Why won't they sell you British Pounds?

[non sociopath skin]

Anybody help us with this one?

An on-line buddy of my wife's who lives in Philadelphia and was going to buy some Lush cosmetics from her said that she went to a "travel money" place called TRAVELEX to get some British pounds and was told she could not be sold UK currency unless she produced a valid passport and proof of travel. She doesn't hold a passport so she couldn't get the cash.

So is this some weird new govt regulation about not being able to buy foreign currency in the US unless you have proof of travelling or is this just that agency making a rule? And if they are, why? When my wife used to commute regularly between the US and England post 9/11 all she had to do to get foreign currency was order it through her bank...

So what gives???

The Skin

[SOteric]

1. I suspect it's a new regulation based on the fact

that the U.S. Dollar is floundering and many individuals could well be seeking more stable foreign currencies, such as the British Pound, as a hedge against collapse.

[pitohui]

5. it isn't a regulation -- but use paypal and get around the hassle

it's the fact that many clerks or smaller outlets don't want to be "stuck" with too many usa dollars while they are still declining and may lose more value before being turned around

i don't understand why the woman in philadelphia doesn't just paypal the money to the woman in london, paypal will change the money into pounds or euros or yen or a great many other currencies very easily, as i can testify both as a traveler and as a former online seller

a few months ago i had to buy an air ticket for africa in euro from a french office while living in louisiana, no problem via paypal

[non sociopath skin]

6. We don't advise paypal or use it ourselves

In our experience the fees are exorbitant, the exchange rates crap and the customer care virtually non-existent.

The Skin

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. Sounds like an over-zealous clerk

Given that Travelex will sell currency online to Americans, so obviously without producing a passport or proof of travel: http://www.travelex.com/us/

I've known needing proof of identity in the UK when buying foreign currency with a credit/debit card, but that was just to stop fraud - they accept cash without ID.

[pitohui]

3. they accept a very limited amount of cash without ID

i've been asked to show my passport when changing as little as a single hundred dollar bill

other countries are not hip to the fact that usa currency is valueless and they are utterly convinced that there are massive herds of counterfeiters duplicating usa bills

[Pacifist Patriot]

4. Not a clue. My husband exchanges all the time...

but that's because he's travelling and has his passport. SOB is headed back to London for two weeks this afternoon. Bah!

[TreasonousBastard]

7. Sending cash in the mail is scary, and I assume a check...

in dollars would cause conniptions over there. The fees to deposit it your bank might eat up the whole thing.

A credit card might be best, but if your wife isn't set up to accept credit cards, the friend should be able to go to her bank and get Sterling to mail, scary as that may be. Not all bank branches have foreign exchange windows, so she would have to ask where the closest one is.

The bank should also be able to transfer pounds into your wife's account. How much this would cost is anyone's guess.

There's also Western Union international money transfers. http://www.westernunion.com They can send cash abroad or deposit it in her account, possibly for lower fees than the bank. I've used WU domestically here and they are reliable so no reason why they wouldn't be internationally.

[non sociopath skin]

8. With respect, the query was about why the person in question ....

.... was unable to get British currency in the states. As a transatlantic family, we're pretty well versed in the options and cash wouldn't be our first choice.

Having said that, the exchange rate is pretty disastrous from a business point of view!

The Skin

[HEyHEY]

9. Maybe cause it's backed up by sterling still?