HIDDY

We shall be flying into EDI from MAD then transferring on to Glasgow by coach. We have enough pounds cash to keep us going the first day or two so won't be in any rush to change some dollars.
Last time in the UK we changed US$2000 using Tesco in Inverness. What a palaver that was. The girl had to call for backup because of 'security' reasons. All in all the process took the three of them over half an hour as they treated every 100 dollar bill as if it were a fake....we were not impressed, neither were the people waiting behind us in the queue.
So this time we shall use somewhere more conventional - probably in Glasgow to change our money. I have it in my mind that the Post Office offer good rates and service. Good idea or are the usual currency exchange outlets all about the same?

nissan720

Have you looked into just using a ATM/Debit card to access your cash? There are several that will refund all of your fees when you withdraw money.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...tm-fees-6.html

^ is a good place to start looking.

Also this way you can carry the card and not worry about carrying large sums of cash around with you.

I personally carry the Schwab card and a small amount of cash in the off chance that a ATM can not be found or is broken.

HIDDY

Thanks...I should have said using cards is a last resort for us as all foreign transactions attract a 35% tax on Argentine issued cards.

mad_rich

Moneysavingexpert usually comes up with the best answer for this sort of thing:

http://travelmoney.moneysavingexpert...s/2000#results

As you can see, London has a competitive market for buying foreign currency, and you'd get 1.576. The only place I can see for Glasgow would be Nat West at 1.706.

http://www.natwest.com/tools/persona...es/default.asp

HIDDY

Thanks for the link....that's quite a difference. We usually connect in London as well but not this time.

:D!

Give this guy a ring: http://www.xchange-master.co.uk/

Dunno if he will change $2000 as he normally does smaller amounts.

ft101

Try the second hand/pawn/cheque cashing places that have sprung up all over the place. They offer good deals on buying foreign currency so may be competitive for selling it as well. I'm unsure if they'll appear on the comparison sites.

HIDDY

After a bit of searching around it would seem the Post Office offer a decent buy rate of 1.69.
I won't be wasting too much time on it in order to save a few quid. I just want to go where they won't be suspicious when I pull out a large wad of dollars.

UKtravelbear

The headline rate might be attractive but what of the fees?

Hiddy - stick to the post office or a proper bank. And remember to take your passport with you just in case they want ID for exchanging such a large amount.

rcspeirs

"I just want to go where they won't be suspicious when I pull out a large wad of dollars."
Forlorn hope I fear. All financial institutions in the UK are in a regulatory regime that requires them to be ultra suspicious of large cash transactions, doubly so if they don't have an existing client relationship with you.
Whether these measures seriously help to disrupt organised crime would be an interesting debate - but fruitless because those are the rules.

Scots_Al

When I was a student some years ago, I worked at the Thomas Cook bureau de change on Gordon Street (just along from Central Station). Rates here were Thomas Cook's most competitive in the city (far better than St Enoch and Sauchiehall St), because of the number of rivals on the street.

There will also be some movement on rates and commission - staff all have sales targets to hit, and a $2k deal, while not massive, will be one worth making an effort for.

Scots_Al

$2k won't raise an eyebrow in places used to dealing with forex transactions (I.e. Not Tesco Inverness), unless there are other suspicious factors.

ft101

I look at the "all in" costs in these types of transactions and these places have in the past provided me with the best deal.

Banks and the PO will rarely provide the best deal. Use the MSE link from above and the top results will be from the private exchanges. Not much good for the OP however, as they are mainly in London. The equivalent outside London may well be the cheque cashing pawn shops.