Currency exchange scam in London.
The review is small, but possibly useful for our tourists. In August 2017, I ended up in London on an independent trip around the country. The trip was very eventful and interesting. We saw (I was with my family) almost all the main cities of Great Britain and even more... Everything it would be nice, but the sediment, as they say, remained - a fly in the ointment in a barrel of honey.
In short, they threw me in an exchange office in the very center of London, next to Marble Arch near Hyde Park at 523 Oxford St. The exchange office of Change Group London. 20 dollars in total 1. At first glance, the exchanger looks pretty decent, like similar ones around the world. Courses hang. The inscription stands out - COMMISSION 0%. What else does a tourist need to change their money without departing from the main tourist trails? . And since there was still a long trip ahead and cash in London was also in demand, it was decided to change 2000 euros. establishments and banks in London until 17-00 (maximum 19-00) usually. In general, I was happy to make an exchange and, having estimated exchange rates in my mind, I expected to get 1800-1700 pounds in my hands.
What did I see in the end - 1223.7 pounds. At first I didn’t even understand the humor - I walked away and began to count, I thought something was wrong with my head or it seemed. (somehow relaxed) - it was not a plus or minus a penny, but a specific scam - 1 pound = 1.386 euros (at that time, stock quotes were 1 pound = 1.1 euros. Not only, by the way, stock quotes, as it turned out in normal banks in London also about this). So there was also a commission of 3 pounds and plus-top of the impudence of a brazen exchanger-14.99% on top of the total amount of the exchange-type for their services !!! . In total, I lost on this transaction, taking into account the unreal exchange rate and additional extortionate fees of about 600 pounds (2000:1.1=1800 pounds-1223.7 pounds=594 pounds).
I was shocked - about the same amount I paid for a round-trip flight for 3 people. I returned to the cashier and demanded to cancel the transaction - which I was told on the inscription - no exchange is made back. and like, read carefully - on the A4 plate - at the very bottom, under the asterisk, it is written in micro font about all the commissions.
If you don't like something, write to the exchanger's website. Neither swearing nor persuasion led to anything.
I decided to write to this company to get my euros back. Oddly enough, they answered me in a couple of days. Then I threatened the police - they offered me 30 pounds compensation - I naturally refused. It would probably cost me even more to get to them in London. The correspondence ended there.
I wrote an electronic application to the police website for fraud. I have not received an answer yet (although the police website promised an answer within 28 days, and much more has already passed). In the worst case, the case was closed, since formally the exchanger seems to write everything on its boards , but in fact this is a goofy deception of the consumer (in the style of our banks of the dawn of mass lending, where something was allegedly written in small print as well). At best, I hope they still organized some problems and checks. control organizations, if I find any, let them at least get on their nerves, and torture them with checks.
Therefore, my advice to tourists in London is not to change money there - this is a very unprofitable enterprise. And if you decide to ask in fact how much you will get for your money in your hands without conducting an operation (or you can experiment on a small amount, it will not be so pitiful).
And so use the card - they accept it almost everywhere (although there are places where only cash). Take at least two cards with you - one of them broke - I had to use the second one. only your bank - I had it 1% of the withdrawal amount (and at a pretty good rate) - this is really not much compared to the exchange rate difference of exchangers. I did this later in other cities - it’s very convenient and ATMs work 24 hours. < br />
PS I did not expect this from London in principle! Anywhere, but not the financial capital of the world! Everywhere I was on the alert, but here I made a mistake!
