Comments on: No exchange

By: Ferdinand von Prondzynski

Ferdinand von Prondzynski — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:37:21 +0000

That’s what I thought. But UK banks seem to be much less willing to do informal foreign exchange business. I’ve also just tried to get a US-dollar denominated bank draft, and this has proved every bit as complex. I started trying to get one on Thursday, and I’ve still not succeeded. No problem in any high street branch in Ireland.

By: OMF

OMF — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 14:33:09 +0000

That’s pretty bizzare. You can go to obscure bank branches in South Tipperary and still expect to be able to change money into Sterling and Dollars at least.

By: Vince

Vince — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 06:44:10 +0000

There you go then, Independence already in the only way that seems to matter these days.

By: Vince

Vince — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 06:41:32 +0000

I find my Laser does the deed in the hole in the wall.

By: Mark Dowling (@mark_dowling)

Mark Dowling (@mark_dowling) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 19:43:23 +0000

per eoinmadden, one can’t expect UK to join a single currency when they don’t have one within their own flipping borders. “What’s that mate? It says Ireland on it” (sigh…)

By: andyboal

andyboal — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:31:10 +0000

The Post Office is excellent for this. In Belfast they always have euros and dollars in stock, but for large amounts and other currencies you might have to come back the next day to collect them.

They’re especially good if your bank has an arrangement to let you draw cash in foreign currencies from your current account at the Post Office eg the former Alliance & Leicester side of Santander.

By: Anna Notaro

Anna Notaro — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:04:02 +0000

I don’t think I agree with the premise of this post, the recent Euro crisis does not necessarily prove it was best for the UK not to join ‘in the long run’, having said that the best way to change pounds into euros for UK residents is by using the post office online services http://www.postoffice.co.uk/travel/travel-money It is rather efficient and convenient. I would never step into a bank for this, unless I had some masochistic tendencies, that is

By: Kenji Lamb

Kenji Lamb — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:20:10 +0000

I live in a reasonably-sized town north of Glasgow, with a fair selection of banks in the town centre (not as large as Aberdeen!). I recently visited five, looking for the best exchange rate for GBP > Euros, and it all seemed to go smoothly. They simply entered the requested figure into their keyboard and gave me a quote.

I wonder how common an experience that is…

By: universitydiary

universitydiary — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:12:35 +0000

Actually, I hadn’t thought of that, and you’re right. Though that particular Post Office (at Smiths) tends to have awesome queues…

By: Delarivier

Delarivier — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:11:49 +0000

A friend of mine based in London needed a bank draft for US$100. He went into a London bank branch (which shall remain nameless, but it’s one of the big UK banks). He was told that there would be an extra charge of £17, and (staggeringly) that they couldn’t just give it to him there and then but would have to deliver it to his house (some obscure money laundering regulation) so he would have to take an entire afternoon off work to wait for it to be delivered.
My friend’s response was somewhat unparliamentary, and needless to say, he told the bank that this was not an option.

So I went into my local AIB branch in Dublin on his behalf to buy the $100 draft. The transaction took me 90 seconds and cost €4.50.
Says it all, doesn’t it?