Medellin Reports

[Member #4665]

you use them to describe your experience like you have not experienced them.

Yup. Anonymous. And I always say " I heard... " or " a friend... " .Anonymous.

[Member #4665]

Great ATM tip about the conversion issue.

In col never use ATM in street. Enter a shopping mall use ATM nthere with morre cams and guards it is safer.

LOL about videoconference with the "secretary" .
---
The vanilla icecream is free, baby.

[Surfer500]

You do not use the common terms that most usually use. Also you use them to describe your experience like you have not experienced them. "Videoconference" is just one example. You also explain things in general and not talk about Medellin so that kind of lost the relevance. My SA experience is very different from yours. I have talked to many Medellin girls on Medellin and they all know why they are on the site even for some that are just exploring. if you have talked to Medellin girls, you will know the more common terms even after translator.

Exactly what I have been saying.

[Mr Enternational]

Mr E., pls understand I did not mean to argue with you on this.

LOL. Man you know I am not thinking that way.

[Black Page]

Rather I believe he is surprised that it happens in Colombia. I saw this conversion screen for the first time at the end of last year and it has spread to more banks this year. Overall it is a relatively new thing in Colombia.

Unfortunately not. I have been noticing that BS in many ATMs of USA, Colombia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore for the last several years. No, I am sorry, I am not able to enumerate precisely where and when, but I mention those countries because they are the extra-EU places I have visited most often in the last years.

Mr E., pls understand I did not mean to argue with you on this. I feel totally sympathetic with your anger. I fell in this trap more than once. I may only speculate that either you did not notice it before, or your specific usual ATM did not have this option before, but they introduced it only recently. Who knows. However, no, it is not new in Colombia.

Particularly nasty is having that conversion option in the credit card payments, because when it is available the waiter or the seller is used to select YES without even asking the unaware customer.

[Gringo Trooper]

Exactly. This is my 3rd time here this year and I had never seen it before last night.

Thank you for the intel. I was there in January of this year and I did not see this on the ATM screen, so I would agree that this must be new.

Moreover, after using my debit card at places like Starbucks, etc. (in January), the amount that they charged me at the coffee shop in pesos turned out to be the correct conversion amount in USD when I checked my bank statement online.

I'll try it out at Starbucks when I get down there next month. It's hard to imagine that coffee shops and restaurants would be doing this conversion bull also.

[Mr Enternational]

I don't think Mr. E is unaware of this "trick" by the banks. Rather I believe he is surprised that it happens in Colombia. I saw this conversion screen for the first time at the end of last year and it has spread to more banks this year. Overall it is a relatively new thing in Colombia. Yes these conversion offers are total bullshit.

Exactly. This is my 3rd time here this year and I had never seen it before last night. Matter of fact I went to Colpatria first. Put my card in and it asks Spanish or English. Pressed both buttons and inserted my card multiple times and it would not get past that screen. Then I went to Davivienda and that machine would only allow a withdrawl of 300,000. By the time I got to the Banco de Bogota machine I was frustrated and just wanted to get some money out quickly. In that state I could have easily missed what was going on, but I caught it and decided to pass the word along so other people will have their eyes open.

[Mr Enternational]

You do not use the common terms that most usually use. Also you use them to describe your experience like you have not experienced them. "Videoconference" is just one example.

That is what I was saying before. Videoconference is a term used in a formal workplace. And to have to schedule this like a formal job? Hey ho. Thursday at 1630 we will be having a videoconference and I expect you to be there and to have made all the necessary preparations. Who does that? Then he was like she missed the videoconference. Like uh oh, dereliction of duty. She is about to get put on probation. Never answered why he could not just tell her to turn on her cam all the other times he was sending messages with her. Like it is some big to do. Takes all of 30 seconds to turn on the cam and verify that is the person you are really talking to. I have nothing against him. It is just odd.

[Kazeu]

I don't think Mr. E is unaware of this "trick" by the banks. Rather I believe he is surprised that it happens in Colombia. I saw this conversion screen for the first time at the end of last year and it has spread to more banks this year. Overall it is a relatively new thing in Colombia. Yes these conversion offers are total bullshit.

Mr. E, I am frankly surprised of your surprise! You have travelled all around the world, and I understand you are expert of all pitfalls we may encounter in travelling.

You discovered the obvious, sorry to tell you that. ANYWHERE in the world, NEVER accept conversion by the ATM of the local currency to your account currency. It is near to be a scam, but they present it as "so you know for sure how much you will be charged on your bank account". ALWAYS withdraw an amount specified in the local currency. In your bank account, you will be charged the amount in local currency (e.g., COP) converted to your currency (e.g., USD) at the international interbank rate (you see it on XE.COM or Yahoo Finance) plus some 1.5% fee charged by the international circuit (most commonly Maestro/MasterCard or VISA) plus some fixed fee your bank may charge (some banks waive that).
As it was stated many times in the board, if you avoid currency conversion by the ATM, withdrawing money from ATMs can be more convenient than changing cash.

The same holds when you pay with your credit card. In many countries (and Colombia is one of those), the paying device has an option "accept conversion to EUR (or USD, whatever is your native currency) YES / NO". NEVER accept conversion. ALWAYS pay in COP. The nasty point is that many waiters in restaurants do not understand the difference and will select YES for you, thinking to do a favour to the customer. Always check and be sure they select NO. Sometimes, I had a strong discussion with the cashier in various places, even in places as Carbon de Palo supposed to be used to deal with foreigners, and I was rerely able to convince them that if they select YES I am going to pay some significant extra money to the bank.

It is good you raised this point, as many people are totally unaware of this.

[Nounce]

Well I see this post is not arguing but more just talking. So I could participate in this civil conversation. Yes good point I think the seeking app has a videoconference feature and it may have been recently added. I'm not sure. What's app video is better.

You do not use the common terms that most usually use. Also you use them to describe your experience like you have not experienced them. "Videoconference" is just one example. You also explain things in general and not talk about Medellin so that kind of lost the relevance. My SA experience is very different from yours. I have talked to many Medellin girls on Medellin and they all know why they are on the site even for some that are just exploring. if you have talked to Medellin girls, you will know the more common terms even after translator.

[Knowledge]

I am confused by the terms "Colombian gringo" and "non-pro", especially "non-pro". Is non-pro a way to say you are a non-punter?

I arrived Wednesday and now have one more day until I leave on Monday. It has been a good trip. I do not have a lot to report, as the girls I've seen are non-pros, with the exception of one. I had to work hard to cultivate some of them, but it's paid off. Found a new one. She just turned 18 about two months ago. Nice.

Lots of girls still working hard to get dates. I told almost none of them that I am here, but somehow the word leaks out and the messages start flowing.

I went out last night with a fellow monger for some drinks at Lleras Park. He and his friend had invited about 10-12 girls. Obviously all of them were putas. I had been with one of the before, and she looked the best. She works out a lot! A couple of the others are friends of mine on facebook, but I've never pulled them.

Lleras Park got closed down early (at 11? Think they had too many customers. So we went to the Casa Blanca in Prado. What a dump. Used to be a low-end strip club. Now it's just a local bar with working girls hanging out. But it stays open late. I was the only gringo in the place (my fellow monger is a gringo Colombian). Never worried about my safety inside. Good distancing..

[Knowledge]

Correct. The ATMs of several banks in Colombia have for years now been presenting the foreign currency conversion option to people who use cards issued by foreign banks. Decline that option 100% of the time and there will be no problems.

Mr. E, I am frankly surprised of your surprise! You have travelled all around the world, and I understand you are expert of all pitfalls we may encounter in travelling.

You discovered the obvious, sorry to tell you that. ANYWHERE in the world, NEVER accept conversion by the ATM of the local currency to your account currency. It is near to be a scam, but they present it as "so you know for sure how much you will be charged on your bank account". ALWAYS withdraw an amount specified in the local currency. In your bank account, you will be charged the amount in local currency (e.g., COP) converted to your currency (e.g., USD) at the international interbank rate (you see it on XE.COM or Yahoo Finance) plus some 1.5% fee charged by the international circuit (most commonly Maestro/MasterCard or VISA) plus some fixed fee your bank may charge (some banks waive that).
As it was stated many times in the board, if you avoid currency conversion by the ATM, withdrawing money from ATMs can be more convenient than changing cash.

The same holds when you pay with your credit card. In many countries (and Colombia is one of those), the paying device has an option "accept conversion to EUR (or USD, whatever is your native currency) YES / NO". NEVER accept conversion. ALWAYS pay in COP. The nasty point is that many waiters in restaurants do not understand the difference and will select YES for you, thinking to do a favour to the customer. Always check and be sure they select NO. Sometimes, I had a strong discussion with the cashier in various places, even in places as Carbon de Palo supposed to be used to deal with foreigners, and I was rerely able to convince them that if they select YES I am going to pay some significant extra money to the bank..

[NormalAsianKid]

Anyone got a good full service massage place they'd recommend? Was going to try energy but they are closed on Sundays.

[Black Page]

A buddy of mine tried that with a chick from the Philippines. It took him 10 years and quite a bit of money for her to get a visa to the US. However, once she came to the US, my friend could not wait to send her back to the PI after a short stay. She was very disappointed, as she thought they were going to get married.

Well, I am not surprised or her disappointment! He spent TEN YEARS AND QUITE A BIT OF MONEY to give her a visa, and she should think that all this was for a short tour to see USA?? Seriously?

[Black Page]

I arrived in Bogota tonight and went to the Banco de Bogota ATM in the airport. It seems these mfs have start trying to pull a trick that a few banks in Thailand have been doing the past couple of years. You key in how much money you want then it pops up on the screen an amount with them offering to exchange your currency to pesos. ALWAYS SELECT NO unless you like getting fucked instead of doing the fucking. They will charge you 7% exchange on top of the 13,000 fee if you select yes. When you select no the money just comes out normal and you get the rate that your home bank is giving you.

Mr. E, I am frankly surprised of your surprise! You have travelled all around the world, and I understand you are expert of all pitfalls we may encounter in travelling.

You discovered the obvious, sorry to tell you that. ANYWHERE in the world, NEVER accept conversion by the ATM of the local currency to your account currency. It is near to be a scam, but they present it as "so you know for sure how much you will be charged on your bank account". ALWAYS withdraw an amount specified in the local currency. In your bank account, you will be charged the amount in local currency (e.g., COP) converted to your currency (e.g., USD) at the international interbank rate (you see it on XE.COM or Yahoo Finance) plus some 1.5% fee charged by the international circuit (most commonly Maestro/MasterCard or VISA) plus some fixed fee your bank may charge (some banks waive that).
As it was stated many times in the board, if you avoid currency conversion by the ATM, withdrawing money from ATMs can be more convenient than changing cash.

The same holds when you pay with your credit card. In many countries (and Colombia is one of those), the paying device has an option "accept conversion to EUR (or USD, whatever is your native currency) YES / NO". NEVER accept conversion. ALWAYS pay in COP. The nasty point is that many waiters in restaurants do not understand the difference and will select YES for you, thinking to do a favour to the customer. Always check and be sure they select NO. Sometimes, I had a strong discussion with the cashier in various places, even in places as Carbon de Palo supposed to be used to deal with foreigners, and I was rerely able to convince them that if they select YES I am going to pay some significant extra money to the bank.

It is good you raised this point, as many people are totally unaware of this.