Thomas Exchange Global - Beware

WickedWolfie

The key is the dates.

You state that the company sold you currency on 23.3.10 and the Botswana govt changed its currency on 31.3.10. This means that you were sold VALID currency. The fact that your trip was not until May is hardly the fault of the company. Indeed, I believe that in refunding you they have gone well beyond what they had to.

I use the company regularly and have had no problems.

[Deleted User]

technik wrote: »

Just used them to get Canadian Dollars and despite it being a bit more convoluted than usual because of having to do a bank transfer, an email was sent to me with a tracking number last night and i've just received the cash at 12.55pm.

Interestingly theres 1000 CAD as ordered...and a solitary $1 US bill. Not really sure why it's there...it even appears on the invoice so it's not a mistake. Oh well $1 for me

The probably owed you 60-70p in change and put the 1USD on top to cover that.

deegee999

MikeKBRFX wrote: »

Donnie,

I must throw my full agreement behind you here.

I have only heard good things about TGE, and have in fact used them myself a couple of times.

The date that Paulee bought the currency was actually before the date the Botswanan Government made a change in the legislation. And as with many nations in that neck of the woods, the chances of a UK company having this information readily available is remote. The wires of contact are not exactly brimming with real-time market information from Botswana.

TGE's duty does indeed end once the transaction is complete, and I feel that they have indeed been very courteous in their refunding of the currency in question.

What chance then of a member of the public knowing about this, surely it would be good practice to keep an eye on all known dodgy currencies & email cvustomers informing them. Thats if they bother about aftersales care, not a high priority in the financial services sector normally.

WickedWolfie

deegee999 wrote: »

What chance then of a member of the public knowing about this, surely it would be good practice to keep an eye on all known dodgy currencies & email cvustomers informing them. Thats if they bother about aftersales care, not a high priority in the financial services sector normally.

Many Third world countries intentionally change their currency with little or no notice specifically in order to prevent criminals and corrupt individuals from changing large sums into the new currency - anyone rolling up with large quantities of unexplained old notes will face severe questioning. Any country involed in such activity will hardly let western bureau de changes know (well, not until it has happened)....

Since when does a traveller have no responsibility for checking out things him/herself?

isplumm

WickedWolfie wrote: »

Since when does a traveller have no responsibility for checking out things him/herself?

Since they bought from an "expert" in their field .... I understand that the agency would not have known when that the currency would go out of date - but they should have known that it happened often - warn the customer of this fact.

Mark

WickedWolfie

isplumm wrote: »

Since they bought from an "expert" in their field .... I understand that the agency would not have known when that the currency would go out of date - but they should have known that it happened often - warn the customer of this fact.

Mark

..and if they had told the customer that changes happen often, but that they did not know when the next one would happen, how would that help???

As for notifying the customer after the event, that would require a database of all customer's details and their travel plans - not exactly good from a personal security viewpiont and a hell of a burden on the business....

Would other currency exchange businesses have acted any differently (except perhaps in some cases to refuse a refund, pointing you directly at the national bank of the country in question) - I doubt it!

isplumm

WickedWolfie wrote: »

..and if they had told the customer that changes happen often, but that they did not know when the next one would happen, how would that help???

As for notifying the customer after the event, that would require a database of all customer's details and their travel plans - not exactly good from a personal security viewpiont and a hell of a burden on the business....

Would other currency exchange businesses have acted any differently (except perhaps in some cases to refuse a refund, pointing you directly at the national bank of the country in question) - I doubt it!

Because they could have advised the customer to take the money out in the country or take something like US dollars ....

Mark

deegee999

WickedWolfie wrote: »

..and if they had told the customer that changes happen often, but that they did not know when the next one would happen, how would that help???

As for notifying the customer after the event, that would require a database of all customer's details and their travel plans - not exactly good from a personal security viewpiont and a hell of a burden on the business....

Would other currency exchange businesses have acted any differently (except perhaps in some cases to refuse a refund, pointing you directly at the national bank of the country in question) - I doubt it!

So really none these exchange companies are nuch good when it comes to less popular currencies. better to use prepaid cards and atms, or as iplumm said take usd. If people shop around these exchanges don't offer much do they.

Donnie

deegee999 wrote: »

So really none these exchange companies are nuch good when it comes to less popular currencies. better to use prepaid cards and atms, or as iplumm said take usd. If people shop around these exchanges don't offer much do they.

What a silly post.

isplumm

deegee999 wrote: »

So really none these exchange companies are nuch good when it comes to less popular currencies. better to use prepaid cards and atms, or as iplumm said take usd. If people shop around these exchanges don't offer much do they.

Ok Donnie, explain why this is a silly post???

Mark