Euro (€) Currency Thread

indierocker85

Well I bought most of mine on my fair fx card at 1.25, its now gone b ack down to 1.2450 which is still great

cookinmummy

Hiya - a newbie to this thread!

I'm not really that tuned into exchange rates etc so have been reading Martin's pages on travel money as we are holidaying in Europe in November. We currently have a joint account with one bank, but I do have my own current account with Nationwide for my self-employed money to go in. Its not a flash account just a Nationwide Visa Debit card - is this the card that everyone says you should get for holidays? Or is it another Nationwide card that people are talking about?

Also, if I have the 'right' card does that mean I do not need any cash (Euros) at all to take with me? Or should I still take some cash too? And, did travellers cheques die?

I'm sure these are very basic questions - so apologies!:o

benjus

cookinmummy wrote: »

Hiya - a newbie to this thread!

I'm not really that tuned into exchange rates etc so have been reading Martin's pages on travel money as we are holidaying in Europe in November. We currently have a joint account with one bank, but I do have my own current account with Nationwide for my self-employed money to go in. Its not a flash account just a Nationwide Visa Debit card - is this the card that everyone says you should get for holidays? Or is it another Nationwide card that people are talking about?

Sounds like you have the right card... is it a blue card with "FlexAccount" printed on it? That's the only Nationwide Visa Debit card that I know of, anyway.

cookinmummy wrote: »

Also, if I have the 'right' card does that mean I do not need any cash (Euros) at all to take with me? Or should I still take some cash too?

Assuming you can get to an ATM before you need cash, no you don't need to take any cash with you. ATMs are usually available in airports, but if you're concerned you could take enough Euros to cover transport from the airport.

cookinmummy wrote: »

And, did travellers cheques die?

No, some people still use them, mainly for the security they give you. However, that security comes at a price and they are an expensive way to take money abroad compared with a Nationwide card. Personally I've never used them in my life.

cookinmummy

benjus wrote: »

No, some people still use them, mainly for the security they give you. However, that security comes at a price and they are an expensive way to take money abroad compared with a Nationwide card. Personally I've never used them in my life.

Thanks for getting back to me - I will just get a few Euros then (as need to pay cash for car seats for hire car at airport) and stick the money in the Nationwide then. In the past I have used travellers cheques, its a stroke of luck that I had an account with Nationwide anyway then!:D

indierocker85

Hi, I am taking the biggest chunk of my euros to Alcudia with me on the FairFX card as I got the rate of 1.25.

Now I am wanting to change about £100ish here before I go to see us through the first 2 days until we know where a master card ATM is etc.

Now what I am wanting advice on is, the local Thomson travel agent has had a star in the window saying Special Deal. We guarantee to beat ANY genuine rate on foreign currency. Now I have been in and queriered their rate with them for £100ish and they said it would only be 1.17 and I said OK. They quickly snapped back, "Have you found it cheaper"? I said Yes, its cheaper up at Co-operative travle and Barclays (both at 1.196). I then said well I want to query your deal in the window, as it says you'll beat ANY genuine rate. They then said "Yes thats right we will." to which I told her we had found it for 1.24 which was Thomas Exchange globals rate as per the Travel Money maximiser.She then said "well I don't think we could match that or beat that". I said well your not honouring your deal then, she then paused as if to think and said well we do but its high street that it means you see. I then said No, that reads that you stress that you'll beat any rate, there is no small print under the star in the window sayings T&C apply etc either.. She then said yes but you don't really know if you can trust the online one. "I'd be weary buying them online, and we can't match anything from a company we don't know much about"

So I am wanting to know if there are similar rates at any other online companies which I could print and take along from any companies that would be well known to Thomson which they would and COULD beat or match. I don't mind getting them at 1.19 from my bank but would like a few extra if its possible.

The thomas exchange global one had a date and time underneath the rates, The post office online rate would presumably be one they couldn't argue, yet there is no date or time to prove it.

Also, if they are advertising that they will beat any genuine rate. The stress being on the word ANY in the star as it is underlined and red. If they won't actually match or beat the deal I present to them, are they in effect false advertising? And if so could I use that to my advantage?

Please advise.

Many thanks

BernadetteN

We live in Belgium but salaries are paid in UK sterling so I am frequently watching the Euro-Pound rate. I use www.xe.com and speculate about when to change our salaries into Euros and use ATMS to withdraw from Nationwide and re-deposit the Euros from Nationwide back into the ATM and into our Euro account. If you look at the currency charts and xe.com, you'll see the Pound has been gaining back on the Euro for around 2 weeks and I took a risk last week and changed a sizeable amount and got 1.269. If you have access on holiday to the internet, I'd watch the tables and try to predict when to change your money. It's certainly better than shopping around in advance and getting really poor rates at bureaux de change in the UK.

dzug1

indierocker85 wrote: »

Hi, I am taking the biggest chunk of my euros to Alcudia with me on the FairFX card as I got the rate of 1.25.

Now I am wanting to change about £100ish here before I go to see us through the first 2 days until we know where a master card ATM is etc.

Now what I am wanting advice on is, the local Thomson travel agent has had a star in the window saying Special Deal. We guarantee to beat ANY genuine rate on foreign currency. Now I have been in and queriered their rate with them for £100ish and they said it would only be 1.17 and I said OK. They quickly snapped back, "Have you found it cheaper"? I said Yes, its cheaper up at Co-operative travle and Barclays (both at 1.196). I then said well I want to query your deal in the window, as it says you'll beat ANY genuine rate. They then said "Yes thats right we will." to which I told her we had found it for 1.24 which was Thomas Exchange globals rate as per the Travel Money maximiser.She then said "well I don't think we could match that or beat that". I said well your not honouring your deal then, she then paused as if to think and said well we do but its high street that it means you see. I then said No, that reads that you stress that you'll beat any rate, there is no small print under the star in the window sayings T&C apply etc either.. She then said yes but you don't really know if you can trust the online one. "I'd be weary buying them online, and we can't match anything from a company we don't know much about"

So I am wanting to know if there are similar rates at any other online companies which I could print and take along from any companies that would be well known to Thomson which they would and COULD beat or match. I don't mind getting them at 1.19 from my bank but would like a few extra if its possible.

The thomas exchange global one had a date and time underneath the rates, The post office online rate would presumably be one they couldn't argue, yet there is no date or time to prove it.

Also, if they are advertising that they will beat any genuine rate. The stress being on the word ANY in the star as it is underlined and red. If they won't actually match or beat the deal I present to them, are they in effect false advertising? And if so could I use that to my advantage?

Please advise.

Many thanks

It's sloppy advertising rather than outright false. I don't think you will get anywhere with it but go ahead and ask to see the manager, politely. (If you have a row they'll just ask you to leave). Is it worth it for €6? Especially as you haven't used TG's 'genuine' rate, which is diluted by the delivery charge and maybe debit card charges.

indierocker85

dzug1 wrote: »

It's sloppy advertising rather than outright false. I don't think you will get anywhere with it but go ahead and ask to see the manager, politely. (If you have a row they'll just ask you to leave). Is it worth it for €6? Especially as you haven't used TG's 'genuine' rate, which is diluted by the delivery charge and maybe debit card charges.

I gave them a screen dump of the Travelex rate as Travelex were the most well known to them. They said no its high street only, I then asked to see the terms and they said didn't have any, then asked manager for the terms and manager said didn't have any. Rang trading standards who said to call head office for terms. Head office called branch manager and then I got a callback saying as a "gesture of goodwill" they would change any amount up to £600 at 1.25 as long as I got to the store by close of business. So I changed £350 as opposed to the £100-£200 I originally planned to change

dzug1

indierocker85 wrote: »

I gave them a screen dump of the Travelex rate as Travelex were the most well known to them. They said no its high street only, I then asked to see the terms and they said didn't have any, then asked manager for the terms and manager said didn't have any. Rang trading standards who said to call head office for terms. Head office called branch manager and then I got a callback saying as a "gesture of goodwill" they would change any amount up to £600 at 1.25 as long as I got to the store by close of business. So I changed £350 as opposed to the £100-£200 I originally planned to change

Well it was worth it then:T

Betcha they'll pretty soon get some T&C though.

katycymru

Does anyone know where I can get Euro coins from in UK? We go away on Sunday and need to pay 44Euro on arrival for the transfer, don't really want to have to buy something at the airport to get change and also would rather have exact money to pay the driver.

I have this vague image of Travelex at the airport doing coins, but I may be imagining it!