Is it typical for an internist to charge a retention fee?

Why is B of A allowed to charge a foreign transaction fee on Sandals Cards they issue used at Sandals?

• Bank of America is the issuing bank for Sandals Resorts Credit Cards. Sandals Resorts are all in the Caribbean none are in the US. Last year after the new credit card reform came about we noticed that B of A charged this new Foreign Transaction fee of theirs on our card. I called and they agreed it should not have been charged on the Branded card and reversed the fee. I was also told if it happened again to call them and they would take care of it. This year upon return from vacation we check our statement and sure enough there is the charge. I call and am now told this fee cannot be removed because it is a Government charge and they cannot remove Government charges. Who are they trying to kid?? Don't they have to disclose in writing that they will charge this new fee even on Branded cards used at the brand?? Bank of America is the issuing bank for Sandals Resorts Credit Cards. Sandals Resorts are all in the Caribbean none are in the US. Last year after the new credit card reform came about we noticed that B of A charged this new Foreign Transaction fee of theirs on our card. I called and they agreed it should not have been charged on the Branded card and reversed the fee. I was also told if it happened again to call them and they would take care of it. This year upon return from vacation we check our statement and sure enough there is the charge. I call and am now told this fee cannot be removed because it is a Government charge and they cannot remove Government charges. Who are they trying to kid?? Don't they have to disclose in writing that they will charge this new fee even on Branded cards used at the brand if the Brand is a company that conducts it's primary business outside the US?? The charge was made in US currency NOT Jamaican currency. So no currency exchange was made.

• Answer:

  I don't know why they took off the fee before. The charge was made outside of the US, so a Foreign Transaction fee would have been assessed. It doesn't matter that the branded card was used at the brand. If my hilton credit card is used in Switzerland, the fee would apply. Yours is no different. Read the fine print and it probably says "all applicable government taxes and fees".