ABSCO Construction

Dear Revdex.com, Travelex appreciates the business and input of all of its customers, and always regrets when a customer is not fully satisfied with his or her transaction, even when the source of that displeasure is the fee charged by another entity In this case, the customer was charged a $cash advance fee by his credit card issuer because many credit card companies treat foreign currency transactions as cash advance transactions (because cash is involved) While Travelex has no control over how much a credit card company may charge for this fee, it does understand a consumer’s interest in avoiding it if possible Therefore, as a courtesy, Travelex posts a note regarding the cash advance fee on the fee schedule posted in all of our retail locations (see attached sample) We also recommend that our retail associates mention that cash advance fees may apply as well—again, as a courtesy Neither courtesy is mandated by law The notice requirements that apply to cash advance fees fall on the issuer of the credit card Since different credit card issuers have different terms and conditions governing foreign currency transactions, and since the credit card company is the entity charging the fee (not Travelex), it is ultimately the customer’s responsibility to understand when such fees apply to the card that he or she is using In closing, Travelex regrets that the customer did not see the courtesy notice posted in our store, nor understand the terms and conditions of his credit card; however, Travelex cannot refund a fee that it did not charge Therefore, it is recommended that the customer talk with his credit card issuer with any further questions or concerns about the cash advance fee Thank you, Travelex Currency Services Inc

Revdex.com:
We contacted the company again today and were finally able to speak to a manager and resolve this issueThey are credo get back full amount plus ATM fees. ID ***, this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved
Sincerely,
***
***

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved However, I did not visit a retail locationas my purchase was made online and I did not see a notice of fees in regards to cash advances on credit card purchases
Sincerely,
*** ***

Travelex sincerely appreicates the customer bringing
this incident to its attention. Travelex appreciates
the input of all customers and interested in protecting their personal information
The U.SGovernment, by means of the USA
PATRIOT Act, requires financial institutions to collect certain personal
information in the interests of national security and the global effort to
combat terrorism, money laundering, and other financial crimes. Retail
Sales Consultants are on the frontlines of this effort, and receive regular
training on how to respond in situations that they deem “suspicious.” And
while there are federal guidelines to what constitutes suspicious behavior, it
is largely a subjective and imperfect standard.
In
the case at hand, while the initial transaction did require that SSN
information be collected under state and federal law, it was a violation of Travelex's internal policies and procedures when the
Sales Consultant asked the customer to write down his SSN on a piece of
paper. In the event that the SSN keypad (located on the customer-side of the window) is malfunctioning, the proper
action is for the Sales Consultant to ask to see a passport (in
lieu of an SSN), or to lower the amount of the transaction. Please note that, in some circumstances, a refusal to give an SSN or a request
to lower the amount of the transaction (to avoid federal reporting
requirements) might result in a Suspicious Activity Report (“SAR”), so when the customer refused to give the Sales Consultant his information (though for valid reasons) and then asked
to lower his transaction, the Sales Consultant misinterpreted his request as
suspicious (because in some cases it is regarded as such), and proceeded to
take (what she believed was) the appropriate action of recording his driver’s
license information (which explains why she was recording that information on a
piece of paper). In some cases, this information would have been included
in an Internal Unusual Activity Report (“IUAR”), which most likely would’ve
been dismissed when reviewed by a Manager, who has more experience in what
constitutes suspicious behavior.
In
short, though the Sales Consultant was mistaken in the proper operating
procedures when a keypad is broken, and though she misinterpreted the customer's reluctance to provide his SSN and his desire to lower his transaction
amount, it is understandable why she did what she did, and it is clear that there was no
nefarious motives involved. Sales Consultants are trained to err on the
side of caution when it comes to SAR’s and national security, and even the best
training materials cannot anticipate every eventuality. This is precisely
why Travelex sincerely appreciates the concern and initiative this customer has shown in
this situation. It enables Travelex to improve its training materials, and
better protect the information and privacy of its customers (while also
contributing to the national security interests of the United States)
The
piece of paper requested by the customer in his complaint is no longer available because it
was shredded and disposed of soon after his encounter. Travelex is
forbidden by law to reveal whether (or not) an SAR was submitted, however, had
one been submitted, the customer can be assured that his information would be secured
according to state and federal standards, and then destroyed according to those
standards as well. Even though a Sales Consultant may make an error in
judgment while in the hot seat, Travelex has additional controls (like
requiring a Manager’s approval to file an SAR) to safeguard a customer’s
information and privacy
Furthermore,
in response to the customer's complaint, all Sales Consultants will receive remedial
instruction on the proper protocols to follow in similar situations and why it
is important to protect the personal information of customers.
Finally,
Travelex would like to apologize for any inconvenience that this transaction
may have caused, and assure its customers that their business and security is important to Travelex. Travelex hopes to do business with this customer again in the future, and thanks him
once again for bringing this matter to its attention

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response made by the business in reference to complaint ID ***, and find that this resolution is satisfactory to me and the matter has been resolved
Sincerely,
*** ***

Dear Revdex.com,
Travelex appreciates the business and input of all of its
customers, and always regrets when a customer is not fully satisfied with his
or her transaction, even when the source of that displeasure is the fee charged
by another entity.  In this case, the customer was...

charged a $10 cash
advance fee by his credit card issuer because many credit card companies treat
foreign currency transactions as cash advance transactions (because cash is
involved). 
While Travelex has no control over how much a credit card
company may charge for this fee, it does understand a consumer’s interest in
avoiding it if possible.  Therefore, as a courtesy, Travelex posts a note
regarding the cash advance fee on the fee schedule posted in all of our retail
locations (see attached sample).  We also recommend that our retail
associates mention that cash advance fees may apply as well—again, as a
courtesy.  Neither courtesy is mandated by law.  The notice
requirements that apply to cash advance fees fall on the issuer of the credit
card. 
Since different credit card issuers have different terms and
conditions governing foreign currency transactions, and since the credit card
company is the entity charging the fee (not Travelex), it is ultimately the
customer’s responsibility to understand when such fees apply to the card that
he or she is using. 
In closing, Travelex regrets that the customer did not see the
courtesy notice posted in our store, nor understand the terms and conditions of
his credit card; however, Travelex cannot refund a fee that it did not
charge.  Therefore, it is recommended that the customer talk with his
credit card issuer with any further questions or concerns about the cash
advance fee.  
Thank you,
Travelex Currency Services Inc.

Dear Revdex.com, Travelex appreciates the customer bringing this matter to its attention and understands his frustration. We take all of our customers’ concerns very seriously and hold ourselves to the highest customer service standards. With regard to complaints relevant to the pre-paid card, while...

Travelex is a seller of this product, unfortunately it is not the Issuer of the card nor does Travelex maintain oversight of card spend detail. We also do not maintain the customer service phone numbers referenced in the compliant. The aforementioned details are outlined with the card terms and conditions issued at the time of sale (attached to this response). We have escalated these concerns to the Issuer and Program Manager for resolution. In response to the customer’s comments about rates set by Travelex for foreign exchange, our competitive retail rates are set based on spot and market exchange rates as well as a host of external and internal business factors. We regret that the customer was not satisfied. As an alternative to our retail rates we also recommend that our customers review our online offering which may be more agreeable particularly for those customers planning for the exchange needs in advance of their trip. Thank you. Travelex Currency Services Inc.

Travelex and the customer agreed on a refund that was acceptable to both parties. Travelex also thanked the customer for bringing the matter to its attention and for her sincere concern for other customers.