On Fri, 04 Aug 2006 21:17:10 GMT, "Brett Aires"
wrote:
>I think you misunderstood me.
Who misunderstood you?
>Remember, what a bank says it can do vs. what it actually does can sometimes
>be two different things. My bank (Commerce Bank) is a very good bank in all
>my day-to-day affairs. It's local, low/no fees & there is some level of a
>relationship developed - but it was still hard to get things done easily
>when I was stuck. In the end, they did help but it was hard let's say.
>
>Having 2 or more separate accounts is not the solution. You have to *fund*
>those accounts and it is not easy to transfer money between two different
>U.S. banks - and definitely not fast.
Surely you could put enough in each to cover yourself. Certainly
you could put enough for an emergency into one.
Anyway, having two ATM cards IS the solution for many of us.
>
>The point is, when you travel, things have to work fast! When the machine
>ate my ATM card, I had to pay cash to vendors with open mouths!
The venors had open mouths? Why?
>I'm not
>talking about a couple hundred dollars - it was more than that. Even if I
>have two separate accounts, it is impractical to fund them with good size
>bank balances.
You only need enough in one to serve as an amergency backup.
>Even 48 hours is ridiculously slow. I think whoever says that is acceptable
>has not been in an actual situation. 48 hours is 2 days, an eternity when
>one has no cash all of as sudden!
You can get cash with a credit card. Yes, you'll pay interest on
it, but in an emergency .....
>That's why Western Union exists so successfully alongside banks. Instant
>access to money is really that: instantly. That means when you need money,
>you should have it available to you within a couple of hours of asking or
>maximum, the same day (if requested in normal business hours).
You have tried WU to, say, Europe, then?
>When you are in a situation that asks your bank to perform, you will see
>that your bank may not be all that it says it is. That's what I found out.
>
>In my comment that it is not easy to get access to your own money, I meant
>*aside* from ATMs. Do a test next time you travel, ask your bank to send you
>some money and see what happens. How they may respond could be very scary!
Why should I do that? I don't get muyself boxed into those kinds
of corners.
>PS::: I wasn't too far from Slovenia where I got stuck -- and they and
>Slovenia have hundreds of Western Union offices that give out money all the
>time, even some of the remote Eastern European villages have a Western Union
>office somewhere relatively near by.
Ah. Out of curiosity, what was the exchange rate?
>That's why I originally asked about using Western Union to wire money to
>*yourself*, so see if is an option or not.
I guess if you can talk your bank into it.
>I will try it and share my results. At least I'll know then if that is ever
>and option or not.
Be sure to let us know how much American money they sent and how
much local currency you got.
************* DAVE HATUNEN (hatunen@cox.net) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps * |