Date   : Wed, 29 Jun 2005 20:52:18 +0100
From   : Rob <robert@...>
Subject: Re: current situation

Just to add my 2p, FYI, for transactions UK <---> EU, it is probably 
easiest to do an international transfer via IBAN - International Bank 
Account Number.  You might have to ask your bank to issue yours for you (In 
the UK, Halifax will issue it on request) or they might do it automatically 
(it's at the top of the statement on HSBC accounts).  I'm not 100% sure how 
much it costs to send via this method, never having done it, but Halifax 
definitely accepts payments with no charge.

For sending money to bank accounts outside the EU, or where SWIFT codes are 
the only ones available, I use www.xe.com/fx although it's a bit long 
winded to set up it seems reliable, the helpdesk respond, helpfully, and 
it's not particularly expensive.

Normal cheques are rarely accepted in other countries than that in which 
they are drawn, except at great expense.  If you are sending, you can 
usually get your own bank to issue an international money order drawn in 
the relevant foreign currency against a bank in the relevant country, but 
again they will probably charge to do it.  If you receive one in your own 
currency against a local bank, it's probably free to process.   However, I 
discourage them in my transactions because it's so easy for the sender to 
get things wrong.

Rob



At 14:54 29/06/2005, Richard_Talbot-Watkins@... wrote:

>Yes, but as Colin has already pointed out, no UK bank will issue a cheque
>in Euros from their account, and I suspect the same is true of Aus
>(assuming that is where you're from).  When trying to transfer currency of
>a foreign denomination to another account, I have had to use SWIFT (only
>good for financial entities with Swiftcodes) or a foreign draft, each of
>which comes at a non-trivial price to the issuer.  Obviously it is also not
>fair to send John payment in your native currency and require him to
>convert it to a usable form at extra cost to himself.  Presumably PayPal
>has proved in the past to make this process as simple and transparent as
>possible, hence his keenness to use it.
>
>I am sure your intentions are perfectly good, and I can sympathise 100%
>with the situation; though it's quite amazing what a pain in the arse banks
>can be sometimes.  I'm sure it can be resolved in good nature by both
>parties.
>
>Good luck,
>Rich