Inspect your Dollars before you leave home!

[Joliett]

Before my first trip to Puerto Valalrta, I took several hundred dollars out of my bank account for spending money. My banker gave me my withdrawal mostly in hundred dollar bills. Not a problem until one day in Puerto Vallarta when I took one of my hundred dollar bills up the hill to do some grocery shopping at Rizzo's. When I gave my hundred dollar bill to the cashier, they called a supervisor, who called another supervisor, who called management, who had to come out, inspect my money and apparently make a judgement on its authenticity. Because there was an inch-long black "magic marker" mark on my hundred dollar bill, (which I hadn't even noticed) Rizzo's would not accept it. I had to leave my cart pulled to the side, and walk all the way back to my condo for different money so I could pay for my groceries. I was a bit frustrated and embarrassed!

During the rest of my vacation, I tried a few more times to cash the "marked" one hundred dollar bill, but no one would accept it. I found out that banks and currency exchanges in Puerto Vallarta will not accept marked or damaged bills, so no vendor wants to be stuck with them. I finally just took my hundred dollar bill back to the States, where I spent it with no problem whatsoever.

So be forewarned: If you are taking cash with you -- take smaller bills when possible, and CHECK EACH BILL for damage, marks, stains, tears, etc. Trade those sullied bills in for clean ones before you leave home, and you'll avoid the hassle of having your money rejected! Had this been my LAST hundred dollar bill, I would have been screwed!

[smitty]

Good tip Joliett- brand new bills are the way to go !

[condor]

Good tip Joliett- brand new bills are the way to go !

I usually take mine right off my printing press then tumble them in my clothes dryer with a tennis shoe so they look somewhat used.

[smitty]

Good idea Condor ! Hey Condor - carrying all that cash could be hazardous to your health - maybe consider the wallet walker !

http://vimeo.com/6592255


After 40 years of hard work, a man retired with $9,000,000, which he had gained through courage, diligence, initiative, skill, devotion to duty, thrift, efficiency, shrewd investment, and the death of an uncle who left him $8,999,999.50.

[Seegar]

I tried to pay a guide who took us fishing with a slight tear in a hundred dollar bill and he refused to take it. Luckily we pooled together enough good twenty and ten dollar bills to pay him. So be warned and inspect your money before going to Mexico.

[mikeypv]

This is not something new with the banks and cambios not taking dollars with writing or being torn. We discovered this in 07 when our house manager told us that the banks would not accept any bills that were altered in any way. Since then I have been very careful and check my money before I leave home, as I don't use atms and I don't want to be stuck without any money to change. And in April we were informed that they would no longer accept large sums of cash that were brought down to put in our house account, only checks.

[condor]

This has been going on for at least 10 years. it is actually the US Banks that won't accept the bills from the Mexican banks. So it flows down hill as they say. Two years ago I bought up all the bad US bills that the vendor I was dealing with had ~$100 and he gave me what I was going to buy for free. They also won't take US coins so I once bought $30 in change from my taxi driver who had been getting it from customers for tip for a long time. It included a few Canadian coins which I later fed into a vending machine back home now it's thier problem.

[condor]

Good idea Condor ! Hey Condor - carrying all that cash could be hazardous to your health - maybe consider the wallet walker !

http://vimeo.com/6592255


After 40 years of hard work, a man retired with $9,000,000, which he had gained through courage, diligence, initiative, skill, devotion to duty, thrift, efficiency, shrewd investment, and the death of an uncle who left him $8,999,999.50.

Smitty do they make it in a rider model??

[CaballioDiablo]

Banamex will take USD bills that are damaged or marked, and they are the only ones that will do so. I had a twenty dollar bill with a tiny little piece of one corner ripped off last July. I went to Banamex bank, the cashier called over the supervisor and he signed off on it and I was given pesos.

[oneistwo]

I never carry anything bigger than a 20. About 10 of them and an ATM card go a long way.