back
I do hope First Choice dont follow suite, shall have to keep my wits about me when I go in next week.
Angie.
Like emmarushuk I go to First Choice for my holiday money and they actually ask me if I want Buy Back which I decline. No need never come back home with any to change back
I do hope First Choice dont follow suite, shall have to keep my wits about me when I go in next week.
Angie.
Well, I bought my euros from my local First Choice shop about a month ago and they charged me £3.50 buy back fee which I hadn't asked for. I only noticed on inspecting the receipt when I got back to the car. So it seems First Choice have also adopted this practice.
This happened to me to in First Choice in May when changing 400 gbp to Euros. The girl asked me how much i wanted to change up i told her and she told me how much i would get and i said fine. Got the money and later when looking at receipt realised that i had beened charged 3.50. At no time did she say about this charge.
In the end when i got back from my holiday i changed my money up elsewhere where i got a better rate than i would have if i had gone back to First Choice with the buyback deal!
In the end when i got back from my holiday i changed my money up elsewhere where i got a better rate than i would have if i had gone back to First Choice with the buyback deal!
Then my concerns appear to have come true 
Do Thomson really think this practice is good for them?? They are certainly hoping that people will not notice and stick with them through loyality which I am guilty of. I work in Finance and all charges and additional fees have be agreed by the customer prior to commitment for the product/service due to rules/reg we have to adhere too. Will certainly shop around!!
Do Thomson really think this practice is good for them?? They are certainly hoping that people will not notice and stick with them through loyality which I am guilty of. I work in Finance and all charges and additional fees have be agreed by the customer prior to commitment for the product/service due to rules/reg we have to adhere too. Will certainly shop around!!
Hi new to the forum. I have just checked my receipt to see what I have been charge and lo and behold I have also been chared £3.50. At no point was this ever mentioned to me. Will be phoning my local thompson tomorrow
we usualy use thomson and have always been asked if we wanted the garenteed exchange on any unused currency [we always say no]
wiz
wiz
Thomsons shop did the same with me,didnt ask,just put the charge on,just wont be going back there again!!.
Hi Everyone
The posting from Denny where his son has been stung for £13 is diabolical. How dare they without even telling the lad?
Just shows these companies treat their customers dreadfully. Seems like most people don't even realise - looking forward to holidays I suppose.
Don't go there next time!!! Try M&S or Tesco larger stores!
Jean x
The posting from Denny where his son has been stung for £13 is diabolical. How dare they without even telling the lad?
Just shows these companies treat their customers dreadfully. Seems like most people don't even realise - looking forward to holidays I suppose.
Don't go there next time!!! Try M&S or Tesco larger stores!
Jean x
Looks like another win for HT, between us revealing hitherto unsuspected dishonest practices by leading travel companies.
Well done, we are a power to be reckoned with, and should thank all responsible for this great website.
Peter
Well done, we are a power to be reckoned with, and should thank all responsible for this great website.
Peter
Can I just add if you have a RBS royalties account (think you pay x amount each month for extra privileges) and have direct banking, you can order through them and get delivered to your door. Thats what I normally do, however I went to Thomsons and as I booked a VIP holiday you get a better rate - next time will stick with my bank.
denny.53 wrote:My son purchased some dollars for our forthcoming holiday to Mexico, at our local Thomson shop. He asked, how much approx $600 would be in sterling. The assistant told the price in £'s and he said he would just go to the ATM, just next door and withdraw the cash, then come back and purchase the dollars. She told him there was no need to get the cash, he could pay on his card. She never mentioned any charges, he got the dollars, and when he checked the reciept, he had been charged over £13 more She charged him % for using the card, and then charged him a % for 'buyback' !! At no time did she mention any charges at all ! Surely thats not legal??
Denny
Thomsons Buyback Guarantee is set at £3.50 per transaction (unless declined by customer) and it cannot be 'upped' by staff, nor is it based on a percentage.
As for the £13 charge, was this on the Thomson receipt or a bank statement? If its the Thomson receipt, then it cannot be a credit/debit card charge - simply because there are no extra charges for using cards to buy currency, and the system used simply wouldnt add it on. It is likely to be your bank - some banks charge for transactions involving currency.
Greecelover wrote:
Don't go there next time!!! Try M&S or Tesco larger stores!
There exchange rates are poor, just get a Thomson/First Choice shop to beat the rate, and decline the Buyback Guarantee - sorted!
after reading this thread i thought i would go check my receipt and low and behold there it was ,a 3.50 charge for something i wont use. wont be going back there 
I beg to differ gr123.
M&S and Tesco offer some of the best rates. Thomson try to fob you off with a poor rate unless you say you will go elsewhere, then they change their minds. I wouldn't deal with a company who tries to rip its customers off and decieve them with hidden charges at every opportunity anyway.
Look at http://www.comparetravelmoney.co.uk to see who really offers the best rates.
Regards, Jean.
M&S and Tesco offer some of the best rates. Thomson try to fob you off with a poor rate unless you say you will go elsewhere, then they change their minds. I wouldn't deal with a company who tries to rip its customers off and decieve them with hidden charges at every opportunity anyway.
Look at http://www.comparetravelmoney.co.uk to see who really offers the best rates.
Regards, Jean.
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