Anyone Still Use Traveler’s Checks?

On Apr 21, 3:11*am, Alan S wrote:
On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:39:44 +0000 (UTC), William Black

wrote:
On Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:00:47 -0700, wrote:

On Apr 20, 12:46*pm, "Markku Grönroos" wrote:
*Replacement is efficient.
I agree. *Once when I was traveling alone, I had misplaced my cash,
travelers checques, ATM cards, and credit cards. * I was able to get
immediate replacements for my TC and my AmEx card, saving my vacation.
I consider it to be last resort insurnace that I hope I do not need to
exercise *Normally I deposit the TCs in my bank account when I return.

On Apr 21, 3:37*am, William Black wrote:
On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:11:00 +1000, Alan S wrote:
That is not the case when I am alone in foreign lands. Although I don't
use traveller's cheques I do use a secret wallet, a passport and backup
CC and cash. Not something I need at home. If I get robbed at home it is
an unpleasant inconvenience. If I lose my passport or the ability to
access funds in a foreign land it can be a bloody disaster.

People lose their passports and money all the time when in exotic places
when travelling. *Speak to someone who has worked somewhere that has a
'consulate function'.

It's not a disaster, *it's a problem.

If you change your systems of doing things you increase the chances of a
disaster.

--
William Black


By traveling abroad I am already changing my "system". But I have a
system when I am traveling abroad. It's different from my system at
home exactly because of what Alan said. Sure people lose passports
and money all the time when traveling. My system for travels minimize
those problems. At home I carry my wallet in my back pocket. When
traveling I would never do that. Mainly because I am easily
identifiable as a tourist and attracts pickpockets.

On Apr 21, 5:04*am, Chris Blunt wrote:
I do if I take the precautions I've just described. In the unlikely
event of the very worst happening, I can always request my bank to
remit money to me locally.

Chris
I lost my stuff late on a Friday night almost immediately after I left
the airport. Given the time differences, if I had followed your
strategy, I would not have been able to contact my home bank until
late Monday (destination time), and probably not received any money
until Tuesday. I was able to get the TCs replaced the next day.

My bank does not charge me any fees for TCs, and the branch offices
are conveniently located. I consider it cheap insurance, only costing
me a visit to the cashier. I might choose differently if I had to pay
the 1% commission.

On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 09:02:11 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On Apr 21, 5:04*am, Chris Blunt wrote:
I do if I take the precautions I've just described. In the unlikely
event of the very worst happening, I can always request my bank to
remit money to me locally.

Chris
I lost my stuff late on a Friday night almost immediately after I left
the airport. Given the time differences, if I had followed your
strategy, I would not have been able to contact my home bank until
late Monday (destination time), and probably not received any money
until Tuesday. I was able to get the TCs replaced the next day.

Did you lose literally all your stuff? If so how were you able to get
them replaced if you had no record of their serial numbers and no
means of identifying yourself?

The discussion seems to have got a bit confused because there are two
entirely different requirements here. I believe the original question
was about using travelers checks to routinely obtain money for normal
expenses while traveling overseas. In my experience, you are better
off using an ATM card for that. There is then the question of having
some kind of temporary backup to get you out of trouble in case your
primary means of getting money fails. I do accept that for that
purpose carrying a couple of high-denomination travelers checks would
be useful.

Chris

"Chris Blunt" kirjoitti
om...

The discussion seems to have got a bit confused because there are two
entirely different requirements here. I believe the original question
was about using travelers checks to routinely obtain money for normal

The original question asked whether anyone uses TCs in Asia anymore. The
answer is Yes.

Getting back the original question -

I still carry TCs when travelling overseas, mostly because I travel
primarily on business and my company makes it very, very easy to
maintain a supply of traveler's checks for this sort of travel. (I get
my supply of checks automatically replenished when they drop
below a certain level, and the checks are charged to my corporate
card as they are used, not when they are issued.) They're certainly
not my primary means of paying for things, but do come in handy
on occasion (when I can't readily locate an ATM, or if I simply want
to get some local currency from the exchange bank upon arrive at
the destination airport).

It is certainly possible to get along without them these days, but I
haven't seen any reason to stop carrying them yet, simply as a
backup source of cash that is easily replaced if lost, etc..

Bob M.

On Apr 21, 9:43*am, Chris Blunt wrote:
I lost my stuff late on a Friday night almost immediately after I left
the airport. *Given the time differences, if I had followed your
strategy, I would not have been able to contact my home bank until
late Monday (destination time), and probably not received any money
until Tuesday. *I was able to get the TCs replaced the next day.

Did you lose literally all your stuff? If so how were you able to get
them replaced if you had no record of their serial numbers and no
means of identifying yourself?
I did not lose *all* my stuff. I did lose the things I listed in my
previous posting.

I was able to tell the AmEx telephone agent exactly when, where, and
how many TCs I had purchased. They authorized the replacement TCs
after verifying that information. I still had identifying documents
that they accepted. The AmEx office at the airport was open 24/7, so
I could have gotten my TCs and my AmEx CC replaced "immediately"; I
went the next day.


The discussion seems to have got a bit confused because there are two
entirely different requirements here. I believe the original question
was about using travelers checks to routinely obtain money for normal
expenses while traveling overseas.
You may choose to interpret it that way, but I read it as it was
written.

In my experience, you are better
off using an ATM card for that.
Obviously. I don't think anyone here disagrees with this. I was
agreeing with Markku Grönroos that "replacement is efficient" and
showiing how this characteristic had proved to be beneficial for me.

There is then the question of having
some kind of temporary backup to get you out of trouble in case your
primary means of getting money fails. I do accept that for that
purpose carrying a couple of high-denomination travelers checks would
be useful.
This was not obvious from your previous posts. It appears that
William Black would not agree with this.


Chris

On Apr 21, 7:14*pm, Chris Blunt wrote:
I don't
see why paying for travelers checks gave you any significant advantage
there.

Chris
I found it well worth the price I paid, which was $0 plus gong inside
the bank to talk to a teller.

On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:07:27 -0600, "Bob Myers"
wrote:

Getting back the original question -

I still carry TCs when travelling overseas, mostly because I travel
primarily on business and my company makes it very, very easy to
maintain a supply of traveler's checks for this sort of travel. (I get
my supply of checks automatically replenished when they drop
below a certain level, and the checks are charged to my corporate
card as they are used, not when they are issued.) They're certainly
not my primary means of paying for things, but do come in handy
on occasion (when I can't readily locate an ATM, or if I simply want
to get some local currency from the exchange bank upon arrive at
the destination airport).

It is certainly possible to get along without them these days, but I
haven't seen any reason to stop carrying them yet, simply as a
backup source of cash that is easily replaced if lost, etc..

Bob M.

IMHO, the OP is a troll. We have had the same hot debate/argument here
a few months ago.
It's obvious that *most* travelers in the world don't use Travelers
Checks anymore.
As other people wrote, Visa cards from different banks are far more
reliable in Asia than any TC.

Mort

Originally Posted by Chris Blunt[_2_]

On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:33:07 +0300, "Markku Grönroos"
wrote:


"Chris Blunt" kirjoitti
om...

I've never seen any value in taking travelers checks. They're just
something else to have to worry about getting stolen. If you don't buy
them in the first place then that money stays safely in your bank
account at home.

You should also have access to the account which is not always the case when
abroad.

I do if I take the precautions I've just described. In the unlikely
event of the very worst happening, I can always request my bank to
remit money to me locally.

Chris

I do use them but i think just a bit now the cards have become quite convenient ..!!