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#21
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Beliavsky wrote:
On Nov 26, 11:48 am, Penny Gaines wrote: snip Another option - although not as secure - is for Gran to get some US dollars from eg a travel agent, and just put them through the post. I have occasionally done this and never had any problems. I don't think sending cash through the mail is legal, and sending substantial amounts by mail would also be unwise. It is certainly legal to send cash through the post in Britain, including sending it abroad to countries where it is permitted. The Royal Mail has this advice: http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm/p...diaId=13300215 "Cash should be packaged securely and so that it is not visible through the envelope. Do not indicate on the outside of the packaging that cash is enclosed. Coins should not be sent in envelopes. Our automated sorting machinery may damage envelopes containing coins, which can lead to delay in delivery and increase the likelihood of the contents being lost." I agree that sending large amounts of cash is unwise. -- Penny Gaines UK mum to three |
#22
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Tai wrote:
Penny Gaines wrote: [snip] Another option - although not as secure - is for Gran to get some US dollars from eg a travel agent, and just put them through the post. I have occasionally done this and never had any problems. Yes, although it's probably not legal to send notes through the mail in most countries so a banker's draft or money order would be a better option. They take about the same amount of time to have issued from a bureau de change or bank as buying foreign currency does unless you're at an airport. This obviously depends on where you live, doesn't it? In the UK, you can get foreign currency from many post offices, not just ones near travel hubs. You can also get it from high street travel agents. If you want popular currencies, like US dollars or Euros, you don't need to order it, just take proof of ID and you can pick it up in ten minutes. (A travel agent is a shop/store where you can book holidays/vacations. Most medium towns would have at least one.) The big advantage of currency over money orders is that there are no extra costs, apart from commission, to either the sender or the receiver. If the currency is local to the recipient, they can use it immediately, without going to a bank. The downside is that anyone who steals it on route can also use it immediately and untraceably. But the cost of getting a money transfer order in the UK is quite high compared to the cost of a Christmas present. If Anne's mum wanted to send Anne about £20 as a money order, she would probably spend an extra £20 to get it changed to dollars. That's a fixed cost. If she wanted to send £20 as dollar bills, she would probably spend £2 comission, at the risk of possibly losing £20. Even if every other package went missing, she would be only marginally worse off: even it was 'only' one in three packages going missing Anne's mum would have spent less on sending the money. As an aside, can anyone name a country where it is definately illegal to send paper money? I haven't found an official country's post office sitewhich says it is illegal to send paper money. This includes the US postal service which gives a list of prohibited items he http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/601.htm -- Penny GainesUK mum to three |
#23
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online gift cards
Beliavsky wrote: On Nov 26, 11:48 am, Penny Gaines wrote: snip Another option - although not as secure - is for Gran to get some US dollars from eg a travel agent, and just put them through the post. I have occasionally done this and never had any problems. I don't think sending cash through the mail is legal, and sending substantial amounts by mail would also be unwise. It's legal in the U.S. - I found this in the USPS FAQ: "Money (currency / cash) that is sent through the mail can be insured up to its value, within the stated limits: snip details" I have heard there are limits on how much cash you can send/take out of the country, but I don't know whether that's true. Clisby |
#24
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online gift cards
Penny Gaines wrote:
Tai wrote: Penny Gaines wrote: [snip] Another option - although not as secure - is for Gran to get some US dollars from eg a travel agent, and just put them through the post. I have occasionally done this and never had any problems. Yes, although it's probably not legal to send notes through the mail in most countries so a banker's draft or money order would be a better option. They take about the same amount of time to have issued from a bureau de change or bank as buying foreign currency does unless you're at an airport. This obviously depends on where you live, doesn't it? Yes. However, a town anywhere is more likely to have a bank before it has a travel agent who supplies foreign currency. In the UK, you can get foreign currency from many post offices, not just ones near travel hubs. You can also get it from high street travel agents. If you want popular currencies, like US dollars or Euros, you don't need to order it, just take proof of ID and you can pick it up in ten minutes. Anne's Gran lives in Cyprus, though. Banks may be easier places to buy currency there than at travel agents. (A travel agent is a shop/store where you can book holidays/vacations. Most medium towns would have at least one.) lol (Are they really?) Seriously, only some travel exchanges here in Australia handle foreign currency. The big advantage of currency over money orders is that there are no extra costs, apart from commission, to either the sender or the receiver. If the currency is local to the recipient, they can use it immediately, without going to a bank. The downside is that anyone who steals it on route can also use it immediately and untraceably. But the cost of getting a money transfer order in the UK is quite high compared to the cost of a Christmas present. If Anne's mum wanted to send Anne about £20 as a money order, she would probably spend an extra £20 to get it changed to dollars. That's a fixed cost. If she wanted to send £20 as dollar bills, she would probably spend £2 comission, at the risk of possibly losing £20. Even if every other package went missing, she would be only marginally worse off: even it was 'only' one in three packages going missing Anne's mum would have spent less on sending the money. There are scales of fees here, as well, for the different paper and wire transfer forms. (I wonder what the charges are in Cyprus?) Anyway, as I said originally, I favour the more secure methods of depositing the money into a bank or credit card account. If the fees are prohibitive for the wire then risking mailing cash, perhaps by registered post, becomes more attractive. The amount I wanted to send would figure into the decision for me. By the way, there haven't been more than exchange rate costs when I've deposited money into my credit card account overseas but I may have been lucky with my provider. As an aside, can anyone name a country where it is definately illegal to send paper money? I haven't found an official country's post office sitewhich says it is illegal to send paper money. This includes the US postal service which gives a list of prohibited items he http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/601.htm I'd have to look it up myself but I trust your research so I won't. I'm probably just remembering the situation years ago when I was growing up and currency controls were much stricter where I was living about transferring or carrying actual cash out of the country. |
#25
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Tai wrote:
Penny Gaines wrote: [snip] Anne's Gran lives in Cyprus, though. Banks may be easier places to buy currency there than at travel agents. Yeah, I hadn't realised that when I first posted. (A travel agent is a shop/store where you can book holidays/vacations. Most medium towns would have at least one.) lol (Are they really?) :-) I thought I'd better explain just in case some people didn't know what one was. After all, I don't think all the posters here realise you need a law degree to be a solicitor. Seriously, only some travel exchanges here in Australia handle foreign currency. In one of my local supermarkets, there is a cash machine which dispenses Euros. We are a long way (in UK terms) from an airport and even further from any seaport. [snip] As an aside, can anyone name a country where it is definately illegal to send paper money? I haven't found an official country's post office sitewhich says it is illegal to send paper money. This includes the US postal service which gives a list of prohibited items he http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/601.htm I'd have to look it up myself but I trust your research so I won't. I'm probably just remembering the situation years ago when I was growing up and currency controls were much stricter where I was living about transferring or carrying actual cash out of the country. It wasn't very extensive research! I remember currency controls, but I never knew any of the details. -- Penny Gaines UK mum to three |
#26
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online gift cards
Penny Gaines wrote:
Tai wrote: Penny Gaines wrote: [snip] Anne's Gran lives in Cyprus, though. Banks may be easier places to buy currency there than at travel agents. Yeah, I hadn't realised that when I first posted. (A travel agent is a shop/store where you can book holidays/vacations. Most medium towns would have at least one.) lol (Are they really?) :-) I thought I'd better explain just in case some people didn't know what one was. After all, I don't think all the posters here realise you need a law degree to be a solicitor. LOL .....or a barrister, someone whose services I'd probably prefer not to need. (As opposed to a barrista, where a good one is always lovely to find.) Of course, I wouldn't think of a door-to-door brush salesman first, either, on hearing the word "solicitior". Seriously, only some travel exchanges here in Australia handle foreign currency. In one of my local supermarkets, there is a cash machine which dispenses Euros. We are a long way (in UK terms) from an airport and even further from any seaport. Now, see, from my perspective you're only a couple of breaths away from continental Europe and those Euro dispensing machines are wonderfully practical! |
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