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Posted By: Faldage Calling the Anu Street Irregulars - 04/12/04 10:25 AM
I'm looking for sightings of the phrase 'ATM' in the wild. Please differentiate between sightings with and without the pleonastic 'machine'.

Posted By: wwh Re: Calling the Anu Street Irregulars - 04/12/04 01:29 PM
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Posted By: Faldage Re: Calling the Anu Street Irregulars - 04/12/04 01:32 PM
Good start! Thanks, Dr Bill.

I doubt you'll get much from over here, Faldage, my old cane-blowing friend.

A few people recognise the meaning - especially when there are contextural clues: ("I'm must get some cash from the ATM.") - but the most usual terms in UK are "hole-in-the-wall" or "cash machine."

Service Stations which have an ATM advertise it outside with the words, "Cash Machine Here" (or even "FREE ....", as a lot of Service Station machines charge for their use.)

Posted By: wow Re: ATMs - 04/15/04 02:14 PM
as a lot ... machines charge for their use.
That's why I love good ol' traveller's checks! And cash of course!

Posted By: RhubarbCommando Re: ATMs - 04/15/04 02:42 PM
It's not a problem for Brits, most of the time. Nearly all fo our "hole-in-the-wall" transactions are free - even abroad.
I well remember just how p***ed off Jackie was when I used a Louisville ATM, getting cash from my British bank account and it cost me nothing at all, whereas if she were to get money from her US bank account using the same ATM, there would have been a charge.

Posted By: AnnaStrophic Re: ATMs - 04/15/04 03:43 PM
I haven't travelled abroad lately, but don't you pay a fee for exchanging travelers' checks and cash (unless you do it with the concierge, which was always my m.o. )?

Posted By: TEd Remington Re: ATMs - 04/15/04 06:18 PM
Asp

Any time yuo are changing from one currency to another you are losing money. Example:

Back in 1977, when I was going to England, I bought Amex Travelers' checks in pounds sterling, and a few in deutschmarks. Since I didn't have an Amex card I had to pay a one percent commission for the checks themselves (this is fairly common." In addition, I had to pay more than the going exchange rate for the foreign currency. The posted exchange rates always provide for a percentage to the person making the exchange.

In 1986, when I went to Australia, I just took a wad of American dollars and exchanged them for Australian dollars whenever I needed them. Thus I only paid one fee, the difference between the going exchange rate and the exchange rate charged at the cambio.

When we went to Ireland last year, I bought euros at the local Amex Office before we left. They had two exchange rates, one for cardholders and one for hoi polloi.

My experience with exchanging American dollars travelers checks for local cash was when I went to Ireland for the first time about 12 years ago. I seem to recall that the banks had two exchange rates in Ireland, one for cash and the other for travelers' checks. The checks bought fewer punts than did cash, of course.

It's pretty common now to use plastic everywhere overseas. You need to be very careful to ask your bank what their fees are, since they vary wildly. One card actually charged 3 percent above the cambio rate, while the other charged 1/4 percent. Needless to say that's the one I used. On the plus side the exchange rate you get is very very close to the prime rate charged on huge transactions, typically $1 million or more. Close, but still a little rake for the trouble.

All in all, these banks charge fees to cover their costs. Can't blame them. I still wonder about all the people who say, "The bank is charging me for getting my own money." So what? It's like saying, "My doctor shouldn't charge me for an office visit because, well, because." Think those cash machines are free? Think the bank isn't losing interest on the money they stuff into the cash machines? Think there's no risk involved? Of course not.

And why shouldn't we pay for the convenience of not having to carry wads of cash around?

TEd [/rant]

Posted By: wow Re: ATMs - 04/16/04 12:55 PM
My first trip to IRL (1971)I used US AmEx checks and paid to convert. While in Ireland learned English pounds and Irish punts exchanged equally. I wised up. There was an Barclay's Bank (of UK) in Boston, so I went there and bought travel checks in pounds for later trips to UK and IRL. Sure, paid for checks, but just once, not at every exchange.
Haven't had any experience with Euros.
What are your experiences with credit cards. One chum of mine was very upset when charges were held a long time to get besxt exchange rate for the stores!


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