Advisory: Don't use a Citibank Debit card through Paypal when buying from LF

[PC_Clone]

They hit me with a Foreign Transaction Fee of 3%. I don't understand how they can do it since the transaction was with Paypal who is US based, but they did. I just wanted to give a heads up to everyone so they don't get nailed on a bigger purchase. My purchase was only $78 so it wasn't too bad.

I'd fight them but it would only happen the next time too.

 

[Gussers]

>LF? Where are they located?


edit:
Did you order from their UK site by mistake?

I ordered from them just a couple weeks ago and got my stuff without any issue. I'll double check my CC statement to ensure there wasn't any issue, but I don't recall seeing it.

 

[PC_Clone]

I ordered from the US site. I did a quick search and there are many complaints of Citibank charging the fees on Paypal transactions even though the transactions are done in US currency. I wonder how they determine if a Paypal user is outside the US.

 

[Rosco]

Any order you place from totally wicked in Florida you will have the exact same thing happen. I buy from a USA supplier and I have to pay a "foreign" transaction fee. Why, because tw is NOT USA business, Florida is just their cover store in the USA.
That's crap and pb38 can stick it.....I will buy from a USA vendor who actually IS a real USA vendor. Not spending my money somewhere else when I can get it better here. They shafted me more than once and on top of that, I paid a foreign fee? Get real and fagetaboutit.

My credit card company told me that because tw is NOT A USA business, anyone buying even from Florida, will pay a foreign transaction fee each and every time. tw can stay foreign as far as I'm conerned. Too many decent, honest US suppliers to be buying from their foreign fee place.
Can you tell I hate that place?....You have no idea what they pulled over on me.

 

[PC_Clone]

Any order you place from totally wicked in Florida you will have the exact same thing happen. I buy from a USA supplier and I have to pay a "foreign" transaction fee. Why, because tw is NOT USA business, Florida is just their cover store in the USA.
That's crap and pb38 can stick it.....I will buy from a USA vendor who actually IS a real USA vendor. Not spending my money somewhere else when I can get it better here. They shafted me more than once and on top of that, I paid a foreign fee? Get real and fagetaboutit.

My credit card company told me that because tw is NOT A USA business, anyone buying even from Florida, will pay a foreign transaction fee each and every time. tw can stay foreign as far as I'm conerned. Too many decent, honest US suppliers to be buying from their foreign fee place.
Can you tell I hate that place?....You have no idea what they pulled over on me.

Ya I get that, if your bank does the transaction with TW and they are using a foreign merchant account then OK, It's idiotic but you are conducting a foreign transaction. When I used paypal, my bank has a transaction with Paypal who is a US company and it was done in US dollars. No matter who Paypal conducted a transaction with, it shouldn't matter.

 

[Stifle]

>LF? Where are they located?

They are located right up the street from me in sunny San Diego, CA. (Mission Valley for those more familiar with the area!)

 

[swt_silhouette]

I use a pre-paid Western Union Gold card (visa). I have never been charged a, "foreign" transaction fee. I use this particular card b/c they have no monthly fee, just a 4.99 load fee, each time I put the cash on it. I pay my LF orders through PP. with this card. Never had that fee...

 

[LeAnn]

Paypal charged me $1 and I didn't know what it was for, I was thinking it was just their charge to handle the transaction but now I am wondering if it was that foriegn fee? It ...... me off too cause I usually don't get charge a fee!

 

[Papa Lazarou]

You should probably note that no USA based e-cig vendor accepts Paypal because Paypal US won't allow e-cigs to be bought with their service. Paypal UK has no such issues but you will get a foreign transaction charge. Liberty Flights like TW are at least partly UK based.

 

[PC_Clone]

You should probably note that no USA based e-cig vendor accepts Paypal because Paypal US won't allow e-cigs to be bought with their service. Paypal UK has no such issues but you will get a foreign transaction charge. Liberty Flights like TW are at least partly UK based.

Good to know, I figured that LF was using their UK info but the thing I don't understand it Paypal conducts the transaction in USD. The FTF used to be for charges done in a foreign currency, now it seems it's for any transaction with a foreign party.

 

[PC_Clone]

Paypal charged me $1 and I didn't know what it was for, I was thinking it was just their charge to handle the transaction but now I am wondering if it was that foriegn fee? It ...... me off too cause I usually don't get charge a fee!

My fee wasn't from PayPal, it was from my bank. In case you're trying to narrow it down.

 

[mikesymon]

The foreign transaction fee is charged by your bank, not paypal. The charge is actually submitted to your bank in forein currency. To avoid the fee you could also just add money to your paypal account from your bank account. Then you can just use your paypal balance. Either way, given Libert Flights great products, prices, and customer service I still choose to use them. I figure even with the fee that my bank also charges, they are still the best choice by far.

 

[Rosco]

You should probably note that no USA based e-cig vendor accepts Paypal because Paypal US won't allow e-cigs to be bought with their service. Paypal UK has no such issues but you will get a foreign transaction charge. Liberty Flights like TW are at least partly UK based.

Ya I get that, if your bank does the transaction with TW and they are using a foreign merchant account then OK, It's idiotic but you are conducting a foreign transaction. When I used paypal, my bank has a transaction with Paypal who is a US company and it was done in US dollars. No matter who Paypal conducted a transaction with, it shouldn't matter.

I paid for every one of my transactions through paypal. But..because it is a UK business and not a US business, they can get around the idiotic ecig paypal thing. When my card statement arrived and I saw the charges, I called my bank and asked. That's when they told me that because tw is not US based business, I was buying from a foreign business.
That crap ended that day. How appropriate...a smilie that means evil.

 

[5cardstud]

I'd get out the scissors.

 

[PC_Clone]

The foreign transaction fee is charged by your bank, not paypal. The charge is actually submitted to your bank in forein currency. To avoid the fee you could also just add money to your paypal account from your bank account. Then you can just use your paypal balance. Either way, given Libert Flights great products, prices, and customer service I still choose to use them. I figure even with the fee that my bank also charges, they are still the best choice by far.

I wasn't knocking LF at all on this. I was just advising people incase (like me) it was assumed that the Paypal middle man would make the FTF moot. Like I said, it was 3% so considering that LF gives 20% off, I'll have a little over 17% discount.

 

[Abe]

Yeah, it's a bit of a kicker really that one. Most of the transactions don't incur this cost but to say it is not an issue would be lying and it's not really what we do over here. Personally, I think it is horrific, you are paying in dollars so I don't see how they can levy that charge, when I get the money I have to convert it in to UK pounds at paypal horrible rate so I loose even more myself. All these little transactions add up, it's a bit of a hidden way for them to make money. Now, as a business I roll with the punches and look for ways around this, it's when this gets passed on to the customer that I take issue with, it looks like we are accessing your money and taking that extra charge. To put it blunt, I don't think it is fair at all for you all.

 

[LeAnn]

You should probably note that no USA based e-cig vendor accepts Paypal because Paypal US won't allow e-cigs to be bought with their service. Paypal UK has no such issues but you will get a foreign transaction charge. Liberty Flights like TW are at least partly UK based.

Then why oh why don't they tell you that when you order from them. I hate those hidden charges, a buck is a buck and can you imagine how much money they are making off us buying from TW and Liberty Flights? No wonder they offer you great deals, cause it's gonna cost you awhole lot more by the time you get your chg crd stmt! What a rip-off!

 

[LeAnn]

Oh by the way I am not talking about you Abe, I am talking about those stinking banks, they will rip you a new a___hole if they can I mean, you have to pay for something you are not doing. And what is up with PayPal anyways, why won't they let e-cig companies use them in the U.S, what are they crazy or something? They aren't illegal or anything so what's the deal? Liberty Flighs and TW should use charge cards, they are international. They only reason I used paypal was cause that's all Liberty Flights offered, had I known I was getting charged an additional fee I might have had a second thought. I will order from them again, now at least I know what to budget for!

 

[Hrtbrkr1965]

I use chase bank....free checking....no fees and you do not have to have a paypal account to order from LF!