canadagirl

As I work in the tourism industry in Vancouver, why do so many American tourists think prices in stores or fares quoted from hotels/airlines are in American Dollars?? Do you not realize CANADA IS A DIFFERENT COUNTRY WITH ITS OWN CURRENCY!? Not all countries deal with American money! Especially not Canada.

gary

Believe it or not many third world countries, (and some not so third worls), post prices in US$ where tourists frequent. Many Americans also tend to be suprised when their postage stamps aern't valid here. "But the letters are going to the States' they say.<BR><BR>Actually after seeing the way Americans insist on using there currency overseas to the point of being downright rude I've found that in Canada they are relatively more respectful of our money than in other places. But in any event don't be angry at them for their ignorance - tpourist industry people in other countries have conditioned them to think US currency is preferable to their own.

americanboy

Candagirl,<BR>I find it hard to believe you work in tourism with such an angry attitude. I have been traveling to Canada on vacations for many, many years and I always use Canadian dollars but many times I am with friends who ask stores if they can pay in US Dollars and the answer has always been yes (and many stores and hotels do give prices in both currencies.) So, the truth is that Canada does deal in American dollars and that's not a bad thing. It doesn't mean ignorace or lack of respect. It just means that Canadians realize that they border a country with 280 million people who use US Dollars and accepting them from tourists is not a bad thing!

xxx

Unfortunately,<BR><BR>Canada girl is right. Although it seems as though most Americans realize that this is a different nation, they do not seem to accept the notion of a foreign currency. I was in a Subway restaurant in Montreal and this American couple came in and insisted on paying with American dollars and were outraged and confused when they got back Canadian change. If this isn't ignorance, I don't know what is!

xxxx

Canadagirl is a troll who is looking to cause controversy. INGNORE HER POST!!

Bob Brown

Canadagirl might be a troll, and then again she night not be, but she speaks the truth!!<BR><BR>I think some of the smart Canadians are the ones who take US dollars at a substantial discount! I saw some exchange rates for currency purchases as much as 10% against the American dollar relative to bank rates.<BR><BR>One fellow I ran into in a hardware store near Banff jokingly told Americans that he would be happy to take American money, at par value.<BR>I just about cracked up laughing. I had just gotten $500 C out of the ATM and offered to sell some guy the whole wad for $400. He did not have that much US, and I told him I did not want a traveler's check because it was hard to cash. The deal was off.<BR>I should have dropped it in half: $250C for $200 US. I thought he knew it was a joke; turned out he did not!!<BR><BR>I am one who is constantly amused at some of the discussions we have on this forum about money and exchange rates.<BR>The one I have yet to figure out are the people who claim that for one reason or another they were charged no fee for traveler's checks or credit card use or what not. <BR><BR>And I think the icing on the cake was when one friend of mine chewed me out for costing him x dollars in exchange fees. He said he used his debit card like I told him too and that he paid something like 5% or more for using it.<BR>I asked to see his card. It was plastic OK, but it was a standard Visa credit card. He was taking out cash advances. Turned out he did not know the difference between a debit (check) card and a credit card!!<BR><BR>Well, to that fee or no fee debate I have a lingering question that goes like this:<BR>If the bank wholesale exchange rate is 65 cents US for 1 Canadian dollar, exchanging for $500C should cost you $325 US. If you end up paying $340 for the same amount of Canadian money, you have just paid a markup of <BR>$15.00, or 4.6%, over the wholesale rate. If the $15.00 is not a fee, what do you call it??<BR><BR>I would expect to pay $328.25 for the $500C, a fee, or a markup, or a "whatchacallit" of 1%, and no more!!<BR>But if you have no idea of the bank wholesale exchange rates on the day of exchange, how do you know what you paid? I don't think you do.<BR><BR><BR>

Candice

That is why I always encourage my friends to exchange money at a Canadian bank to get the best rate and don't use ATMS that are not from banks, they are the worst with fees.

canadagirl

By the way Gary, I'm sure you know this but please don't classify Canada as a third world country. I dont think you were, but the way you worded your message, it came across that way. And by looking at your e mail address, you are a Canadian. I may sound angry at their ignorance but the word may be "frustrated"!

gary

You're right Canada Girl - I wasn't. I was referring to countries in the Carribbean, Latin America and even Israel. Some countries Like Russia and Vietnam have 'Tourist Stores' where all the prices are in US dollars & sometimes Euros and local currencie is NOT accepted.<BR><BR>There are a few places, l;ike hotel restaurants, in Canada that might post the prices in both Can & US but that's for comparison purposes only. Because unlike the other countries mentioned above if you use a credit card to pay the bill it is charged in Canadian$.<BR><BR>Canada is certainly not a third world country and most Americans I meet treat us with the respect accorded an 'almost' equal.

k

god forbid an American would want to make absolutely sure that the hotel was asking CDN instead of USD.<BR><BR>When planning travel at home, via travel agents and online sites like Expedia, the rates are quoted in USD. Add to that the ability to spend USD freely within Canada at thousands of locations, it certainly would be within somebody's right or concern to ensure that they are paying the correct amount.<BR><BR>I hope that you (canadagirl) get your attitude ajusted and start to chill out a little bit. Just becuase somebody asks a simple question doesn't mean that they "DON"T REALIZE THAT CANADA IS A DIFFERENT COUNTRY WITH ITS OWN CURRENCY"<BR><BR>For the record, I used to work for a firm in Vancouver. I found the Canadians, on average, to be completely hostile and downright rude to me (once they found out I was an American). They form bizarre support structures with others by hating Americans. <BR><BR>It was fun to get them so angry. To see their small minds explaining to me about how everything in their country was so much better than mine, and that I better leave my preconceptions at home.<BR><BR>For example, we'd be driving in a car. We'd pass a university. Somebody would say something like "see that, it's XYZ University. You probably haven't heard of it because you Americans think that you're so great and have your own colleges that just aren't nearly as good."<BR><BR>Oh and I loved the "who's Olympic sprinter is the best" debate during the 1996 summer Olympics. Forget that both sprinters are from somewhere like Jamaica, the Canadians would start screaming at me that their sprinter was better, and that I was an idiot for not realizing. <BR><BR>When Canadians go abroad they try to befriend others by talking trash about Americans. <BR><BR>In Canada, it's "hip" to bash America.

gary

'k', while what you say is somewhat exagerated there is enough truth in it to make me feel decidedly uncomfortable. too many Canadians have an offensive defense mechanism when it comes to Americans. It's totally childish and I can't think of a good excuse for it.

traveler

Meow. Phfft, Phfft. Sounds like the OP isn't the only one that needs an attitude adjustment on this thread.

canadagirl

By the way k, I would NEVER travel to France, China, Japan, Russia,etc. and expect to be quoted in Canadian dollars. They would laugh in my face! Get real. You need an education and a good lesson in the Canadian way of life. You give Americans a bad name my friend

wilbur

Yo Canada girl,<BR>Of course you wouldn't even think of going to another country and expect to quoted in Canadian dollars and that's because nobody wants them! The strong US dollar is coveted around the world and no more so than by Canadians. Now that I got that off my chest I have only one thing left to say. Can't we all just get along?

Candice

The reality is Canada is made up different cultures and races and so there is no true "Canadian", the same races and cultures also live in the U.S and in other parts of the world. I think most Canadians understand this, there are just a few frustrated souls who don't know how to express themselves properly. Like every patriotic country, one can get too caught up in "where are you from" mentality.<BR><BR>Canadians are very diverse compared to citizens of other countries, they want to build up an image of themselves as "Canadians" just like any other patriotic citizen does in the U.S. It's narrow minded but normal. <BR><BR>When others ask me where I'm from, because I speak French, I say here, because I am here now and will probably be here for a while. When they ask but where did you learn French (the way I do) in Canada, I say no but Canadians are teaching m e how to speak French properly, and they are happy. (I am speaking of Quebec). In the U.S there is the same thing. Just tell others who are narrow minded to open up and try traveling sometime. That usually starts a conversation about places they want to go to but can't right now.<BR><BR>Everyone should be able to travel more.<BR>