Travellers cheques or cash?

bcmike

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Given the ever changing devaluation of the peso, are cambios still readily accepting travellers cheques, as opposed to cash, or does it not make a difference right now? I don't want to spend hours in a banco trying to cash my cheques if that is not the case.
 
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Rocky

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Checques or cash

bcmike said:
Given the ever changing devaluation of the peso, are cambios still readily accepting travellers cheques, as opposed to cash, or does it not make a difference right now? I don't want to spend hours in a banco trying to cash my cheques if that is not the case.
I have never had any difficulty changing traveler's checques in the change banks, so if safety is a concern, that's what you should travel with, in US funds, of course.
 

enh

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I have found that they give you less For US$ travelers checks than for cash and, as previously mentioned, that some casa de cambios won t change them.
 

HDCarl

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A very timely thread for me. I will be traveling to Samana in June and was wondering how best to handle my funds. I had thought to use my credit/debit cards, but with the horror stories over in "legal" I have some reservations about that. What is my best course? cards, cash, travelers cheques or some of each? I'm a little bit spooky about carrying all the money for my vactaion as cash.

Thanx

HDCarl
 

Rocky

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Traveler's Checques are the best

HDCarl said:
A very timely thread for me. I will be traveling to Samana in June and was wondering how best to handle my funds. I had thought to use my credit/debit cards, but with the horror stories over in "legal" I have some reservations about that. What is my best course? cards, cash, travelers cheques or some of each? I'm a little bit spooky about carrying all the money for my vactaion as cash.

Thanx

HDCarl
If you bring US traveler's checques, they are insured against theft and the US funds get you the best exchange rate, here in the DR. It's always good to have a bit of cash on you for when you first arrive and find out where to cash your checques. Then you can cash in just enough to last you 2 or 3 days at a time, so if you do lose your money, it's not enough to ruin your holiday.
 

stan chapman

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I've never had a problem cashing traveller's cheques in Las Galeras, Samana, Santiago, Santo Domingo. Stan.
 

ginger ale

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bcmike said:
Given the ever changing devaluation of the peso, are cambios still readily accepting travellers cheques, as opposed to cash, or does it not make a difference right now? I don't want to spend hours in a banco trying to cash my cheques if that is not the case.

Hi, I have friends who came down in Jan, Feb and March, all of them had brought travellers cheques and all of them had a hard time changing them (that is, here in the city). In the hotels there's no problem but in the city it's a pain in the butt. Even at Vimenca we had a hard time, they only change them on certain days and before 5pm etc.... If you're going to be in the city, I suggest cash or better yet use your atm card. The exchange rate is the same or just as good as cash. (of course be careful where you use an atm!)
 

Rocky

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The inconvenience.

ginger ale said:
Hi, I have friends who came down in Jan, Feb and March, all of them had brought travellers cheques and all of them had a hard time changing them (that is, here in the city). In the hotels there's no problem but in the city it's a pain in the butt. Even at Vimenca we had a hard time, they only change them on certain days and before 5pm etc.... If you're going to be in the city, I suggest cash or better yet use your atm card. The exchange rate is the same or just as good as cash. (of course be careful where you use an atm!)

It may be worth any inconvenience for the safety factor.
The ATM problems seem to be growing on a daily basis, and how can you be careful where you use an ATM?
Once it gobbles up your card or worse yet, starts a series of electronic withdrawals like what happened to Al from Texas, then the nightmare starts. Heck, in less than 24 hours, they had defrauded him of 55,000 pesos.
ATM's are good for emergencies and at your own risk.
Marco.
 

Hillbilly

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As I was told by JJ O'Connell, a funny, wise old fellow

"Deposit the travellers Checks as fast as you can, since a lot of the people use them and then claim they were stolen."

This scam is behind the problems with them.

ATMs at banks are pretty safe if you have any gumption.

And money talks......any language.

HB
 

Rocky

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Checques vs ATM's

Hillbilly said:
"Deposit the travellers Checks as fast as you can, since a lot of the people use them and then claim they were stolen."

This scam is behind the problems with them.

ATMs at banks are pretty safe if you have any gumption.

And money talks......any language.

HB

As I have to deal with hundreds, if not thousands of hotel guests/tourists every year, and I keep on having to assist them in trying to get their cards back that get swallowed up by ATM machines, cancel the cards, get police reports for the moneys they get scammed for, make long distance calls to banks and credit card companies, etc, I feel that cards are NOT the best option for visitors.
They may very well be for people living here, but traveller's checques are NOT the best option right now for tourists.
I have not had one single guest have a problem with checques over the years, yet they have had countless credit card and ATM problems.
Marco.
 

HDCarl

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Marco,

Could you clarify that a little please?

Most of the post it sounds like the checks are my best choice, but then you say:

"They may very well be for people living here, but traveller's checques are NOT the best option right now for tourists."


??????

HDCarl
 
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Rocky

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oops

HDCarl said:
Marco,

Could you clarify that a little please?

Most of the post it sounds like the checks are my best choice, but then you say:

"They may very well be for people living here, but traveller's checques are NOT the best option right now for tourists."


??????

HDCarl

So much for my proofreading skills.
I meant ATM cards, of course.
Thanks for not raking me over the coals.
Marco.
 

Escott

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Rocky said:
As I have to deal with hundreds, if not thousands of hotel guests/tourists every year, and I keep on having to assist them in trying to get their cards back that get swallowed up by ATM machines, cancel the cards, get police reports for the moneys they get scammed for, make long distance calls to banks and credit card companies, etc, I feel that cards are NOT the best option for visitors.
They may very well be for people living here, but traveller's checques are NOT the best option right now for tourists.
I have not had one single guest have a problem with checques over the years, yet they have had countless credit card and ATM problems.
Marco.
Marco, I have experienced what HB describes. Once they refused to cash my travelers checks at Banco Santa Cruz and I had 2 accounts there saying the same thing. People claim them as stolen. I never tried there again. Another time vimenca said "NO" travelers checks and I never tried there again either.

Judy/Euro bank takes anything I give here even a check written on my undies if I presented it to her but she is not always the best exchange rate. The fellow we cashed your travelers checks with wouldnt have taken them had you not owned a business.

Kindest regards,
Your Dominican Sword
 

Rocky

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Your undies ???

Escott said:
Judy/Euro bank takes anything I give here even a check written on my undies
EEEEWWEEE !
I thought you didn't wear undies. And what does that say about Judy, if she's willing to handle your undies?
Where's my bottle of Pepto Bismol?
 

emendoza

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Name Change on Passport & Traveler's Checks

So it sounds like traveler's checks are the best way to go. My question is this: I just got married & changed my last name on my passport. The way the US does it is just to add an amendment to the last page saying "This passport was amended May 17, 20204, to reflect the name of (new name)" or something like that.

It looks pretty darn unofficial, but that's the way they do it for everyone here I guess. The first page still shows my maiden name. Do you think I'll get any grief while trying to cash travelers checks in my new name or are merchants pretty familiar with the name change amendment? I wasn't planning to bring any other ID (one less thing to loose), but maybe I should?
 

Rocky

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Signature

emendoza said:
So it sounds like traveler's checks are the best way to go. My question is this: I just got married & changed my last name on my passport. The way the US does it is just to add an amendment to the last page saying "This passport was amended May 17, 20204, to reflect the name of (new name)" or something like that.

It looks pretty darn unofficial, but that's the way they do it for everyone here I guess. The first page still shows my maiden name. Do you think I'll get any grief while trying to cash travelers checks in my new name or are merchants pretty familiar with the name change amendment? I wasn't planning to bring any other ID (one less thing to loose), but maybe I should?

As the checques are blank when you purchase them, may I suggest that you sign them exactly as your name is written in your passport, without the amendment. This way you should have no problems cashing them.
 

ricktoronto

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emendoza said:
"This passport was amended May 17, 20204, to reflect the name of (new name)" or something like that.

HG Wells had it right after all. I wonder if the Morlocks work in the passport offices 18,200 years in the future?

I concur if you think you must use TC's (I don't bother anymore but they are secure for sure) sign with the ID you have and the cambio won't go farther than that original page anyway to see the photo and signature ( if they check that much detail) .

Tip: If you tend to stick to one cambio, make a colour photocopy of the photo/name/signature page of the passport and after day one with the whole passport, only use the copy on subsequent days as they should remember you anyway. I am leery of taking the passport out on the street at any time. A copy is adequate or should be. It's what I do even with day one when I don't just bring cash.