ATM's

One way to get dollars is through American Express. They will change AmEX travelers checks into either dollars of pesos. I think they charge a 1% fee to change to dollars. There may be other ways to use an AMEX card to get dollars as well, but I don't know the details.

If you want dollars, I don't know why since the peso is the currency of Argentina?

Go to your nearest "Casa De Cambio" and buy them.

Exon

[QUOTE=Exon123]If you want dollars, I don't know why since the peso is the currency of Argentina?

Go to your nearest "Casa De Cambio" and buy them.

Exon[/QUOTE]True, but I think he's trying to avoid the 3-6% loss he would sustain by buying dollars at the cambio versus taking them out of an ATM.

[QUOTE=Hunt99]True, but I think he's trying to avoid the 3-6% loss he would sustain by buying dollars at the cambio versus taking them out of an ATM.[/QUOTE] Precisely Hunt. I think what I will have to end up opening an account with Citibank. I wanted to avoid this, but I might not have another choice. I will still check out Western Union and MoneyGram, but to be honest, with all the new homeland security measures, they are now limiting the transactions to under 900 US at a time. They might think I am funding Argentine extremists;)

Damn quirky country. Love the babes, but hate the whole banking system.

Badboy

I have bad news about Citibank. I have an account with them in the states and CANNOT get dollars through them here. I do use my Citibank account to get pesos here in the ATM, but the Citibank people here assure me that I cannot get dollars here through them, nor get an account here unless I am a qualified resident.

[QUOTE=Badboy13]PLove the babes, but hate the whole banking system.[/QUOTE]All the Argentinos hate the banking system, too.

If you will need occasional access to larger amounts of USD, you may want to consider opening up an account in a Uruguay branch of one of the big international banks. I do not believe they have the same restrictions. Colonia has a whole bunch of these banks, and Argentinos are some of their biggest customers. And it's only a 45 minute boat ride away from downtown BsAs.

So I went to HSBC on 720 Paraguay this morning for my weekly pull of pesos. First I check my balance (the account is in USA) and then pull 2000 pesos. I always listen for the bills being counted, thereby ensuring the transaction is being completed. I hear the bills flipping, then suddenly the ATM says it cannot complete the transaction. I have seen this message before when the system is down, never after hearing the money start its' fanning. At the machine next to me is a bank employee, young girl, helping another customer (I swear no one here knows how to use an ATM) and I immediately point out I did not receive any money - she concurs. I then re-check the balance and my account has been debited 2000 pesos. I tell the girl to shut off the machine, check for an extra 2g and give me my money. She says they cannot do that. I refuse to leave the machine until some action is taken, but after a couple of minutes I go with her to document the issue.

She then tells me the bank (HSBC) cannot do anything about the problem, but the Banelco people handle these issues. Here comes the phuckin Argie standard excuse of: it is not me it is the other guy. You hear it all the time here. She explains that there is a separate company, division? That handles these reclamos. I tell her I want a boss and some little shit head comes down and tells me it is the Banelcos' problem so he gets them on the phone. I talk to a girl and she says there is nothing they can do because the account is in the USA. I hand the phone back to the little shithead and he listens and then quietly disappears because I am getting pretty hot, and he knows it. Because of the language issue (I speak enuff but not fluently) I tell the girl I want to call my home and have my novia respond. She gives me some bullshit about not being able to get an outside line. When she turns around I pick up the desk phone dial 9 and get a line (I guessed that dialing 9 always gives you an outside line and was right - nice to see some of our systems were accepted by the third phuckin world) - my GF says she will be right over. The security guys, in suits have not said a word to me. I think they were physically intimitated as well.

I go outside for a smoke and see a cop and tell the girl if this is not resolved I will make a complaint against the bank for theft. After my GF arrives we go upstairs and speak to another boss, some girl. I re-explain that this is a common problem, usually involving a few pesos shortage and surely there is a way for the bank to check the machine and if it has 2g extra then it is mine. I am basing all this on the second receipt balance inquiry showing a debit. My big concern is that when I call the USA the bank will tell me that their branches in Arg. Are completely separate entities (and they are) as well, I need some documentation from the bank showing the money was never received.

I point out that there is a collect number to call the bank from overseas and the boss dials it. The service rep (outsourced to India of course) tells me my balance and says there was a deposit of about 650 dollars today. Things are looking up. I am thinking the balance was accurate and somehow the accounting program added back the 2g after the machine could not complete the operation.

I go back downstairs and check the balance and it is back to the original amount. I get home, check the account online (which I will do again tommorrow) and the balance looks right, along with a deposit I never made (but which apparently wiped out the non-witrhdrawal)

I know I blew my top in the bank and felt a little bad but guess what - they did nothing to solve the problem other than to tell me to make a complaint with other people. (felt good to be able to say this is bullshit without anyone understanding what I said) They did tell me if it was an Arg. Account they could have helped me - somehow I doubt that. They also said it would take about a week to solve the problem if it was an Arg. Account. They balance those machines every day at 4-4:30 pm. It just seemed like this is something that has happened before and they acted like "good luck with your complaint" - no forms to sign, no documents, nothing. No come back at 4pm and we'll give you some document showing an overage in the machine.

Like I would open a phuckin account with any of these banking idiots down here.

Thats a scary story, I can understand why you flipped, I think I would probably have tryed to be a little calmer, but in that situation it's hard to really know what one would do. Losing 700 bucks to an ATM sounds like bullshit. I am glad you got your money back. But dammit, this whole banking thing is really fucked up here. I wanted to open an account here in dollars. But I am starting to have second thoughts. Thanks for the story man. I am glad everything turned out allright. And you are 100% correct, Argie customer service is bullshit.

Badboy

Thomaso,

I withdraw money from the ATMs at that exact HSBC branch office all the time when I'm in BA. Mainly for two reasons 1) You only have to swipe the ATM card instead of inserting it, thus less of a chance the machine eating your card in case of problem. 2) They always give out 50 pesos in 10 peso bills.

On one occasion similar thing happened to me there. The transaction went through and hearing the pesos counting but nothing came out. A young lady who speaks some English told me if no money comes out, the transaction did not complete. I checked my account balance online later, the transaction in fact did not appear and my account was not charged for that withdraw.

I have had the same problem as Thomaso and Sportsman are describing at 2 other Banelco ATM's and have never had an issue. I hear the money, it doesn't come out but my account is not debited.

I did check with my bank upon my return and they told me that if that ever happened they would give me an adjustment.

Suerte.

Stowe

[QUOTE=Capt Dave]You cannot withdraw dollars from any machine anywhere unless you have a dollar account at that bank (which you pretty much can't have)

Argentine banking!

David[/QUOTE]Go to Colonia if you need large amounts of dollars I guess. If I remember correctly I did get dollars out of an ATM near Punta del Este and when I verified it against the statement it came out 1:1 so there wasn't a Dollar to Urugayo to Dollar thing going on. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

TM

[QUOTE=TangoManiac]Go to Colonia if you need large amounts of dollars I guess. If I remember correctly I did get dollars out of an ATM near Punta del Este and when I verified it against the statement it came out 1:1 so there wasn't a Dollar to Urugayo to Dollar thing going on. Someone correct me if I am wrong.[/QUOTE]I'd be surprised if you could get dollars there without paying any fee or f/x adjustment. Even if you could, I'd guess the daily ATM withdrawl limit would negate any benefit. What are you going to do, stay in Uruguay for 20 days as you build up the US$10,000 you need from your US$500 daily limit?

Yeah, well, here's one for you...

Almost a month ago I wired several thousand dollars from my bank in the States to my bank here. Something I've done successfully many times in the past.

And guess what?

My fucking bank here insists they have not received the money, despite the fact my bank in the States shows a solid transaction.

My bank in the States is doing a trace on it, and I'm sure it'll all come out in the wash at the end. But Jesus Fucking Christ...why does this fucking country have to have so many fucking variations on what the rest of the civilized world has come to consider normal business?

SL

Amazing. It is all electronic, takes seconds and goes from one account directly to another but they can't find it. I wonder if it has to go through the National Central Bank first so the gov't can track it? Maybe something to do with keeping 30% of the money in the country for at least one year, except for real estate transactions.

Did your bank here give you any documentation so you can be credited? Can you share with us which bank it is? I wonder if they have a penalty system if you try and close the account before a year is up and finally how long did the pther transfers take?

Uruguay may be the way to go.

Good luck.

[QUOTE=TangoManiac]Go to Colonia if you need large amounts of dollars I guess. If I remember correctly I did get dollars out of an ATM near Punta del Este and when I verified it against the statement it came out 1:1 so there wasn't a Dollar to Urugayo to Dollar thing going on. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

TM[/QUOTE]Are there any issues with entering back into Argentina with a large amount of dollars?