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International $$ transfer

I need to get about USD$7000 to Colombia within the next 2 weeks and was wondering if anyone can tell me what the cheapest, safest, fastest way is? Western Union takes only about $2000 per transfer and banks require a bunch of money etc. Anyone any ideas? BTW there is no illegal business involved here; I'm buying cows for a friend of mine in Raquira.

By mail@bjorndeboeck.com on Sep 6, 2007, 09:44 in Visa & paperwork.

Gator says on Sep 6, 2007, 13:45:

you might try Money Gram. At some locations you can send up to $20.000 USD but for anything over $999.00 must be in cash. Try your local WalMart or
https://www.emoneygram.com/eMoneyGram/index.do
About a year ot so we used them to send 6.000 USD (my brother in Cal.) handled the details and it seems to me it was about $200.00

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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tomtom33 says on Sep 6, 2007, 13:58:

You can't do anything in Colombia in 2 weeks. Try thinking 6 months out.

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ernesc says on Sep 6, 2007, 16:00:

The best way is to do a wire transfer from a US bank to a Colombian Bank. Bancolombia and Davivienda are the easiest. Do a Google search for:
"wire transfer" bancolombia .OR. "wire transfer" davivienda

It will give you all the details. You need the ABA and/or SWIFT codes for the receiving bank and intermediary bank. Call the Colombian banks "Departamento de Moneda Extranjera" and they will give you the details. BTW BofA charges $40.00 to do wires (I heard WAMU is way less). Money is paid in Colombian pesos at the Official going rate minus $25 to $35 pesos per US$

Good Luck

Colombian in Hollywood, FL

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tomtom33 says on Sep 6, 2007, 16:28:

erne, if he transferred the money yesterday, it would take more than 2 weeks for the Colombian bank to decide to release the funds.

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t-wiz says on Sep 6, 2007, 17:41:

The fastest and only way I got it done to buy a small house was WU, 2k each day for 3 days for about 5%. I was there on a tourist visa and of course could not open a bank account, tried that in Armenia and Cali. Get the money and head for a taxi. good luck,paul

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nicadj says on Sep 6, 2007, 17:59:

I transfer money from MY US bank to my fiance's bank Bancolombia all the time. It normally gets there in 2 days. Swift Code, Routing #, etc needed. New laws state you cannot send more than $5,000 USD at a time without significant paperwork involved. Cost is $40 USD flat rate everytime I wire. Any proper US bank will know what numbers are needed for an international wire.

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Gator says on Sep 6, 2007, 18:17:

"You can't do anything in Colombia in 2 weeks. Try thinking 6 months out." erne, if he transferred the money yesterday, it would take more than 2 weeks for the Colombian bank to decide to release the funds."???????????

That has never happened to us with either Bancolombia or Citibank in Bogotá. The one time we had to use Moneygram the funds were there in less than eight hours and in our hands with no problem. Just be sure to pick a receiving office that will have the funds on hand..

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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tomtom33 says on Sep 7, 2007, 05:02:

I wired money to my novia's Bancolombia account in Jan. of this year to buy an apartment in Medellin. It took nearly 3 weeks of interviews with bank officers, letters from my US bank, notarized statements, copies of bank statements, etc., etc. to get my money released.

You may remember my thread on trying to open a bank account. Bancolombia has its head so far up its ass that I fail to see how it can stay in business. I dealt with 3 different branch managers and got 3 different stories. It was kind of like dealing with Colombian government officials or with Avianca.

It took about 5 months to get gas service in my apartment.

The only thing that is easy in Colombia is getting laid. Everything else is very, very difficult.

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vicshere says on Sep 7, 2007, 05:13:

tom that's not the normal way things happen..maybe in your case...but with transfers I never had a problem ...max 3 days for me cost 30$ can... a new gas service to a place I own took about 3 months but there was no gas at the end of the block where I was...so I can understand that..the only problem I have with banks in Colombia and banks in general is they are all a bunch of thieving assholes

listo

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tomtom33 says on Sep 7, 2007, 05:34:

Hell, I had the gas line in my apartment building. It ran along one of my walls.

Want to buy a cell phone? You give money. They give cell phone? Not in Colombia. You need to bring photos and copies of cedulas/passports. Once they wanted the cedula number of a female friend who accompanied me to the cell phone store.

Want to pay a fee to DAS? You have to find a Bancafe office, fill out a form, wait in line for an hour, and bring the receipt back to DAS. What? You didn't bring back two photocopies of that receipt? Go out and find a copy shop to make copies. Then return to DAS only to find out that there is some other thing that they need.

I have only lived in Colombia for about 4 1/2 years. Maybe it gets better.

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vicshere says on Sep 7, 2007, 05:59:

I guess tom we "old timers" have learnt and are more accustom to the things that are normal here......hey yesterday I had to go to the bank to "consignar" 800 pesos not 8,000 but 800 stupid pesos...what a waste of time...but its not new.....you just cant get the document until you have done it ..so what you going to do

listo

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Gator says on Sep 7, 2007, 07:20:

It will Not-best bet for you is move back to the USA.

Vic-it never changes-remember before the banks really had computer capability? Damn those typewriters to hell and the one-fingered typists behind them.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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tomtom33 says on Sep 7, 2007, 08:00:

As aggravating as things can be in Colombia, I'm not leaving any time soon. It is one helluva lot more fun here. The lower cost of living is a very nice little bonus.

As I said before, you just have to think and plan months in advance. I can do that.

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Gator says on Sep 7, 2007, 09:14:

Truer words were never spoken. We occasionally bring a little regalo for the girls we most often deal with an it brings a smile and good service.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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panthdave says on Sep 7, 2007, 13:43:

Damn surviving away from the crap...Use the ATM for withdraws yes have to stand in the bank line to pay bills but not so bad.. I will keep my money in the States though no way in hell in Colombia and I am not the only one..I know many Colombians that keep most of there money in the States..

Yes things are difficult but I just don't get aggravated...at those things anymore getting use to it..

panthdave Miami

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panthdave says on Sep 7, 2007, 13:43:

panthdave Miami

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panthdave says on Sep 7, 2007, 13:43:

panthdave Miami

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panthdave says on Sep 7, 2007, 13:43:

panthdave Miami

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tomtom33 says on Sep 7, 2007, 14:37:

A 4-bagger! That has to be a record.

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getting better says on Sep 7, 2007, 15:01:

I sent about $20,000 to Bancolombia in May to buy a van. It got though in about 3-4 working days and was frozen on arrival for 1-2 days until I sent a fax to the bank with a copy of my bank statement with the transaction and my passport, and a very short letter in English explaining the nature of the transaction. When I sent that it was released within an hour. I don't get the impression they try to be difficult, they just want to cover themselves under money laundering rules. It is important that recipient has a good relationship with the bank, and explains thigns to them, gets the fax number and name of the person dealing with it (in this case it was the deputy manager).

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mail@bjorndeboeck.com says on Sep 10, 2007, 04:29:

Thanks for all your advice guys. I am actually going to Colombia in about 4 weeks and perhaps it is better to bring my $$ with me in cash. How much can I bring in and how much do I have to declare? Anyone?

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RAAAY says on Sep 10, 2007, 06:21:

Do you need US dollars here.........or Pesos..??
You can bring $10,000 in cash......................but if you need it sooner than 4 weeks........and have pesos to exchange.....PM me

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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vicshere says on Sep 10, 2007, 06:24:

better to bring my $$ with me in cash

not a good idea you will have trouble cashing them and get a shity rate as other have said atms is the way to go

listo

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mail@bjorndeboeck.com says on Sep 10, 2007, 12:24:

I guess ATM will be the way to go like you say. I found out Davivienda lets me withdraw 500'000 at the time. Are there banks/locations that let me get more? do some banks have lower charges than others?

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RAAAY says on Sep 10, 2007, 14:40:

Whatever your own bank's daily limit is.......you will be able to get.................you will just have to take it out in increments of 500,000 each time.................but if your bank allows $1000 per day....then you will be able to take that out....

.........Its useless to argue with ignorance

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robi666 says on Sep 10, 2007, 15:57:

Citibank can give 800mil per shot. Good if you're charged per shot by your bank.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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