Euro Warning

Wednesday June 3

Jayne and I went to Murry Hill to buy a electrical cord for my camera. This way, I'll be able to use it from the house current if I need to.

When we got to the store they didn't have it and they would have to order, which would take 28 days. Instead I bought an extra battery which cost 26 pounds. The power cord would have cost me 65 pounds. I really don't need it that bad, so I did without.

There were other things we bought that we needed from the mall, including some more summer clothes. Then I had to change some euros to pounds. We went into Lloyd's Bank and I gave the teller the money. She said they can't change 100 euro notes. I said why not and she said because there were a lot of counterfiets. I told her I got this from Lloyd's Bank in Ecuador. She said this is bank policy. I asked her if they give out 100 euro bills and she said yes (they get them in packets), and they give them out. I said, don't you see the wrong in this, that you give them out but you don't take them in, and she said yes. But there was nothing she could do as this is policy.
The teller told me that I could try at a travel agency or the post office.

I told her that I got the bills from Lloyd's Bank in Ecuador.

Well, we did go to Thomas Cook travel agency and the girl there said the same thing!

I thought this is so stupid. They can use the same method of checking the other bills as they can on 100, 200 or 500 euro notes. There could be 50 euro bills that are fake, too.

Now, I have to find a way to get rid of the bills, though they are geniune. I only have two of them, but I have change them. I hope I don't have a problem in Spain or Cyprus.

Another stupid thing is, if there are good fakes, why don't the banks take the person's ID info and have the serial number down on the paper so if there is any problem they know who to go to.

I wonder if the bank will take the notes if you have an account? She didn't tell this if they do. If my bank doesn't do this in Cyprus, then that means the bills are so good that they can't tell the difference. In fact, this must be the case now, otherwise they would use the UV light on it or test it with a certain marker that they use.

I just wonder if the EU is making anything larger than 50 euros?

We also stoped at a mobile phone shop so Jayne can get Internet on her phone. This way I'll be able to use it to check my email when in Wales. I also had to buy a cord to connect the phone to my computer. However, you can use the Internet without a computer.