DavieW said:
The guys on Florida/Lavalle are all pretty much the same - they don't change the money right there in the street, they take you to a 'cueva' which will be a desk or cashier in the back of a jewellery or mobile phone accessory store.
The one I used for years before I started to 'import' my salary, is located right at the junction of Florida/Lavalle - it has a small Western Union sign outside and is in the back of a mobile phone accessory shop. (Actually I had to stop using them after they accidentally over-changed me USD1000 and I didn't want to go back there in case they asked for it back!)
I never (knowingly) had a fake bill from them. You do hear occasional stories of fakes turning up, but they're as likely to come from an ATM as anywhere else! Just look at every bill for obvious fakes - if they're so good that they're not obvious you'll still be able to spend them anyhow.
Finally! Another supporter of Florida/Lavalle for making quick easy changes
I've heard all kinds of horror stories as well about these guys, and yet I've been using them off and on for 6 years and never once cheated and never once a counterfeit note that I've ever noticed or anyone else has either. And I did once get a counterfeit machine from a CitiBank ATM!!!
Davie, as you mentioned in your next post, those guys are not going to rip people off - Argentinos as well as foreigners use them and they depend on being honest to keep their business.
I don't want to broadcast my favorite guy to the world, considering the last time I went down there to sell $1000 USD AFIP agents were crawling all over the place. I don't know if it makes much difference, but it could put the AFIP folk on specific lookout for a specific place.
It's nice, once you find a place, to continue to use them. The guy I go to sits outside a certain place all day, every day. When the AFIP folk were about the last time I went, I had a brief discussion with him and he had me meet him a block away a few minutes later, took me to another place that was even more private than usual, and made change there with another group of guys he does business with.
Just for some side interest, he was telling me he makes about $10K pesos a month shilling for the places he brings me to.
Mostly, though, I use a real cueva (the places we're talking about are more arbolitos - smaller offshoots of bigger places). I send my money via wire transfer to a bank outside of Argentina, and go pick up dollars and/or pesos at an excellent rate (though 1-2% charge, depending on the amount of money I've sent). Best way to go for getting money INTO the country, but more difficult because these guys are very paranoid about getting busted by AFIP and they don't do business with just anyone - you need to be referred by a current client.
