On Visa card surcharges

On Visa card surcharges

With reference to Ms. Pauline Sahetapy's letter Visa cards and
surcharges in The Jakarta Post on Sept. 7, 1996, I would like to
share my experience at Mitra Keluarga Hospital.

At the end of June this year, my wife had our first child at
Mitra Keluarga Hospital in Jatinegara, East Jakarta. The bill was
more than Rp 6 million, of which I split the balance across two
of our credit cards: Bank Niaga Gold Visa and Diners. The bill
had an added surcharge of 2.5 percent added to the bill, after I
relentlessly argued the policy with the hospital accounting
person, who phoned higher authorities.

Unfortunately, I am not a completely ignorant person and am
very aware of the merchants always trying to charge us extra fees
ranging from 2.5 percent to 5 percent for using our credit cards
instead of cash. This practice is very wrong and the merchants
only do it because you (the card holders) allow them to get away
with it.

I called Bank Niaga Card Center in Jakarta from the hospital
accounting office and, after some very long waiting on the phone
and speaking to several different people at the Bank Niaga Card
Center, they took sides with Mitra Keluarga accounting
department. They stated that several hospitals do have special
contracts where they can charge a surcharge above the actual
costs rendered.

I didn't believe them and the Niaga Card Center did not
produce any such special contract when asked to fax it across to
the hospital. I was certainly disappointed with Bank Niaga for
insulting my intelligence and treating a long-time customer as
such.

I did have to pay the extra fees in this instance to Mitra
Keluarga and to this day, have not had those aforementioned
surcharges returned to me.

C.E. SCOGGAN

Jakarta