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Hi all,
I am due to travel out and work in Cape Town for 2-3 months at the start of May. My Santander 123 account is obviously a big no no for spending due to all of their charges.
Any recommendations on what would be the best method of spending? CC and pay it off at the end of the month or go with a pre-paid travel card? Would appreciate any advice
Thanks
Gary
Went out to CT earlier this year - great place and great people and great value. Thomas Cook offered good fares for direct flights. Onto your original request my advise would be use a CC (e.g. Halifax Clarity) for most of your spending there.
However used MSE money exchange tool to get some cash as CC not used everywhere, e.g. local markets and out of CT. However guard your CC jealously and never leave it out of your sight as skimming is a big problem. Enjoy.0 -
Can anyone advise where i could go to complain about a currency exchange company?
I think the Currency exchange office cheated my 19 year old son. He changed $180 us dollars for Euros and got just Euro 110... This is without any charges or fees.
The exchanger changed the money from Dollars to Pounds to Euros with a poor rate each time. They didn't tell him they were doing this. Is this standard practice? They have taken nearly a third of his spending money. There may be nothing we can do but it seems like sharp practice.
Using their own website the Dollars were worth £144..( I know that their website rate is higher, but not that much higher surely)
Something is wrong here isn't it? I rang to check their Dollar to pound rate and they said it 1.6364 which is not what it said on his receipt. I have the receipt.
Any advice very welcome. Thank you.0 -
All sounds normal. Any exchange between two foreign currencies in the UK will be changed to GBP first. Was this at an airport by any chance? If so the rates will always be dire. Changing cash is a mug's game anyway, but if you must then it would have been better to change the USD into EUR in the eurozone.Can anyone advise where i could go to complain about a currency exchange company?
I think the Currency exchange office cheated my 19 year old son.0 -
Can anyone advise where i could go to complain about a currency exchange company?
I think the Currency exchange office cheated my 19 year old son. He changed $180 us dollars for Euros and got just Euro 110... This is without any charges or fees.
The exchanger changed the money from Dollars to Pounds to Euros with a poor rate each time. They didn't tell him they were doing this. Is this standard practice? They have taken nearly a third of his spending money. There may be nothing we can do but it seems like sharp practice.
Using their own website the Dollars were worth £144..( I know that their website rate is higher, but not that much higher surely)
Something is wrong here isn't it? I rang to check their Dollar to pound rate and they said it 1.6364 which is not what it said on his receipt. I have the receipt.
Any advice very welcome. Thank you.
Yes, US$ have to be converted to £s before being converted to Euros.
If he needed to exchange to Euros, he should have waited until he got to Europe (This is the U.K. We have our own currency, Pounds), then it would have been a straight exchange to Euros.0 -
Did he ask what they were doing, what rate? Which currency exchange? Some will give the worst rates if they see that you are naive, eg Thomas Cook. What does the receipt say? Is this a relatively cheap lesson for your son to be more aware and careful in life?The exchanger changed the money from Dollars to Pounds to Euros with a poor rate each time. They didn't tell him they were doing this.Evolution, not revolution0 -
Hello
I’ve used the search on Martin’s website to get best rates for Thai Baht today and discovered two things
1. A lot of the companies being recommended with great rates are not fda authorised and you’re not covered by your bank if something goes wrong
A lot are asking for bank transfer (even the ones fda authorised) and when you try and pay them online the bank gives you a scam warning which was quite concerning for me.
I leave next Thursday and am wondering if I go into post office and get a dreadful rate as it’s safer.
How are the companies the checker recommends checked? Are they all safe to use, even the non- fda authorised ones? - am I’m being overly cautious?
The scam warning was against TravelOnlineGroup, I phoned them and explained I wasn’t going to be able to go ahead unless I could pay using my debit card and they explained they can’t do debit cards unless over £1,500 ..... and I only need £1000 and leave me t Thursday!
Can anyone advise me?0 -
Forget about buying cash THB in UK, the rates will be bad, especially at the Post Office.bevleigh.atkins wrote: »I leave next Thursday and am wondering if I go into post office and get a dreadful rate as it’s safer.
Take some crisp £50 notes, or even 20s, and exchange at the airport on arrival. But not at the bank counters, go downstairs to the rail link terminal where the are several exchange offices giving good rates. The best are usually SuperRich (green) and another, maybe PK, the rates are posted. They are also present in most shipping malls.
Cards are widely accepted at restaurants etc, you have time to open a Starling Bank account on your phone and receive the debit card before Thursday, ideal MasterCard rate and no fees. But Thai banks charge £5 for ATM cash withdrawals so exchanging cash at the right place is best.Evolution, not revolution0 -
Where are you flying to? If Bangkok then exchange your money at the airport in BKK, someone will be along shortly to tell you the best place (Super Rich? Something like that).0
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I just had a look and I cannot find TravelOnlineGroup amongst the top rates. If I select the delivery option, I do get CurrencyOnlineGroup offering 40.879 for £1. This company is FCA authorised so you should be OK there.
Alternatively, for delivery or next day collection (having ordered online first), names I recognise include Tesco offering 39.561 closely followed by Sainsburys and then Post Office at 39.069. All of these are FCA authorised. All of these will take debit cards.
Take your pick. But do order online first - if you just walk into anywhere the rate on offer will be much worse.0 -
I am going to the US in Mid July and am wondering with recent Brexit announcements of a possible no extension if I should buy my dollars now or wait?0
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