Exchanging Currency

[Member #4112]

DW, don't you think maybe it being Friday had something to do with the low ball rates. Going into the weekend?

[DavieW]

Had to change USD2k today and my usual agent was closed, so had to take my chances out on the street. Offered 7.7 all along Florida, but was always heading for "Western Union" at Florida / Lavalle.

They started at 7.8, but I made the young guy tap his boss on the shoulder because I knew he'd recognize me, even though I haven't changed there regularly for 18 months. He immediately went to 7.9. I said I couldn't take less than 8 and he asked if I had clean 100's. I told him I had all new consecutive numbered bills and he gave me 8.0.

That's actually the first time in 6+ years that I've personally been asked about the denomination and condition of my bills and it's made a difference!


e2a: FYI....the blue dollar websites linked on the front page here were all saying 8.05 before I ventured out.

[Sleeper]

Does anyone know whether Scalabrini Ortiz / Cervino is open on Saturday? If not, are there any places in Palermo where I could change dollars for pesos on a Saturday? I'm not sure if I'll make it through this weekend...

Thanks in advance!

[TejanoLibre]

Walked around Lavalle and Florida looking for "cambio" on Thursday and the rates were a bit depressing.

One idiot offered 7.40 and the next guy hit us at 7.70 while explaining that it was a National Holiday, that most places were closed and that they had all agreed to the 7.70 rate.

The money was not mine and it was only 500 dollars so we ended up at the Asian Lady's Leather Shop and she paid 7.85 .

Not sure if that's what DR would have received from her but it was good enough at that moment.

TL.

[MataHari]

If you have some pesos left over before going home, you can take a slight haircut by offering them on this forum to a gringo who lives here and can use the pesos. I saw a recent traveler offer 2000 pesos at 10 to 1 when the blue rate was about 8.5 to 1. I do not know how many PM offers he had, but I do know of at least two offers to exchange from frequent posters on this forum who live in BA.

I offered them at 10 because I got them at that price a few days before. Now had the uptrend continued, and my offer might have looked too poor. The 2000 pesos left were due to the fact that I found a cheaper ticker to Europe than expected thanks to an online service (7 k instead of 10 k)...I wouldn't encourage anybody to convert more than needed precisely because the peso is worthless as a saving vehicule.

[Gandolf50]

Was 8.15 at the Western Union on Lavalle. The place is 10 minutes walk from my office.

Just across the street from my place, there's a local travel agency / souvenir shop. They quoted 8.00.

That seems to be the norm. I got 8.10 today and supposedly that was .10 more then they were paying every one else. The funny thing is, just like 3 months ago I was ecstatic to get 8 to 1. Now I'm bitching that I am only getting 8.10!

[Joe 23]

Was 8.15 at the Western Union on Lavalle. The place is 10 minutes walk from my office.

Just across the street from my place, there's a local travel agency / souvenir shop. They quoted 8.00.

[Dickhead]

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[Tres3]

The one time I needed to change USD in Mardel I went for a wander from my hotel and found a jewellery store, within a block, that changed at the blue rate. Directly opposite the Casino Central on the same block with with the coffee-shop on the corner that sells spectacular cakes.

Hotels will happily take your dollars. At the OFFICIAL rate!

I would like to suggest that a VISITOR to BA change more blue dollars than he thinks he will need when going out of the city or before the weekend. If you have some pesos left over before going home, you can take a slight haircut by offering them on this forum to a gringo who lives here and can use the pesos. I saw a recent traveler offer 2000 pesos at 10 to 1 when the blue rate was about 8.5 to 1. I do not know how many PM offers he had, but I do know of at least two offers to exchange from frequent posters on this forum who live in BA. If you do the math, that is a better alternative than the OFFICIAL rate or the rates offered by hotels, shops, restos, ATMs, etc. As other posters have said, pesos are worthless outside of Argentina, and you cannot change back to dollars at EZE or AEP.

To give you an idea of how worthless pesos are in another country, an Argentine truck driver recently tried to pay for fuel in Chile with pesos, and the pesos would not be accepted, at any exchange rate.

Tres3.

[DavieW]

The one time I needed to change USD in Mardel I went for a wander from my hotel and found a jewellery store, within a block, that changed at the blue rate. Directly opposite the Casino Central on the same block with with the coffee-shop on the corner that sells spectacular cakes.

Hotels will happily take your dollars. At the OFFICIAL rate!

[Daddy Rulz]

Thanks everyone for the great currency information.

I have been out of Argentina for almost 2 years.

I arrive to BA on 6-July, which is a Saturday. Are the cuevas open on weekends?

I will be spending some time in the provinces, such as Mar del Plata. Are there abundant cuevas there?

Do restaurants, hotels, others accept US $ at the current blue rate? I have never paid for anything there in USD since 2001, but this seems like a very different situation.

Thanks,

Moore.

Yeah Moore they are open on the weekend but the rate is significantly lower Saturday and Sunday. I can't speak on Mar del Plata but Corrientes had ZERO cambios. You can however use Xoom in most of those places. Don't bother trying to pay in dollars, change to Pesos and use them. The rate on dollars at restos and shops remains terrible.

Welcome back,

DR.

[Moore]

Thanks everyone for the great currency information.

I have been out of Argentina for almost 2 years.

I arrive to BA on 6-July, which is a Saturday. Are the cuevas open on weekends?

I will be spending some time in the provinces, such as Mar del Plata. Are there abundant cuevas there?

Do restaurants, hotels, others accept US $ at the current blue rate? I have never paid for anything there in USD since 2001, but this seems like a very different situation.

Thanks,

Moore.

[Jackson]

Greetings Everyone,

Today at approximately 4 pm a friend of mine exchanged $1,000 USD for pesos at $8.10.

Just before he left to exchange his cash, the popular local exchange rate websites were reporting the following Blue Dollar exchange rates:

La Nacion = $8.57 venta

Ambito.com = $8.57 venta

DolarPeso.com = $8.57 venta

DolarBlue.net = $8.57 venta

----------------------------------------------------------

Average Rate = $8.57

Rate Actually Received = $8.10

Discount from Average Rate = -5.48% (x .945)

You're welcome.

Jackson

[Nikki]

I need to make 1000 US $ change on Wednesday. Is that the rate? 8 pesos? You can't get more?

I can give you 8$ Send me a private message if interested. In Recoleta.

[Daddy Rulz]

I need to make 1000 US $ change on Wednesday. Is that the rate? 8 pesos? You can't get more?

I didn't have time to shop it but based on recent experience that's about what I was going to get today. I may need to reshop though. I think the current trend is going to be down while they burn through all the new drug and graft money. Mondays and Fridays are always a little worse though.