£2 Counter transaction charge.

[stuart r]

I believe it is now 'all or nothing'.

The origin of this is that Credit Cards levy a 3% fee to the trader for each transaction (10% for amex) while debit cards charge a flat 20p. As debit cards are a cash instrument charging for their use has been banned. I suspect that the club are acting illegally by levying an additional fee for cash or debit cards. There is nothing to stop them only charging for credit cards but at the counter this is difficult to implement as the cashier has got to be able to discriminate between credit and debit which is not as easy as it sounds.

Not wanting to piss on your chips but that sounds like a load of bollocks.

The background to this is on the first page of this thread and it mentions nothing about banning debit card charges. They've brought in this charge to avoid the new regulations. How on earth is what they're doing illegal?! The way they've explained it is pretty immoral but not illegal.

The change in regulations from the Govt. was meant to stop the charging of 'excessive fees beyond the cost of processing the transaction'

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2013/04/credit-and-debit-card-fee-clampdown-begins

Charging for cash (£0.00 cost) is therefore illegal. Calling it an 'administration fee' is a blatant lie that   would not appear likely to survive a legal challenge so the club is acting contrary to the spirit and letter of a change in the law ie illegally.

The government guideline states "A charge for all means of payment accepted by a trader does not fall under regulation 4" so by charging for all transactions they aren't affected by the new regulation

[Hopadop]

You're right, stuart r.

The 'loophole' comes from the Guidance rather than the Regulations themselves,  and is clearly at odds with:


The clear policy objective is that payment surcharges should not be used by traders as a
means to generate profit or margin. Therefore, traders should not require consumers to pay a
surcharge for payment by a particular means which exceeds the cost which the trader incurs
for using that means. Underlying this is a principle that the trader’s profit or margin should be
earned through the headline price of goods or services.


Whoever drafted the Guidance has been naive in the extreme (I assume? Maybe I'm being naive) - they should amend it.

[Richard E]

The Regulation states "A trader must not charge consumers, in respect of the use of a given means of payment, fees that exceed the cost borne by the trader for the use of that means."

There is nothing, as far as I can see, in the legislation which obliges the trader who imposes a charge to impose the same charge on each payment method as long as the fee relates to the actual cost of the payment method.

I think the reason why they are charging for everything is to then argue that it is not a charge "in respect of the use of a given means of payment."

On one interpretation of the regulations if the actual cost of paying in cash is less than £2.00 per transaction then the charge is unenforceable.   

But further down it states "A charge for all means of payment accepted by a trader does not fall under regulation 4" which is the bit our beloved Villa are taking advantage of

That is in the Guidance not in the Regulations themselves so it would still be open to a Court to disagree with the Guidance as to whether that is what the wording of the regulations actually say. I think there is scope for different interpretations. Also in the Regulations there is an obligation on the local authority to investigate a customer complaint unless it is frivolous or vexatious or the OFT considers that another local authority is the appropriate one. So get your complaints into Birmingham Council Trading Standards, folks!

[Ad@m]

The regulations are an attempt to stop people charging excessive 'transaction fees' on certain types of payments.  What the Villa (or any other trader) charge outside of the regulations is up to them and whether it'll work is down to market forces.

If the Villa attempted to put a charge on cash transactions only they'd have to justify there is no profit element of the charge.  Likewise if they did it with credit cards only, or debit cards only, or any other form of payment.  By just saying that all transactions, regardless of their nature will incur a £2 charge means the regulations don't cover that charge.  Villa can charge what they like - there's nothing illegal about it.  No one's forcing anyone to pay.

The issue is more about the way it's been explained.  Whilst strictly the Villa have introduced this because of the regulations, they've introduced it to get around the regulations.  Had they just applied the regulations to what they were doing before they would probably have had to reduce the charge on credit card payments in line with the actual cost to the business.  They didn't like that idea so instead put a charge on all transactions.

It's a price increase.  Nothing else.

[Titus Aduxus]

Your right. Its simply a price increase.  What Mr Faulkner should of done when these regulations came in was say hang on, have we really been charging people to pay, this has got to stop!

[TonyD]

They should just come out and say sorry it was a silly idea and scrap it.

They wont though.  They will just keep pushing your face in it and laughing.

[silhillvilla]

Decided not to go v Malaga as a show of protest against the £2 levy. Ridiculous piss take.

[not3bad]

The money's going to Levy?!  FFS!!

[Richard E]

The money's going to Levy?!  FFS!!

If 5 of us pay up he will have enough to table what he thinks is an acceptable bid for Benteke.

[cheltenhamlion]

Good work older Ennis.

Let's have it right, the charge is ridiculous.

Its legal and easier to hide behind to make it uniform but it stinks.

Its everything I would have crucified Herbert for but under a very different administration.

[danlanza]

Has anybody who sent an email to the club complaining about this had a response yet ? And what did it say ?
My bet is No response at all.

[mr-villa]

Is this charge just for cash transactions?

Meaning, if you paid by debit card you wouldn't be charged?

That's the whole point mate the club have had to introduce the £2 charge on cash transactions just so they can continue to charge people who want to use a card to make their purchases, utterly scandalous they could have abolished the charges altogether but didn't take the opportunity to treat their customers fairly.

[steffo]

I don't get this at all. If you buy on-line if will cost you 2 quid per transaction of which Aston Villa will pay the postage to get it to you. If you pay cash at the ticket office they will charge you 2 quid, even though you have used your fuel to get there.

If you buy a ticket and return it for refund can you charge the Villa 2 quid for the privilage?

[PaulMcGrathsNo5Shirt]

Walk into the ticket office, give them the cash price for the ticket, when they ask for the extra refuse and walkout. Don't be rude with the staff remember, it isn't there fault. If enough people refuse to buy and don't buy tickets as a result of this they'll soon change their mind. Modern football is a rip off. Or, just pay £8 and pay for you and your kid to watch Halesowen Town. You can even stand and watch with a beer in hand.

[russon]

Has anybody who sent an email to the club complaining about this had a response yet ? And what did it say ?
My bet is No response at all.

Dear Mr Russon
 
Thank you for your email regarding the £2.00 transaction fee.  I offer our apologies that you have had cause to complain to the Club.  As we received your complaint on 8th August 2013, and in accordance with our customer charter commitment, the deadline for our reply is 22nd August 2013.
 
At Aston Villa, we ask that the department to which your complaint relates be responsible for our reply.  Your comments will be forwarded to Nicola Keye, Head of Consumer Sales, who will look to ensure that we contact you with our reply at our earliest opportunity and in line with our complaints procedures.
 
I would be happy to hear from you by email at lee.preece@avfc.co.uk (or tel 0121 326 1502) if you have any comments or feedback on how you feel your complaint was handled.  In addition, please contact me if you have not received your reply prior to our stated deadline.
 
Yours sincerely
 
 
 
Lee Preece
Football Operations / Projects Manager
 
 
 
 
Pam Bridgewater
Football Operations Administrator

tel 0121 326 1535  fax 0121 322 2107