Travel Money Maximiser Discussion Area

beansy

dzug wrote: »

From elsewhere on this site:

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Debit cards that DO charge a fee[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Abbey[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Alliance & Leicester[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Barclays[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Cahoot[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Co-op[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Lloyds TSB[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Smile[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Debit cards that DON'T charge a fee [/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Coventry BS[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]First Direct[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Halifax[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]HSBC[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Intelligent Finance[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Nationwide[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Natwest[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]RBS [/FONT]

I am sure I was charged a fee when using my Nationwide debit card. Not by Nationwide but they said Travelex made the charge!

beansy

Excuse my ignorance but why do you think the £ has dropped so much against the Euro?

Breachwood

Users of the International Currency Exchange (ICE), which is recommended for good rates, beware. Their online quoted rates only apply to online orders (which can be picked up at bureau). However, if you go direct to a bureau, e.g. at an airport, the rate is much worse than in High St banks AND they charge local service fee in addition - 3% at Luton Airport.

escapeMCP_2

Beware the Abbey (well Abbey business accounts actually!). I have just opened an account with them. I have had a few days of confusion as to why my available balance was way off what I expected it to be. Today I finally managed to find out.
According to Abbey, when you make an ATM withdrawal overseas (I made mine in Ireland), VISA take the money out twice, and return it 3 days later. I checked my maths, and it looks like it isn't just ATM withdrawals, but my hotel bill was taken out twice also, so it looks like they take double for ALL withdrawals!
Has anyone else experienced this with Abbey? Has anyone experienced this with other banks' VISA debit cards? Is it even legal?!
Thanks in advance for any info.
escapeMCP

dzug

escapeMCP wrote: »

Beware the Abbey (well Abbey business accounts actually!). I have just opened an account with them. I have had a few days of confusion as to why my available balance was way off what I expected it to be. Today I finally managed to find out.
According to Abbey, when you make an ATM withdrawal overseas (I made mine in Ireland), VISA take the money out twice, and return it 3 days later. I checked my maths, and it looks like it isn't just ATM withdrawals, but my hotel bill was taken out twice also, so it looks like they take double for ALL withdrawals!
Has anyone else experienced this with Abbey? Has anyone experienced this with other banks' VISA debit cards? Is it even legal?!
Thanks in advance for any info.
escapeMCP

I've experienced it occasionally with various cards (I don't use Abbey) - usually with hotels.

They don't take the money twice - they 'reserve' it when you checkin, to be sure there is enough to pay your bill. They don't actually take it - but it does come off the balance available.

Then when you actually pay they take the money, but forget to/don't cancel the 'reserved' sum originally authorised. It automatically falls off your account a day or two later.

It shouldn't really happen. Why it does, only some of the time, I don't know. Legal? Well that depends on the laws of the country it happened in, really.

cozza

dont know wether in thr right thread or not
I wantto use my card abroad 2 times i have phoned the bank to ask and got diffrent advice
i have a halifax easycash card visa electron and want to know if i can draw money out abroad from atm when i am in turkey as i get payed while on holiday and cannot borrow the money. i justwant to know just in case i need money while out there can some one help plz

swivellingmonk

Just wanted to let everyone know about this company.

I ordered £700 of USD's back in October at a pre-booked rate of $2.1 to the £1. I was concerned that this seemed too good to be true, but the few reviews i'd found seemed to say good things about CCE so I thought i'd give them a try.

This morning I received my $1470 at a time when the exchange rate on the high street is $1.92 to the £1 - a return of over 9% for having my money less than 5 months.

What more can I say .... a brilliant deal!!

If you have the money and you know you're going abroad in a few months (they do Euro's too), they're worth looking at.

alared

I always used to use Travelex,ordered online and picked it up at the airport.

Unbelievingly they have now closed this service at Luton and Stansted airports.

As we know these two airports are the main bases of the two main "low costs".

DAK if Travelex still have currency changing at these airports and if it`s just the online pick-up which has been cancelled?

MEMBER02

beansy wrote: »

Excuse my ignorance but why do you think the £ has dropped so much against the Euro?

Its because of the weak £ against the euro,i use caxton fx ,and on friday they were offering 1.2550 where the best on high st was 1.2263,last year about this time the exchange was 1.45 in spain for euros

alared

Do they charge delivery and is there a minimum amount at Caxtonfx?