vendor requesting a personal check

Old Jul 2nd, 2009, 01:27 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
vendor requesting a personal check

We are traveling to Italy in September and we are using a particular tour guide due to three very high recommendations. However, the tour operator has requested payment at the end of the tour by personal check (not credit card). I know using ATM and Credit Cards, dependent on the fees, is the most recommended way to pay. But has anyone written a personal check? Did the bank give you a fair conversion rate?
katbird_sat is offline  
Old Jul 2nd, 2009, 01:34 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,396
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 4 Posts
If you write a check on a US bank in dollars (assuming you are in the US, but I imagine it is the same anywhere), your bank just takes out the dollars. No conversion rate involved on your end. The Italian bank that cashes the check charges the vendor whatever fees they charge.
Nikki is online now  
Old Jul 2nd, 2009, 01:37 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If this is an American tour operator, who presumably has an American bank, that makes perfect sense. If it's an Italian tour operator, it doesn't make sense because he'd have to pay both a deposit fee to put the check in his bank, plus an exchange fee. At any rate, if you write a personal check, there aren't any conversion rates applicable to you, so it doesn't matter.
StCirq is offline  
Old Jul 3rd, 2009, 07:51 AM
  #4  
ira
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,699
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Ditto St. C.

It is odd that they are asking for a check. Usually, if they won't take a CC, it is cash only.

ira is offline  
Old Jul 3rd, 2009, 08:01 AM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 490
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There is an American ex-pat in Venice that operates the same way, and we have even sent him a check in advance in US dollars if we already know what tours we are going to do. The fact that they don't even want a check until the end of the tour is double terrific - you don't pay until you are already satisfied with the service. I agree it is probably an American ex-pat or an American company.
tejana is offline  
Old Jul 3rd, 2009, 12:35 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
i frequently hear stories that vendors in Europe want a personal check from the tourist instead of credit cards. i assume, without knowing, that the check gets deposited in swiss account of the vendor
Things can get murky-- at the strawmarket in florence, we paid a pushcart seller of leather jackets by credit card for which he used a portable credit card machine to record the sale. some 3 months later the charge appeared on our statement as a sale by a gas station in new jersey.
Remus is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
izzie2
Europe
17
Nov 29th, 2014 07:06 AM
EmilyLalley
Europe
14
Sep 24th, 2009 02:07 PM
tn2sa
Africa & the Middle East
7
Mar 6th, 2008 03:41 PM
twina49
Europe
12
Jan 22nd, 2008 09:29 AM
Debby
Europe
4
Nov 24th, 2002 05:35 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -