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A hapless tourist believes he may have been scammed after paying 100 times the right amount for two drinks and a bag of chips while abroad in Mexico – and his bank is refusing to pay him back.
The distressed Dutch holidaymaker was supposed to pay 310 Mexican pesos, equivalent to £12 for the light snack.
But two ‘0’s were erroneously added to the amount, bringing the total to 31,000 pesos or £1,200.
The customer insists he checked the amount on the card machine before entering his PIN code and approving the amount – and has now concluded either the machine was faulty or he was defrauded by the seller.
But Rabobank said it will not compensate him, because he ‘authorised’ the payment by entering his PIN number – even if it was ‘under false pretenses’.
Now Kifid, the Dutch body responsible for dealing with financial disputes, has ruled in favour of the bank, De Telegraaf reported.
In its decision, Kifid stated: ‘It is understandable that the consumer finds the amount too high for two drinks and a bag of chips and would never have agreed to this amount if he had known.
‘But that does not mean that he has not legally agreed to the payment.’
A hapless tourist believes he may have been scammed after paying 100 times the right amount for two drinks and a bag of chips while abroad in Mexico – but his bank is refusing to repay him (file pic)
The distressed Dutch holidaymaker was supposed to pay 310 Mexican pesos, equivalent to £12 for the light snack. But two ‘0’s were erroneously added to the amount, bringing the total to 31,000 pesos or £1,200. Pictured: A view of Cancun beach, Mexico (file pic)
Rabobank said it will not compensate the tourist, because he ‘authorised’ the payment by entering his PIN number – even if it was ‘under false pretenses’
The tourist argued that the bank should have flagged such a large payment coming out of his account while abroad, but the ombudsman said the bank could not be blamed for the incident.
It added: ‘The mere fact that the transaction may have been unusual for the consumer does not mean that the bank was aware of it and should have intervened.’
Unfortunately for the tourist, he will now not see a penny back from the amount taken.
The Dutch holidaymaker is just the latest example of how even the most cautious traveller can be caught off-guard by a conniving swindler.
Other scams that tourists have become caught up in include taxi drivers who claim their meter is broken before then charging a hefty fee, as well as overpaying in currency they are unfamiliar with to dishonest sellers.
Tourists have also reported distraction tactics, such as being approached in a restaurant by someone with a handwritten note, only to then find their phone or other valuables have been stolen as they take the time to read it.
Some have also reported buying tickets for a boat tour or day trip, only to then find the ‘organiser’ never turns up to the designated meeting point.
