Banelco now charging 11 pesos - Any experience with HSBC?

[jp]

citygirl - i'm pretty sure its illegal for landlords to ask to be paid in dollars. Someone else is probably better qualified to comment, but might be worth kicking up a bit of a fuss.

 

[BAJoe]

citygirl - i'm pretty sure its illegal for landlords to ask to be paid in dollars. Someone else is probably better qualified to comment, but might be worth kicking up a bit of a fuss.

CITYGIRL: It depends on what you signed on the contract. If it says the rent is in US dollars, you are pretty much stuck with that. If it says pesos than you are NOT OBLIGED to pay in USD!!


Another option for bringing foreign currency in, is by cheque. There are "casas de cambio" downtown that take cheques drawn from US and other international banks, and give you the cash amount, minus a fixed 40 to 60 peso fee per cheque. If you do this only once every few months and then deposit the cash in your local account, (or under your mattress) then it may prove less costly.


Yet another possibility: If anyone can figure out how to do this, I know an expat who has a fixed dollar income here in the city, and was looking for a way to trade USD in cash HERE, in exchange for USD abroad transferred to his US account.

That way there would be NO COST for either party.

 

[ghost]

Can anyone confirm that $1000 pesos is the new limit per transaction. These rules seem to change like whims.

 

[buenosairesmike]

You don't need to go to a bank to change pesos into dollars. Plenty of reliable cambistas around the city and not just downtown.

 

[soulskier]

Remember, Charles Schwab refunds all bank fees! I got 3.82 the other day out of the ATM!

 

[nikad]

Remember, Charles Schwab refunds all bank fees! I got 3.82 the other day out of the ATM!

What do you mean? the exchange rate? As far as I understand the 11 peso fee is charged by local Banelco and Link, not your US bank (?)

 

[ghost]

Remember, Charles Schwab refunds all bank fees! I got 3.82 the other day out of the ATM!

Schwab is the way to go. What was you transaction limit????? 300,600 or 1000

 

[soulskier]

What do you mean? the exchange rate? As far as I understand the 11 peso fee is charged by local Banelco and Link, not your US bank (?)

I mean when the ATM fee was reversed the following day, my 600 peso (to answer Ghost's question) withdrawal translated to US$157.07, which is 3.82 pesos to the dollar.

 

[John.St]

... That most large US banks charge 2-3% on FX is outrageous but what are you going do to?

Why is this outrageous?

 

[John.St]

You don't need to go to a bank to change pesos into dollars. Plenty of reliable cambistas around the city and not just downtown.

Ah, but look out for the exchange rate.

When the rate at the casas de cambio around here is e.g. 1 U$S = 3.80 AR$ Banco de Cuyo have a 3.85 rate, always about 5 centavos more per dollar, Euro too. When I change 2,000 (which is what I normally do) they charge me a AR$ 15 exchange fee and pay 85 more than a casa de cambio.