I've just used Currencies Direct. Transfer the Euro equiv from your bank to CD(they will give you commercial exchange rates- far better than the banks)
They will hold these funds, and all you need to do is fax them an instruction from the dealers and they will do an immediate same day transfer to the benificery.






Andrew

 

ChrisnViv

Android's solution seems safest & most cost-effective. these types of company operate for people buying properties abroad - try the newspaper property supplements for ads or advertorials.
Be very wary about carting cash; apart from the security aspect of having a suitcase full of euros :!: , because of money laundering regulations, 1) your bank may question what you're drawing it out for (an invoice from the German dealers will probably suffice), and 2) The german dealers will probably have to report the transaction to their money laundering authority, and would not be too pleased to have cash..............

 

Fully support androidGB's suggestion. I have just - half an hour ago - transferred a large sum of cash via Foregn Currencies Direct. Have used them several times in the past with no prob's. Charge is £27.00. If you use them make sure you haggle. I asked for a quote at 9.10am this morning and was quoted 1.4610 Euro = £1.00. Said I'd think about and then rang them back in half an hour. Told them that I'd rang my bank, HSBC, (hadn't really, but hey, all's fair in love and money!) and they would do it for charge of £21.00 at a rate of 1.4685 to £1.00. Suddenly the rate went up to 1.4710. Deal done.

Good luck.

 

For the very same reasons as you I wanted to pay cash, and was told by the dealer that due to EU money laundering regs no more than £12000 could be accepted and had to do it via bank transfer, so we paid in to our normal bank and used a debit card not what I wanted but he said no alternative if over the regulated limit as stated , so maybe your German dealer wont take your cash either, Strange world we live in
not so many years ago you had to see if they would take a cheque :roll:
Geo

 

transfering the loot

Hi, paid cash for my 6 month old hymer 2yrs ago. Bought it in Germany from a dealer, taking cash in 500euro notes is no problem, in my case the sight of cash got me a further discount

 

http://www.worldfirst.com/

I have just used these people for buying and transferring dollars to USA.

To say the service was 1st class is an understatement.

My dealer was stunned at the fast efficient service.

This company was in touch with me all the way

 

bank transfer

i paid half in the form of a bank transfer and the other half in cash when i picked the van up.
I also got a discount when i produced the cash.

Just dont go in any lapdancing bars before you hand over the money.
Just afterwards. :wink:

 

If you are worried about cash and charges, open a nationwide account over here and put the money in it. Then pay with debit card they do not charge for foreign currency. Just make sure they know a large sum will be going out beforehand so they do not block it.

ian

 

Sage advice here and a few leads to follow up but first a couple of specifics:

Currencies Direct offer a rate that knocks spots off the high street banks. However they also issue the caveat that their international transfers go at the same rate as everyone elses. This means a 48 hour job (although they're probably a bit sharper on the trigger than natwest et al). "you might be luck and get it thru the same day but no guarantees". I'm interested in Android and JSR's experience - did you send the money in advance or just sit on the doorstep for a while?

Dealers and Cash. Our man in Frankfurt assumed that cash would be profferred: "Many of our south european customers like to work that way..."

We'll keep you posted
ChrisnViv

 

Hi ChrisnViv,

I am buying privately and have sent funds in advance of collecting the vehicle (Tomorrow)

Shock, horror, probe. Am I mad, gullible or what.

Quite simply I viewed the van last week after corresponding with the owner for 5 or 6 weeks and am completely satisfied with his financial standing, honesty and intergrity. Plus a number of other factors which give me peace of mind.


I will try to find out how long the transfer by Currencies Direct took


Andrew

 

Have used Foreign Currencies Direct several times, average time from deal arranged to arriving in French bank was 48 hours. On one occasion it arrived within 24 hours.

 

Sorry, realised that I did not answer your question properly. Time for cash to get here has never been that important to me as I live here, and the question of a deadline has never arisen. It may be that an element (large!) of trust is required with the guy/firm you're dealing with. Send it off to him, wait for word that it has arrived and go over and pick up the goods.

 

JSR and Android - I admire your cojones
I'm probably being over-cautious and have no reason to suppose that the dealer we're working with is anything other than 100% honest but at the end of the day these people are small businesses and subject to all of the financial uncertainties of that sector. My stomach churns at the prospect of being in a queue of creditors after an untimely business failure, having emptied the piggybank big-style. Perhaps I've just used the mobile.de site too many times with its No Money in Advance greeting banner....

ChrisNViv

 

Hi ChrisNViv,

Have thought of a couple of ideas that might resolve the problem.

One. Send the cash to my bank account then, once I have it, I'll meet you outside the main station in Dusseldorf at midnight on Christmas Eve with the money in a brown bag. I'll be wearing a striped jumper and a mask so should be easily recognisable.

Two. More seriously: Phoned an old friend in UK this morning as I know he bought his van from Germany some time ago. He transferred the money to his neighbour's son who is a soldier stationed in Germany. Then went over, received a cheque from the soldier, took him and his wife out for a splash-up dinner then did the biz. Sounds a bit of a strange way to do it, but if you have a relation/friend in the Army over there - why not?

 

8O Just a general note to remember the whole EU subscribes to the money laundering rules which stipulate ALL transactions (cheque and cash) over £10000 or euro equivalent must be reported to the national authorities by the trader .The authorities then decide whether or not to call in the transaction for examination. So your valid cheque or draft or cash may be put into suspense-better to clear before hand!
Also notes of 500 and 350 euros are the most forged that is why many places will not accept. Case last year of a Brit being interviewed about the duds he tried to pass having got them from a UK bank!!!!
Mind how you go. :lol:

 

After recommending "Currencies Direct" I had a very bad experience with them on my recent transaction, please read it HERE

As a consequence I cannot recommend this company and would suggest that others think very carefully if they are thinking of using them

Andrew

 

I use a firm called moneycorpe. they charge about £50 and are very helpfull. p.m for more details if needed.

 

Hi, When we bought our new Adria in 2005 we paid for it by debit card, £36,500
The transaction did NOT go through! which put us in a very embarrassing situation, the bank then informed us that the most you could pay through a debit card was £30,000 so we then transferred £6,500 into another account & paid the rest from that account, so be warned! Also, It seems that the most a company can accept from a customer is £5000 cash, any more & it has to be in the form of a cheque, bank draft of card.
Hope this helps........................................

 

we always went with the cash !! Compare the High Street travel agencies and ask for a bankers rate and not the tourist rate as it is a large amount of money. Ask your own bank for this aswell. If for example the tourist rate would be £1.42, we would get a bankers rate at £1.46 or £1.47.
Good luck.

Maddie

 

I used Currencies Direct and found them very helpful and the money went through without problem.

I did consider using www.secure-currencies.com - they were quick to respond to my enquiry and sounded professional. I only chose CD as I'd read on MHF that people recommended them. Good luck with your import project, I am certainly glad I did it - thanks to MHF's help!

 

Hi Beagle,

I'm glad your transaction with Currencies Direct went through without incident, as indeed my first one did.

The point I was making was not so much the cock up I experienced, but more the total lack of response by the top management, even to the point of not acknowledging a recorded delivery letter and follow up email.


Andrew

 

Hi Andrew

I wasn't responding to your post in particular - sorry if I appeared to be disputing your point, wasn't intended. It is awful to be let down in the way you were. They obviously must realise how important such transactions are for people - and how serious the consequences of not doing their job properly could be. Not responding to your letter is appalling.

John

 

Hi John,

Thanks for that, and I hope my reply didn't come across as hostile in any way.

Having been in business for many years I know things can go wrong, it's what you do about it that counts.

The girl who did the transfer at CD did well to get the funds there in less 24 hours, once she was aware of the problem. All I needed was an apology and an explanation from the MD and that would have been that.

Not responding in any way to a genuine complaint is about as bad as it gets.


Andrew

 

I just bought privately in Germany for 38,000 Euro - cash! Seller wouldn't have it any other way. I actually collected the cash from various places at various rates - didn't actually know what I was doing but got better as I went along and finally got pretty good rate from MoneyCorp for the final half.

Because of timing had to go and collect it from London, mind you!

Handed over the full stash to seller on Monday evening and he brought the van round on Tuesday morning - said it would be about nine - starting to get slightly nervous by the time he turned up at 9.12!

That may sound extremely gullible but I was confident............

Funnily enough, apart from providing ID to MoneyCorp - passport and utility bill - no one asked me for anything or mentioned money laundering.

Didn't like the post about large note forgeries! I'm visiting the seller later in the year in Spain - hope he hasn't found any by then.

Brian

 

I just bought privately in Germany for 38,000 Euro - cash! Seller wouldn't have it any other way. I actually collected the cash from various places at various rates - didn't actually know what I was doing but got better as I went along and finally got pretty good rate from MoneyCorp for the final half.

Because of timing had to go and collect it from London, mind you!

Handed over the full stash to seller on Monday evening and he brought the van round on Tuesday morning - said it would be about nine - starting to get slightly nervous by the time he turned up at 9.12!

That may sound extremely gullible but I was confident............

Funnily enough, apart from providing ID to MoneyCorp - passport and utility bill - no one asked me for anything or mentioned money laundering.

Didn't like the post about large note forgeries! I'm visiting the seller later in the year in Spain - hope he hasn't found any by then.

Brian

Brian youve been a very lucky man, i would never part with money unless the exchange was done with the goods at the same time.

There are some very clever tricksters out there if you dont take the right precaution some one will take you sooner or later. Big Frank