Bringing American Express travelers checks to Colombia ? DON’T

ColombianoGringo says on Aug 16, 2007, 15:53:

Avoid all traveler's checks in general. They are about as useful in Colombia as the traveler letters of credit that American Express provided eons ago.

Also, don't ever give someone AMEX gift cards. They have all kinds of silly restrictions and fees. My cousin gave me some as part of our families gift exchange for Christmas. They were a royal pain in the ass and cannot be used outside the US.

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eldorado says on Aug 16, 2007, 16:15:

Thanks for the add'l input Colombianogringo
I thought that AX is still strong in other parts of this universe :-)

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RussianFred says on Aug 16, 2007, 16:55:

I used them (AMex Traveler's checks) in Medellin. Western Union accepts them. The exchange rate was slightly higher than changing the $$.

Annual Drug Deaths: Tobacco: 395,000, Alcohol: 125,000, 'Legal' Drugs: 38,000, Illegal Drug Overdoses: 5,200, Marijuana: 0. Considering government subsidies of tobacco, just what is our government protecting us from in the drug war?--Ralph Nader

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bamacellist says on Aug 16, 2007, 17:47:

I dunno... if someone is really set on using them for perhaps peace of mind issues, they are cashable. I used them in Bogotá in March and cashed them at a couple different banks as well as two different casas de cambio. It took some searching, though, on a Sunday to find a place, but we did :) You will almost certainly get a very slightly poorer exchange rate. I didn't bother with them going to Barranquilla and Santa Marta, more recently.

"The future is much like the present, only longer."

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lpdiver says on Aug 16, 2007, 17:50:

I always bring American Express travellers cheques and have never had any problems cashing them. It does take a little time (and a colombian with a cedula to vouch for you). My personal scheme is to breing a thousand dollars cash, a couple grand in travellers cheques, and two atm cards.

I keep the cash for emergencies and use the ATM's for day to day living. I cash travellers cheques to pay for major purchases like checking out of the hotel after two or three weeks.

t

"cook some rice!"

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eldorado says on Aug 16, 2007, 17:52:

I did cash mine finally.....but I forgot to note previously that the rate I received at the bank (Banco de Colombia) for TC was MUCH LOWER than the rate given for cash
Re casa de cambios....I went to three and all flatly refused to deal with AX TC

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Miamigo says on Aug 17, 2007, 05:27:

Why does anyone need to carry around cash or travelers checks, what's wrong with an ATM card and a credit card? You can pull out 500,000 pesos at a pop, at least at Davivienda ATMs, and if you need to pay more than that for something, you just use a credit card. What do you need to pay for in cash that's more than what you can pull out of an ATM?

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eldorado says on Aug 17, 2007, 06:20:

Some people bring TC when they think that they will be in out of city areas where there may be money exchange places but not ATMS

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ColombianoGringo says on Aug 17, 2007, 07:40:

My personal preference is to use my ATM card when in Colombia. You get good exchange rates and if you have the right bank, you get low fees as well. I will go take out the max from an ATM which is usually 300.000 to 400.000 depending on the bank. Then I leave my card in the safe in my hotel room or if I am staying with relative, I just have them hide it somewhere for me.

In this way, you are only out $200 max if you get mugged. I will say that in my 37 years of visiting Colombia, nobody in my family has ever been robbed. But, there is always a first time so it pays to be careful.

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osito polar says on Aug 17, 2007, 12:31:

Well, actually travellers checks can be a pain here in Colombia.

I had AmEx checks with me in Euros and that was not easy to get them cashed !!!

However, Bancolombia cashes checks with no big hassle IF they are in USD and DO bring the sales invoice of the checks.

Another one, Banco Santander cashed my checks in Euros, however, they don't do it in all agencies, which may sound strange but it is very Colombian. In Bogota you can cash them at Banco Santander in the UNICENTRO shopping mall. Go to the second floor, ignore the stares of people wondering what you just might be doing there and be sure to know Spanish, they speak nada English.

Another thing, and perhaps the best reason to bring Travellers checks is taht the exchange rate is very very good, compared to cash. At the time of writing, cash was 2100 pesos to 1 Euro and dig this, 2600 pesos for 1 Euro with Travellers checks !

That, my friends, is around 20 % more fantastic holiday in Colombia....

Polarosito Vikingo

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 18, 2007, 00:31:

I personally found travelers cheques to be as useful as teats on a boar-hog in Colombia. Don't waste your time. The original poster is correct. Of course, I am talking about checks in US currency, held by a non-fluent Spanish speaker in a small town. If you are local, speak perfect Spanish, are in Bogota and know your way around, then I am sure you can get them cashed. I still don't understand why you would want to go through the hassle though. A debit card is so much easier and faster.

He who farts in church, sits in his own pew.

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Sam Salmon says on Aug 18, 2007, 06:07:

Again-if a person is going to a remote area for a period of time then they have no choice but to use TCs.

If you're spending all your time in places with ATMs then you're only getting a look at part of Colombia-not always the most interesting part.

' a la orden!'

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Robert Jorge says on Aug 18, 2007, 23:10:

Sam Salmon, you said: "Again-if a person is going to a remote area for a period of time then they have no choice but to use TCs."

If the area is so remote that there is no ATM, where can a person cash a Traveler's Check? I have been in places where there are ATMs everywhere, and it is next to impossible to cash a traveler's check. It is possible I am sure, but most people don't want to spend 2 days trying to cash a check. In remote areas, forget it. Cash talks, Amex walks. Even in Villavo, a small pueblo of 350,000 people, most people didn't even know what a traveler's check was. As a matter of fact, I never met one person who knew what a TC was in Villavo. The hotel didn't take them, nor knew what the hell they were, the landlord was clueless, no store would take them, my wife's family never heard of such a thing, and banks told me "sorry, but we can't help you." If you are at the 4 Seasons or the Tequendama in Bogota, I am sure they will take a TC. But outside of major cities in international areas, good luck. But, don't listen to me. Buy as many TCs as you can, and take little cash and no credit/debit cards to Colombia. Be sure to post your story here afterwords.

He who farts in church, sits in his own pew.

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Sam Salmon says on Aug 19, 2007, 09:27:

Robert-you don't get out much do you?

A person cashes the $US cheque in the city then travels to the country with Colombian cash.

I have done this in Choco both the Caribbean and Pacific side.

Since I can't buy Colombian currency in Canada there is no other way to obtain what I need.

' a la orden!'

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adrimm says on Aug 31, 2007, 00:17:

Actually I have been to a town (not in Colombia) where I could *not* use my atm card, and DID have to use a TC. Thing is, the atm network can go down for suprising amounts of time, or for whatever reason not accept your card.

TCs seem to normally be on a network thing.. however if the TC network is down, and the bank branch is willing to make a call, then they *can* also be verified by telephone - and you can get your money. You are still at the mercy of the bank (they have to call).

I don't need TCs that much, but I still carry a few hundred dollars in them, and always have a couple of larger bills of local currency stashed separately from the each of TCs and my plastic.

Call me paranoid, but it's peace of mind for me to being able to draw on funds in differnent forms, and keep funding options stored seperately.

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