Currancy Exchange for London Olympics for GBP
Jul 31st, 2012, 12:05 PM
#41
I heard that story about ATMs perhaps not having enough money in the areas with lots of visitors due to the Olympics on NPR national news.>>
visitors are about 30% DOWN in london as a whole, so if you get your cash off site, you should have no problems at all.
visitors are about 30% DOWN in london as a whole, so if you get your cash off site, you should have no problems at all.
Jul 31st, 2012, 12:37 PM
#42
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19053815
Forget running out of money -- it seems Wembley ran out of the milk for tea and coffee!!
I added the first link and brought up the discussion again just to point out that relying exclusively on one method of payment is always risky. We read that over and over again on these boards. While the reasoning behind this question may have been sensationalistic journalism the advice should still be simple and clear. Machines break. Cards fail. Always have a back up.
Forget running out of money -- it seems Wembley ran out of the milk for tea and coffee!!
I added the first link and brought up the discussion again just to point out that relying exclusively on one method of payment is always risky. We read that over and over again on these boards. While the reasoning behind this question may have been sensationalistic journalism the advice should still be simple and clear. Machines break. Cards fail. Always have a back up.
Jul 31st, 2012, 12:46 PM
#43
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Cards fail? Machines break?
How often?
And of course if cards fail and machines break, it affects locals also so just how long will it be.
Evidently this was one very isolated case where there was a glitch somewhere with the visa authorization system and in reading it, they weren't even able to take cash at times.;
And you know something. It was far from catastrophic that some people were denied food during an afternoon spent at a sporting event. I am sure it has happened before and will happen again somewhere.
To me, it's a non story.
How often?
And of course if cards fail and machines break, it affects locals also so just how long will it be.
Evidently this was one very isolated case where there was a glitch somewhere with the visa authorization system and in reading it, they weren't even able to take cash at times.;
And you know something. It was far from catastrophic that some people were denied food during an afternoon spent at a sporting event. I am sure it has happened before and will happen again somewhere.
To me, it's a non story.
Aug 1st, 2012, 04:08 AM
#45
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Yes..there have to be backups...myself I carry $200 in US money in nice brand news 20's just in case the ATM's and my two ATM cards break down and the credit card authorization system fails....of course it has never happened but it's in place just in case but in the case being discussed, cash didn't work either. The bigger problem seems tro be they ran out of food. Few people who were inconvenienced b the breakdown of the visa authorization system in almost all cases had cash.
Incidentally, and in all due respect, why would anybody (this is not meant personally so don't take it that way) use a debit card rather than a credit card and simply pay the balance off each month. I mean you check into a hotel with a debit card, they put a temporary hold on the estimated amount of the charge plus a bit extra and until the transaction is completed, you have no access to that money. They do the same with a credit card but it's not actual money coming out of your account. Also, if a debit card number is stolen, your account is devoid of the funds used fraudulently. In most cases, yu do get your money back although it may take a while. In that time, checks you write may turn to rubber. If your credit card is compromised, no actual money leaves your account. It has happened to me a couple of times in the last 20 years and in each case, a couple of phone calls and alist of fraudulent charges resolved the issue (credit card fraud of course is not the same as identity theft which can be a big problem). The biggest hassle is notifying the many merchants who automatically debit my card of the new number but then again you have to do the same thing when they change the expiraton date or the ccv number.
But I'm not criticizing; everybody does things their own way just like if you feel more cmfortable gettiing your foreign currency before leaving home, while I odn't think it's necessary, that's fine. But I'll stick with wht I said. 99.9% of the time, trechnology works the way it's supposed to work (the Indian blackout notwithstanding).
Incidentally, and in all due respect, why would anybody (this is not meant personally so don't take it that way) use a debit card rather than a credit card and simply pay the balance off each month. I mean you check into a hotel with a debit card, they put a temporary hold on the estimated amount of the charge plus a bit extra and until the transaction is completed, you have no access to that money. They do the same with a credit card but it's not actual money coming out of your account. Also, if a debit card number is stolen, your account is devoid of the funds used fraudulently. In most cases, yu do get your money back although it may take a while. In that time, checks you write may turn to rubber. If your credit card is compromised, no actual money leaves your account. It has happened to me a couple of times in the last 20 years and in each case, a couple of phone calls and alist of fraudulent charges resolved the issue (credit card fraud of course is not the same as identity theft which can be a big problem). The biggest hassle is notifying the many merchants who automatically debit my card of the new number but then again you have to do the same thing when they change the expiraton date or the ccv number.
But I'm not criticizing; everybody does things their own way just like if you feel more cmfortable gettiing your foreign currency before leaving home, while I odn't think it's necessary, that's fine. But I'll stick with wht I said. 99.9% of the time, trechnology works the way it's supposed to work (the Indian blackout notwithstanding).
Aug 1st, 2012, 04:19 AM
#46
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xyz -- I agree with everything you said! Technology works most of the time and back up plans are very rarely used (but we always have one . . . just in case).
Having said all that - I wouldn't be the least bit sad if all the cash registers stopped working when we are there this weekend -- just to get out of buying every bit of tat plastered with London 2012 that my son thinks he so desperately needs!
Having said all that - I wouldn't be the least bit sad if all the cash registers stopped working when we are there this weekend -- just to get out of buying every bit of tat plastered with London 2012 that my son thinks he so desperately needs!
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