Debit card fraud Cape point!

[Styn]

A few weeks ago we visited Cape point during our holiday in South Africa. As foreign tourists we had to pay an entrance fee no less than 5 times more than South Africans. This raises eyebrows, but that's another issue. So we payed 720 Rand for 2 persons and made the payment with our bank card. After all, Sanparks, the managment organisation of the park, encourages cash-free parks. We got a ticket and a proof of payment and spend the whole day in the park. The day after we were shocked when we found out in our bank application that 640 euro has been taken from our account. 720 Rand converted to Euro is about 40 euros. That is 600 euros or 10000 Rands too much! It seems unbelievable because the ticket and the proof of payment clearly states 720 Rand. We contacted the park and they told us they were going to investigate. A few days later we received an email that they hadn't found a trace of our payment. Seriously?? In other words, there had been a fraud with our bank card at the entrance of a park runned by the government. South Africa has a lot of poverty, and we do realise that, but we had no idea it's that corrupt. In the meantime, we send a complaint to our European bank that will investigate this, but our main goal is to warn other foreign travellers. Pay cash there, or stay away from that place. Someone there doesn't have very good intentions, and it's hard to get your money back afterwards. If this is the way they treat tourists in South Africa we will never come back again. Too bad, because it's such a beautiful country.

[MATTHYS]

Welcome to the forums, Styn.

I am so sorry about this happening to you and do hope and trust that you will get your money back.
If you have not done so yet, please submit a report to [email protected].

[arks]

A question: I'd always understood that you could not use an overseas debit card for payments in South Africa, only a credit card. Is that not so? Or does that only apply to USA debit cards? Styn does not say what country they are from.

[inyanga 1]

A question: I'd always understood that you could not use an overseas debit card for payments in South Africa, only a credit card. Is that not so? Or does that only apply to USA debit cards? Styn does not say what country they are from.

Probably Europeans as their bank used EUROS and possibly Nordic

[MATTHYS]

A question: I'd always understood that you could not use an overseas debit card for payments in South Africa, only a credit card. Is that not so? Or does that only apply to USA debit cards?

I am not sure about USA debit cards, sorry Arks.
I did find this :

[arks]

A question: I'd always understood that you could not use an overseas debit card for payments in South Africa, only a credit card. Is that not so? Or does that only apply to USA debit cards?

I am not sure about USA debit cards, sorry Arks.
I did find this :

tariffs.jpg

Interesting as I am pretty sure that shops like Woolworths do not accept overseas debit cards, only credit cards. Since I never use a debit card to pay for anything, it's not something that I've ever 'investigated', but I was certainly under the impression that overseas debit cards were not accepted for payments in South Africa.

[MATTHYS]

I was certainly under the impression that overseas debit cards were not accepted for payments in South Africa.

This might be so, Arks.
Styn might have been referring to his credit card when saying "our bank card".

[Styn]

Hello everyone. We are indeed Europeans (Belgium) and we paid with our Maestro debit card and not with our credit card. It remains a mystery how it could happened because this happened to us at our first day in SA and we have done about 15 payments with the same card in the days after, without any problem. It's also very strange that it looks we are the only 2 people who have had this issue at cape point. This must have affected other tourists as well but we can't seem to find similar stories on the internet.

[MATTHYS]

Hello and sincerely hope that you will be reimbursed, Styn.
Also hope that it did not affect other/more than 2 tourists and that you will visit our beautiful country and Parks in future.

[Styn]

And yes Matthys, we have also sent an email to [email protected]. They replied to me that they can't find our payment. But we have the tickets and sent them in the mails attachment. It just doesn't make sense and it's so frustrating for non SA resident that no one is willing to help you. Looks like sanparks people are only friendly to you when you show them your money. Its just so unfair.

[Styn]

And we did enjoy the natural beauty of South Africa and we loved every minute of our stay in your beautiful country. It's just something you would 't expect to happen at an organisation runned by the government. I mean, who else is there to trust?

[MATTHYS]

I am so sorry about your frustration and disappointment, Styn.
SANParks very much value and appreciate our non SA residents.

[MATTHYS]

And we did enjoy the natural beauty of South Africa and we loved every minute of our stay in your beautiful country.