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Members planning foreign holidays beware !

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Bureau de change should often be renamed Bureau de
non change. When returning to our hallowed shores always remember to use most of your small change or Thousands of Euro notes in the far flung GCs of other countries. I made the mistake of changing a large Italian note, gaining a purse full of thousands of liras in small ones. The Bureau de change refused them – is it because they are easy to print oneself ? Legal tender seems not apply to them.
Calculating I was returning to Northants with £12 in non-
Northants money, I went into the shop on the Cross Channel Ferry looking for a sensible use of this valuable cash. There was not much in this category.

I eventually spent it on a bottle of ros’e wine labelled
‘Chateau de Rothschild.’
This, I thought, must be quality !

On arrival home, hoping to enjoy a tasting session, I found it resembled a kind of vitriolic mouth wash. I spat it out, and tipped the other £12 worth down the sink. Recently reading the roaming biography of a landscape gardener on a tour of the ? best wine producers in France, I discovered that the Rothschild extensive family of cousins, uncles etc. are in the grape growing racket, probably thinking that their illustrious name will persuade other mugs like me to part with their surplus
cash. Whether their vines are growing in clay, sand or pebbles is not stated. So swopping the cash and coming home with empty pockets is the best way.

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Comments

 

What a horrid disappointment Diane - you must have been gutted.

6 Jan, 2016

 

when i banked elsewhere, my bank also refused to accept notes under a certain value and they also had a minimum total figure.
as i recall a couple of years ago, we did have much better luck with with sainsbury's travel. they exchanged notes, but not coins.
not planning on going away this year, but thanks for the info. if you are a nationwide customer you may avail yourself of free travel insurance in europe. even i can with my illness.
ps
i drink sainsbury's organic house wine

6 Jan, 2016

 

Loyds TSB deducted £7.85 a month from my current account for 'account charges' for 12 years. Then I found out it was a free account. The adviser told me I was entitled to a refund. I applied for it and was told by the manager the £7.85 was for mobile phone insurance (I said I never had one) and travel insurance (I said I have always paid the travel insurance to the coach company I was travelling with) I still didnt get it. Watch em' .
Just threw all the bank statements I kept in the wheelie bin
bag for burning.
Yes, I changed to another bank.

7 Jan, 2016

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