Dollar/Rent Frustrations!!! ARGH!

[YanquiGallego]

So, about 10 days before my next rent payment is due my landlady tells me that effective immediately since she sees I get a very lucrative exchange rate on Xoom, she now wants me to just send the full dollar amount, regardless of the fact that the exchange rate she's been offering me to pay in pesos is way lower than the advantageous rate that Xoom allows. I'd basically be paying 13.000 pesos a month for a loft that is probably not even worth half that.

I told her that this good exchange rate is the case ONLY with Xoom and if I were to pay via Western Union or use my debit/credit card to withdraw the money, I would only get 4,4, but she now wants all peso payments to be made at Xoom peso exchange rates regardless.

Arghhhhh, why are people so pincha pelotas here? I am obviously not going to accept paying rent at almost 6,20 when its such a renters market (IMO) at this time.

I have honestly never lived in a place where people have been so rapacious,
cash hungry, and prone to taking advantage of others, and mind you I have lived in Chicago, NYC, and DC, as well as in Europe.

 

[nikad]

It is a renter´s market. How come she is aware of Xoom? What if you didn´t trust Xoom and sold your dollars somewhere else? She cannot force you to use Xoom!!! I would start looking for a new place...

 

[YanquiGallego]

I used Xoom before to pay her, and she saw the favourable exchange rate and is trying to cash in on it apparently

 

[Crema Americana]

Ouch. How did she find out about your Xoom rate? I would probably try to convince her that I can no longer get the Xoom rate and that I can only afford the previously agreed upon peso price... or that my dollar supply ran out.

Hopefully you can work it out without having to find another apartment in a hurry. It's rather unfortunate that a good amount of people here are so shamelessly greedy. Tienen mas cara que espalda, as they say.

EDIT: You have to be really careful revealing anything about your financial status here, whether it's your exchange rate or anything else. They already think you're filthy rich just for being from Europa or Norte America!

 

[el_expatriado]

I used Xoom before to pay her, and she saw the favourable exchange rate and is trying to cash in on it apparently

Oops, that was a big mistake. I am cashing in on the $6.40 rate doing blue chip swaps, but I won't tell someone I owe money in dollars about that. I'd rather cry and moan and say they should let me pay at $4.50.

Your landlord/creditors are not your friends.

 

[sinagua980]

Your situation/agreement may different, but I know for us, we've agreed to pay in dollars.

When we can't pay in dollars for a certain month we've paid the exchange rate we were getting from our bank, so no one is making or losing money in the exchange. I have thought about offering to pay only in pesos if I can get her more pesos for the dollar so I don't have to pull out three months of rent everytime I go to Colonia. From my perspective, I'm paying in dollars no matter what, so I'm not really concerned if she gets a good exchange rate or not.

Why not just give her more pesos if your agreement is in dollars? You're not losing dollars. I don't think she sounds greedy at all. She's just saying pay in dollars, but if you can't, don't make money off me being nice to allow you to pay in pesos.

Forgive me, if your situation is different.

 

[el_expatriado]

Your situation/agreement may different, but I know for us, we've agreed to pay in dollars.

When we can't pay in dollars for a certain month we've paid the exchange rate we were getting from our bank, so no one is making or losing money in the exchange. I have thought about offering to pay only in pesos if I can get her more pesos for the dollar so I don't have to pull out three months of rent everytime I go to Colonia. From my perspective, I'm paying in dollars no matter what, so I'm not really concerned if she gets a good exchange rate or not.

Why not just give her more pesos if your agreement is in dollars? You're not losing dollars. I don't think she sounds greedy at all. She's just saying pay in dollars, but if you can't, don't make money off me being nice to allow you to pay in pesos.

Forgive me, if your situation different.

There is a 30% difference now between what the dollar is worth officially and what it is worth on the street (if you have the dollar bill in hand). Anyone who is paying in dollars got a 30% increase in their rent. That's why this is a big deal. No one should be paying that much rent when there are plenty of places out there to rent in pesos.

 

[Steph170]

the dollar/ pesos thing is driving me crazy. Also the abusive emails I am getting from both landlords and agent websites when I enquire how much a property advertised in dollars is in pesos, after I have told them I can't afford 800 USD to be 6 times that in pesos....the general response 'get your head of the clouds' and ' stop wasting our time' seem not only unprofessional but also unecessary when my response is everything professional ' ok thanks, sorry but I am looking for something cheaper'. When did general courtesy go out the window.

 

[Iznogud]

You should pay either with greenbacks or official rate, depending on what has been agreed and signed in your lease. If shes not pleased, let her go bang her pots at Casa Rosada.

Exchange rate in this deal is no more her concern than how do you earn your coin.

 

[Argento]

Also here.
So in general, if an apartment is being offered at a dollar amount, but they might accept pesos (most likely near the 6 rate), is it better to take pesos you get from the atm, bank, etc. and get dollars at an exchange house to pay or just pay in pesos?
Possibly you have more control over the exchange rates you get if you change pesos into dollars each time versus the unknown requested exchange rate by the landlord if they would be taking peso, which surely would be fluctuating. One set amount in dollars might seem more simple, if even involving an extra step of going to an exchange house (better rates, and atms are not giving out dollars, besides, lower rate).
General consensus?