Currency exchange in the UK

[David Morton]

Any one returning from Europe to the UK, change any €500 notes into smaller amounts before you get back here. The €500 has a different (much worse) exchange rate - especially at Thomas Cook.
They are all bastard Shylocks.

 

[Bill Musarra]

David,
You may want to hang on to those notes for a while. After Obama and company get through, inflation will kill the $ :shocked:

Bill

 

[John W]

david,

how can they charge a different rate for different notes ?
surely an exchange rate is an exchange rate, regardless of the size of note...

I usually try to never take anything bigger than 50s, as even they get checked at some of the more out of the way places (Spain especially).

Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[David Morton]

John,
Thos Cook will only accept a max note of €100. Anything bigger they claim to 'send away' to be exchanged and at the worse rate. Why? It beats me but I've also noticed that quite a few 'tankstelles' (petrol stations) in Germany and some in other countries as well now will not accept the €500 and they have a stuck on note on their doors and cash registers to that effect. I changed all my 500's to 100's last Sunday.
Bill, I can't wait to get rid of surplus Euros. It's going to crash quite soon but thanks for the advice.

Dave

 

[Bram Boekestein]

That they don't accept €500 is a custom in europe. Before the euro they didn't accept bils from 1000 gulden €500 = 1200 gulden.

 

[David Morton]

Bram,
Why don't they stop circulating them then ?
A bit stupid really......
Dave

 

[Bram Boekestein]

If you want to buy something expensive, but if the shop only sell products under 100 euro why should you take such a big risk with 500 notes and you need a lot of change money.

 

[John W]

Thanks Dave, I didn't know that about Thos Cook and the limit of 100 yoyo notes.

We have been sat in a restaurant in France before now, and the waiter has gone across to the bank to change the note to smaller currency for us before we could pay for the food. Nice man

We usually pay by plastic for most things now as the exchange rate is just as good, and Nationwide don't charge commission. Even petrol stations are finally taking english cards.

 

[Max Walter]

Even petrol stations are finally taking english cards.

Indeed, Le Mans Classic 2006, travelling down on my own (with car playing up badly), unattended petrol pumps would not accept any of my cards - had to convince a French woman who only spoke a little English (& I only speak a little pigeon-French) to accept my Euro notes and pay on her card.

Le Mans Classic 2008 - all my cards and my Brother's accepted at all places we tried.

Max

 

[David Morton]

Looks as though Sterling is staging a short comeback - it may push the 1.45 mark on the USD tomorrow. How long will it last? Until the next bank collapses I guess.

 

[domtoni]

Dave,

I heard that the dollar is strong due to speculation, and the real value is $1.70 / 1£. Your guess is as good as anyone's when the speculators decide to move elsewhere.

Not sure about the euro / £.

Dom

 

[Bram Boekestein]

€1.06 / 1£

 

[Ian Anderson]

We say 1.46 this morning!

Ian

 

[Malcolm]

When a government starts quantative easing ie printing money it devalues their currency. The pound dropped when we did it recently. US fed began buying long term debt back yesterday (printing money effectively) so dollar drops. When the UK government do more quantative easing our pound will drop again. Hey ho