XE questions - and other banking questions
 

We were starting to sign up with XE, but it seemed odd...

They called up to finalise it, and Keith got some woman with an accent he couldn't understand well (unfortunately) who seemed to be insisting that they were going to call up all the vets in the area he had done work for. And run a credit check. He thinks.

Huh?

Also, I was wondering... XE has the option to send a draft by mail. Which sounds fine, but... what proof (if any) would we have that the receiving party ever got the draft, and that we had made the payment?

I would be happy for suggestions other than XE also actually - we're trying to figure out how to pay things in the UK on occasion without a current UK bank account (sigh). And I presume it'd be impossible to open one without a UK address.

Aren't there any banks that do business in both countries?

Finally, can a bank in the UK cash a US check (just do the currency conversion)? My bank here in the US takes a check in GBP for deposit - will a UK bank take one in $$$?

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

keith presumably must have had a uk bank account when he lived there?

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

Yes. But not now apparently. Sigh.

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

oh tracy you slipped up there, he should have kept it open but why not have him contact them and reinstate it.

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

Not ME lol - I didn't do it :)

How would that work - with no UK address? Will they take a US address?

I'd still have to pay to wire money between banks though - doesn't anyone do business in both countries?

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

i know you didn't do it but seems keith listens to you from the sounds of your posts ;)

yes lots of banks will accept usa addresses....i'd have keith contact them first off and see what they say.

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

OK, have to see what they say.

Still a pain to have to wire money over though - I'm still curious if a UK bank can take a check in $$$ and if any bank does business on both sides of the pond.

Seems odd, in this electronic day and age, to be so difficult...

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

afaik most UK banks will accept US$ cheques but will charge, I know Barclays have done for us but long yrs ago. HSBC is over here and so guess they do banking both sides of the pond however we don't use them.

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

Thanks - I'll have to check into that.

We got a check in GBP as a wedding present from one of Keith's relatives - I thought it'd be a big deal, but my bank just deposited it no charge (I'm sure they kept a bit on the currency conversion, but not that I could notice).

I'll have to see if the UK banks can do it - at the moment we just have a one-off payment we need to make for a small amount. Doctor's office wrote us a letter and want paid. Which is fine, but they don't take credit cards, and I'm just trying to figure out how on earth to get them the money.

Obviously it SHOULD be easy to just send it via western union to a family member or something... it isn't. Don't get me started (grrrr).

So I'm trying to plan for the future, may need to pay some stuff over there, I'll see if HSBC works.

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

You could always use Paypal

But just for a one off if your stuck ..I can send a UK check
and you can send me a US check

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

Oh dear. I cannot think why on earth he closed his UK account. I would get him to try and reopen it as quickly as possible. The longer he leaves it, the more difficult it gets. And it is very difficult to function as an expat without an account in the home country.

As far as XE Trade is concerned, I would email them, say that he did not feel comfortable talking to the person who called him, and request to be called by someone more senior.

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

I was considering Paypal. But it appears that the receiving person must also have paypal - or must open an account when the get the email telling them they have a payment. Am I misunderstanding something?

If I don't figure something else out, I may just take you up on that - thanks :)

Yes, I know (sigh).

I was thinking of calling XE trade monday - I am wondering if one uses the draft option, how there's any proof a payment was made.

Is it normal for XE trade to be calling around employers - or running credit checks? Seemed very intrusive to me...

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

Why would they unless it was a business account...

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

I have no idea - sounded very bizarre to me.

We said it was just for an individual account. But she wanted the name of every vet around here Keith had worked at (he did fill-in work at some), and it appeared she said she was going to run a credit check (!).

So this isn't normal? They shouldn't call anyone expept perhaps your bank?

Re: XE questions - and other banking questions
 

Sounds weird to me ...