From: usenet@isbd.co.uk
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: Re: Cheapest way to send small Euro amounts to France?
Date: 13 Jan 2004 10:38:27 GMT

Peter Saxton  wrote:
> On 12 Jan 2004 21:55:25 GMT, usenet@isbd.co.uk wrote:
> 
> >Peter Saxton  wrote:
> >> >Has anyone any better ideas?  What I'd really like is to open a bank
> >> >account in France so I can write cheques in Euros from a French bank
> >> >but that seems pretty difficult too.  (I know about CA's Britline,
> >> >last time I looked at that it was pretty expensive).
> >> 
> >> Can't you open a Euro account in the UK?
> >> 
> >Yes, but it won't help at all because you still get hit by
> >'international transfer' costs even though both ends of the transfer
> >are Euros.
> 
> Yes, I must admit I do remember a client receiving cheques and banking
> them and having a lot less credited to the account. Isn't this a bit
> crazy?
> 
Not if you're a bank, but otherwise - yes.

There are moves afoot in the Euro zone to reduce the cost of Euro
transfers between countries.  I think the rule that has been
introduced is that across border Euro transfer costs must not be more
than within country transfer costs.  The banks have responded by
making it cost more to do within country transfers.  (At least I
believe this is what has been going on, I haven't followed it closely,
does anyone know more detail).

I don't think the above helps us at all as the UK isn't in the Euro
zone.

-- 
Chris Green