Where Is The Best Place In Buenos Aires To Exchange Dollars?

Crocodile

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I have been exchanging dollars on Florida street, and getting a price around $11.60/USD, but I am wondering why this is because the blue dollar rate should be around $12.2/USD at the same time according to the Dollar. Blue Twitter. Is it because I don't barter hard enough, or am I too much of an easy target as a foreigner, or simply its just the normal rate drop in Florida? is Florida the best place to exchange? I live in Palermo Norte at the moment, I heard there might be other places nearby..?
 
11.6 / 11.7 was normal last week if you were changing 100 or 200 dollars

Yesterday 11.7/ 11.8 was normal .

Try walking away if you dont like the rate , you are offereed - they will often increase their first offer

To get higher you need to change more cash

If you are going to be here for a long time , its best to build up a relationship with one excahnge house to ensure good rates
 
11.6 / 11.7 was normal last week if you were changing 100 or 200 dollars

Yesterday 11.7/ 11.8 was normal .

Try walking away if you dont like the rate , you are offereed - they will often increase their first offer

To get higher you need to change more cash

If you are going to be here for a long time , its best to build up a relationship with one excahnge house to ensure good rates

Today $12 for $1K or more.
 
Got AR$11.95 after being told "11.8" on Tuesday. Perhaps it's because I've sent business that way.
 
I have been exchanging dollars on Florida street, and getting a price around $11.60/USD, but I am wondering why this is because the blue dollar rate should be around $12.2/USD at the same time according to the Dollar. Blue Twitter. Is it because I don't barter hard enough, or am I too much of an easy target as a foreigner, or simply its just the normal rate drop in Florida? is Florida the best place to exchange? I live in Palermo Norte at the moment, I heard there might be other places nearby..?
The exchange rate changes day by day and there is no official rate.

Check Ambito http://www.ambito.co.../monedas/dolar/ and Dolarblue http://dolarblue.net/

The 'compra' is what you can expect to get when you exchange a few hundred dollars (as glasgowjohn writes you may get a sligthly better offer if you pretend to leave and as Rich One writes you get a better rate if you exchange a larger sum); 'venta' is what you pay when you buy. Sometimes the spread (venta - compra) is greater.
 
Florida is the easiest place to sell dollars and buy pesos. As mentioned, a couple of hundred dollars won't get you a great rate, but $1000 or more should get you their top rate that they offer anyone at least reasonably "in the know". But even at a couple of hundred dollars, you should not get less than the lower buy rate that you can find online.

Never go to Florida without knowing what the Blue rate is. I use DolarBlue.net. I average the buy and sell rates and take .10 to .15 off the rate and have never not been able to get that price when I'm changing at least $1000 (with a "cold contact", i.e., someone I haven't done business with before). Because I've been doing it so long, a lot of the guys know me and won't bother to mess me around too much even with smaller sums. Once you get to know people you should be able to get to within .05 or of the averaged buy/sell price with at least $1000.

The best way to change on Florida is to not accept a rate that you feel is too low (as long as what you're looking for is reasonable, based on looking up the rate just before you go). As mentioned, walk away. Smile at him and tell him you know better and just walk off, not saying another word - don't try to barter until you've walked off - but mean it when you walk off. They will often follow behind you saying "well, how much do you want?" Tell them the rate you've calculated and see how they react. There are guys doing this all up and down Florida and Lavalle - you have plenty of opportunities to find the best rate. If they all are offering more or less the same price (after walking away), then that is the rate and you won't have much of a choice but to accept it.

The guys who are murmuring "Cambio" (they are "touts" for the actual change places in most cases) will take a commission (you probably won't see it, the exchange between them takes place later). They have a set maximum rate that the actual change place they work with will accept and the guys on the street will try to get as many "points" on top of that as they can. The guys on the street are merciless with tourists and people who they think they can get more money out of. Most of the time they will take you to their "headquarters" (which is usually some front shop in one of the "galerias") where the actual changing is done.

Next time you go to change money, go directly to the place where the tout takes you and do business with them directly. Cut out the commission and it's easier for the guy behind the desk to give you a better rate.

There are other places to go, but you can never be sure their rates will always be good. Even if you don't go to Florida for change, know more than one place and make sure they stand on good rates. I've seen a particular place give worse and worse rates until I just can't stand it (non-Florida places - many of these guys are just trying to take advantage of the market, but many on Florida are well established and ahve been there a long time and it's their business). Depending on where you are in the city, another problem with more established change houses (i.e., outside of Florida) is that they will be busy. There's a place near me, a little hole-in-the-wall change place on Posadas, behind the Alvear Palace Hotel, where you have to wait standing in a little room with 20+ people and it takes a good half hour. But they give you a good rate every time with no hassle.

Personally, I prefer to go down to Florida because my time and frustration is a bit more valuable to me than waiting for a half hour or more in a stuffy little room, particularly when we are only talking maybe .05 or so difference. Florida is a decent place to change for the speed and amount you get, as long as you don't accept the absolute crap prices they give to tourists - as much as a whole peso below the "real" rate sometimes and in some places.
 
Please understand the actual rate you receive is influenced by three primary factors: the actual rate at that moment, the amount you are changing (the higher the amount the better the rate) and the denomination and condition of the actual bills. You will get closest to the posted rate with crisp new $100s..., that will be significantly decreased for bills smaller than 100 or in not good condition...finally it always helps as mentioned before to cultivate a relationship with one particular place. I've also pooled money with friends to take advantage of receiving a better exchange....good ouck
 
Please understand the actual rate you receive is influenced by three primary factors: the actual rate at that moment, the amount you are changing (the higher the amount the better the rate) and the denomination and condition of the actual bills. You will get closest to the posted rate with crisp new $100s..., that will be significantly decreased for bills smaller than 100 or in not good condition...finally it always helps as mentioned before to cultivate a relationship with one particular place. I've also pooled money with friends to take advantage of receiving a better exchange....good ouck

Ha,ha pooling for better rate! LaCoqueta-san, I will be there knocking on your door and saying to you, Hi Iam here, let us go do the "cambios".. Very street wise, my hat is off to you! As soon as Iam there, will be looking for you so to learn a lot of beneficial things for my survivor in the city..Ha,ha,haaa !
 
Get the phone numbers of the different places you frequent. I call several before leaving home and get the rate over the phone, let them what type of bills, and then go to the one giving the best rate.
 
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