dollars

[TERKILD]

Napoleon:

Went with a friend to today to change pesos to euros for a trip.....They did not want to do the trade at all!(Same with dollars). I brought myself, 5000 pesos to buy dollars, just for the speculation.....but, no luck! (I know and do conversions with these guys for 3 years....so, this is something new to me!).
To repeat someone from another post: To get dollars for 5.10 is a steal! Will be over 6 in the next days, for sure....5.10 is 60 cent over the official rate....so, my guess is the blue rate will follow that trend...be 50-60 cent higher than the friday close.
They are not going to sell any large amount of dollars in the casa de cambio for 5.10, forget it!

 

[French jurist]

A French friend changed dollars at 5.85/1 friday.
Today, I went to the same place and got 5.50/1.... That sucks a bit (I needed the money today anyway)


No way you can change at 5.10, it's a steal.


A "tip": Go to "galerias" in fancy neighboroods and visit those places that sell trips/airplane tickets. That's where to ask... (because people go there to buy airplane tickets and need money to be changed...).

 

[davonz]

A colombian friend just changed US$500 and got 5.95 this afternoon.

So i think your problem is that you want to exchange for 5 pesos to the US$. Maybe offer someone at 6 to the US$ and you may have some luck at exchanging. You also have to remember that the person who buys has the hassle of meeting you instead of going to bank/cambio etc, so they will not do it for nothing.

I would also not trust taking them to the US to change.. Search this site and you will see how some others have tried to change aboard, without any luck, even when they had contacted their bank back home and were told yes they could exchange..

You could always just load up on duty free..

 

[che]

A French friend changed dollars at 5.85/1 friday.
Today, I went to the same place and got 5.50/1.... That sucks a bit

Or not... your 'friend' maybe was bragging and lying like so many big mouths do here and the actual rate is somewhere around 5.5-5.7.

Not one person on this board who brags about their 5.9, 6.0 etc etc has had their blah blah blah confirmed by a third party i.e someone here who would also like to get 5.9 or 6 like me.

For some reason those who brag here about their 5.9 and 6 think people who are in the business of changing money don't want more business so they must keep these spots where only they get the best rates a secret from all others, meanwhile they come here to ostensibly "help" others when in reality really they are either liars, braggarts, or both. Maybe your French friend fits rights in.

As we say like to say in our house, typical "densssoooooos!"

 

[che]

A colombian friend just changed US$500 and got 5.95 this afternoon.

Did you go with your Colombian friend to confirm this? If so, let us know where it is located and the minimum amount we must change.

 

[French jurist]

Summary of all this (Davonz answer included): no matter how long you've been here & how much you want to change = you need to find the right place... And that can be tricky (or a lottery).

At 5.95, I could have -almost- had dinner for two at one of the best restaurants in B.A. for the difference ...

Still, situation sucks big time for lower income workers. It won't stand long that way now (I'm usually optimistic). Sit on your greenback & euros.

 

[TERKILD]

Or not... your 'friend' maybe was bragging and lying like so many big mouths do here and the actual rate is somewhere around 5.5-5.7.

Not one person on this board who brags about their 5.9, 6.0 etc etc has had their blah blah blah confirmed by a third party i.e someone here who would also like to get 5.9 or 6 like me.

For some reason those who brag here about their 5.9 and 6 think people who are in the business of changing money don't want more business so they must keep these spots where only they get the best rates a secret from all others, meanwhile they come here to ostensibly "help" others when in reality really they are either liars, braggarts, or both. Maybe your French friend fits rights in.

As we say like to say in our house, typical "densssoooooos!"

Got 6,50 for the small cash I had, but they didnt wanna change more than 20.000 USD for me last friday.....so, the rate is only valid for those small numbers....

 

[davonz]

Did you go with your Colombian friend to confirm this? If so, let us know where it is located and the minimum amount we must change.

No i didnt go with him today, but earlier this year (mid march i think) i went with him and he got 5 to US$, this was when everyone else was lucky to get 4.50, so i am sure he isnt bragging.

His family sends him the money from colombia in US$ via this company. He has been doing it at the same place for 3 years now, and from what i understand they only change for existing customers - as they wouldnt change for me, but i have given him money when i wanted money changed.

 

[ElQueso]

What's interesting is that today is the first day after the government announced that they made a deal with the casas de cambios to keep the black market rate at 5.1. I went to a couple of places that were giving 5.75 last week and wouldn't go above 5.45 today because of this issue. One wanted 5.35. I did some shopping around and couldn't get above 5.30 elsewhere. When I went back to the place that was offering to buy my $$ for 5.45, they didn't have enough pesos left to cover what I wanted to change.

I ended up at a place on Florida getting 5.30 only because of that - I'm sure if I'd waited I could have gotten a better price in the next couple days, but I have to pay my rent no later than tomorrow and had no choice.

I find it odd seeing reports, outside of brokerage account trading, that someone is getting over 5.50, considering the news.

I was told at the place that was offering 5.45 (but had no more pesos) to come back in a few days or a week and they expected the price to come back up to where it was last week, but not now.

 

[French jurist]

Another tip (only valid for people who speak more or less castellano): if you need to change USDs as from now on, you need to check daily the exchange rates with the unofficial & unregulated cuevas since they can fluctuate 3 to 5% daily (as of now/up and down).

Tricky stuff, even if you live here since a few years.