Buying a car with dollars

[jeff1234]

Jeff , use the search function on the board to find out what all of those things are

Nikad;

I've noticed that, sadly, some contributors to this column go out of their way to be nasty, provoke arguments and not be helpful.

I was asking LostinBA to explain some terms he/she used.

No one asked you to jump in with stupid advice. Stupid because your advice doesnt work and clearly you haven't tried it yourself. You just preach it to others with the implication that we are too stupid or lazy to have thought of your brilliant idea.

If you had tried it, as I did, you'd find that Cueva is used in 12 posts, none of which explain what it is.

I've asked friends in BsAs, they don't know what it is either.

I've even tried searching with Google. Here's one of the many results that didn't apply to my question:
Cueva is a poorly attested and often misclassified extinct indigenous language of Panama.

Only after these efforts did I feel that it was reasonable to ask for help with a definition.


If some helpful person wants to answer my question, I'll appreciate it.

 

[HenryNisental]

I can suggest another method (and the safest). Call or visit your bank and purchase a draft check for the amount, made out at the dealer´s name. Usually all of them have accounts in the USA or Uruguay, and they also benefit avoing robberies and fake bills.
If they do not accept the check for some reason, make the check payable to you, and then go see Casa Piano, or a similar one, deposit the check until it clears (about a week) and presto! you´ll get the best rate posssible under the circumstances.
I did it many times before, (for smallers amounts, though).
If they send it by mail, use FEDEX,etc.

 

[el_expatriado]

If some helpful person wants to answer my question, I'll appreciate it.

Jeff,

A cueva (the translation is "cave") is a place where you can go and sell your dollars on the black market for better than the official exchange rate. There are hundreds throughout Buenos Aires.

Normal places to find them: travel agencies, jewelry stores... look for the "compramos oro" sign, money transfer places, and stock brokers.

When he was talking about "ambito", he meant the black market dollar rate published in the Ambito Financiero newspaper. You can find that here: http://www.ambito.com/economia/mercados/dolar.asp

Look where it says "dolar informal". They update that page every day with the exchange rate on the black market.

So if you are looking to buy your car with dollars, make sure the people give you that rate. And if not, you can change the dollars yourself at a cueva and get pesos at this rate. Try to get a recommendation from someone on this board to avoid getting cheated.

Best of luck with your car. Make sure you investigate the process of buying a car because there are a lot of people who can cheat you here. Don't assume that everything is going to go smoothly. Please take some time and learn a little first before getting yourself into a transaction with thousands of dollars at stake. Argentines are sharks. I'd hate to see you back on this board with a story about how you got cheated out of $15,000 USD.

Let me know if you need some help, and welcome to Argentina.

 

[el_expatriado]

I can suggest another method (and the safest). Call or visit your bank and purchase a draft check for the amount, made out at the dealer´s name. Usually all of them have accounts in the USA or Uruguay, and they also benefit avoing robberies and fake bills.
If they do not accept the check for some reason, make the check payable to you, and then go see Casa Piano, or a similar one, deposit the check until it clears (about a week) and presto! you´ll get the best rate posssible under the circumstances.
I did it many times before, (for smallers amounts, though).
If they send it by mail, use FEDEX,etc.

This seems like really bad advice. I think they are going to pay you in pesos at Banco Piano at the official rate. Since November 2011 have you actually got dollars by doing this?

 

[HenryNisental]

I think they use dogs on people leaving the country, not those coming in.
At any rate, they can not punish a foreigner coming to this country with foreign currency, that is simply idiocy since the AR peso is not he universal money or bill, and there are international treaties that specify the legal amounts of cash allowed to travel with (see IATA regulations, etc).

 

[Matt84]

Has anyone considered pooling money to buy a taxi or rather remise and license to have potentially profit generating shared time vehicle?

 

[trennod]

Nikad;

I've noticed that, sadly, some contributors to this column go out of their way to be nasty, provoke arguments and not be helpful.

I was asking LostinBA to explain some terms he/she used.

No one asked you to jump in with stupid advice. Stupid because your advice doesnt work and clearly you haven't tried it yourself. You just preach it to others with the implication that we are too stupid or lazy to have thought of your brilliant idea.

If you had tried it, as I did, you'd find that Cueva is used in 12 posts, none of which explain what it is.

I've asked friends in BsAs, they don't know what it is either.

I've even tried searching with Google. Here's one of the many results that didn't apply to my question:
Cueva is a poorly attested and often misclassified extinct indigenous language of Panama.

Only after these efforts did I feel that it was reasonable to ask for help with a definition.


If some helpful person wants to answer my question, I'll appreciate it.

I dont mean to jump in, but in nikads defence I think you may have taken her the wrong way. Perhaps she was simply suggesting try the search function. I wouldnt be so quick to jump down someones throat.
I will add she has provided lots of useful advice as a long term poster to this site, to myself and many others.

 

[Matt84]

why call it cueva? that's unnecessary slang

given the circumstances most "cuevas" are simply currency exchange places or individuals who are forced to go underground (cave) because of a) the government limiting personal liberties or b) this not being a cohesive cooperative familiar society, but a crude new world one

 

[el_expatriado]

Has anyone considered pooling money to buy a taxi or rather remise and license to have potentially profit generating shared time vehicle?

I have quite a few taxis. They are a very good investment. If you want to learn more, PM me and I'd be happy to help.

 

[el_expatriado]

why call it cueva? that's unnecessary slang

That's what the Argentines call it, so that's how we refer to it here. It isn't slang really, but it is Spanish.

I guess it is just easier to say "cueva" instead of "black market foreign exchange operation".