Shopping in New York

trets77

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/article2791965.ece

customs admit they cannot be bothered with people exceeding th £145 limit :beer:

StaffsSW

Me & the missus have won a pair of return tickets to NY to be taken before end of March 2008. We won't be able to make it much before Mid march, but does anyone know if there are any major events towards the end of March that we would best be either avoiding or aiming for?

emay

trets77 wrote: »

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/travel/article2791965.ece

customs admit they cannot be bothered with people exceeding th £145 limit :beer:

We landed lunch time last Monday at heathrow and there were no customs people in sight!!!!!

Someone told me years ago, that I bought more than my allowance, it didn't count on the clothes if I wore them before I came back, how true is this, or was I just been wound up? (not that I'm trying to get out of paying duty...I have done in the past, and would do again if stopped)

LionKing

Hi,

My 5 year anniversary is approaching so getting the girlfriend a Gucci watch. I have a friend going to New York next week so was going to get him to buy one for me.

I may be going to Dubai in a few weeks....will designer watches likely to be cheaper in New York (with current exchange rate) or Dubai?

Also...can anyone recommend a good discount designer watch place (eg not high street store...saks 5th avenue) in central new york.

Thanks :-)

lisa21

I have just booked up to go to New York for 3 nights this Sunday - flying from Newcastle, changing in London with BA and staying at the Park Central Hotel for £480pp through Expedia. I thought this was a fab deal for this time of year, especially as most travel agents were telling me I'd be paying £1000+pp....anyway I now need some tips as to the best places to go for bargain shopping!! I have been to NY before but I know the touristy areas such as Times Square can still be quite pricey so wondered if anyone can give me any tips on other places I should visit? Thanks in advance!! xx

RDA

I would head for the Woodbury Common outlet mall which is about an hour from NYC and boasts 220 premium stores.

Take a bus up there for $30 and you'll shop until you drop.

I was there last week but didn't have too much time so I didn't visit many stores. The main brands are represented and the prices look attractive enough.

I think that the weak dollar has affected the cost of imports and has pushed prices up everywhere in the US. Certainly at the stores I visited I felt the prices were not as attractive as in earlier times.

Rockport shoes were offering a multiple buy deal of a second pair at 50% off or a third pair free and any other offers could be combined. I bought three really good pairs with a shelf price $300 for $80 which hit my credit card at £38.09 !

If you want to venture further afield, there are several excellent malls in Pennsylvania such as Franklin Mills and Mall of Prussia where there is no sales tax on clothes which will save you quite a bit more.

TimothyEBaldwin

Nationwide charge the inter-bank rate for card transactions, this is a better rate than you can get foreign cash at.

dexter-boy

I apologise if this has been covered before but I couldn't find any answers on a search. I am going to New York in March and have two options money-wise.

I can either buy my dollars now at the good exchange rate or use plastic while I'm out there. I have a Nationwide Credit Card and a Flexaccount so I know I've got good cards to use abroad in terms of (non-existent) charges but what confuses me is the exchange rates.

Presumably when I've spent in US$ the amount that will show on my statement when I get back home will be in £s? Is this exchange rate a decent one compared to the exchange rate a currency converter such as the Post Office (for example) would give? Would I be sacrificing a good exchnage rate for the privelige of not having to take cash and the being able to use my cards?

Sorry to waffle on but this has been baffling me for ages. Hope you can help?

D

sallysaver

Hi,
You've got the best card for buying currency abroad. Always use the Debit Card (Flex Account) when getting your dollars. Plenty of ATM's everywhere. Your withdrawels will show as pounds on your Bank Statement and underneath it will tell you what rate you were given on the withdrawel day. You will get the Bank rate on the day (always slightly more) - NOT the tourist rate and will not be charged for the transaction. If you are travelling independantly, it would be wise to have some dollars in your pocket to pay for whatever transport you take from the airport into the City. Hope this has answered your query. Sally

M4RKM

the only thing i want to add to the whole currency thing is..

the exchange rate at the moment is $2 = £1, so you can get cash, and you know you have a good rate..

come march, the rate might only be $1.90 = £1, so even with the extra couple of ¢ that the nationwide card will give you, it'll be $1.94 say, you still won't have had the best deal around..

however, it is a gamble as to what to do..

i'll be in NYC in march too, and mulling over what to do over the next couple of weeks..

M