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  #21  
Old November 27th 07, 11:37 AM posted to misc.kids
Penny Gaines[_2_]
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Posts: 124
Default 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 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  
Old November 27th 07, 12:00 PM posted to misc.kids
Penny Gaines[_2_]
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Posts: 124
Default online gift cards

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  
Old November 27th 07, 01:35 PM posted to misc.kids
Clisby
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Posts: 249
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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'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  
Old November 27th 07, 09:43 PM posted to misc.kids
Tai[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 68
Default 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  
Old November 27th 07, 11:33 PM posted to misc.kids
Penny Gaines[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 124
Default online gift cards

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  
Old November 29th 07, 09:23 AM posted to misc.kids
Tai[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 68
Default 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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