General Info

Thanks for all the input and responses. I had a much different experience when I was in DR last October. Each time I went into a bank and asked to open an account. The account ladies looked at me like I was asking her to lift her blouse and show me her jugs because I was obviously the international jugs judging expert.

I had to ask several time to get them to help me. This was both in banco popular why scocia bank. Banco progressivo wouldn't even talk to me. Scocia gave a laundry list of requirements like a letter from Road emigration department and a notorized letter from my current bank two letters of recommendations from businesses people in Road or locals. Basically a bunch of ridiculous requirement.

I walked in both banks with $250 Road my passport my DL and smile with good hopes.

Did I do something wSosua? BTW I was in Sosua?

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs; 1127991]Yes, it is possible. I have a peso account with La Nacional and a USD account with BHD. I just keep a small amount in each account for emergencies.

The peso account with La Nacional was very easy to open. I went to the office on avenida bolivar at sanchez with my passport. Within 30 minutes the account was open and I had a debit card in hand. The USD account with BHD is another story. I will say most, because I did not go to every bank in Santo Domingo, banks will have to run a credit check on you before you can open a USD account. I did the application at BHD and about two months later the paper work was processed and I was able to open an account.

If you have a cedula, which I doubt, you can open any type of account the same day.

The pesos account with the debit card is very handy. When I arrive in SD I just deposit the USD I brought with me. During my stay I just withdraw pesos as needed. There is no bank ATM fee as this is a Dominican Republic account. [/QUOTE][QUOTE=Tony53; 1128000]Hey you can open account with Bank Popular very easy. I opened both pesos and USD accounts all in the.

Same day. As long as you have passport and another I'd, no problem. There is a min. To open each.

Sorry forgot the amounts but they are reasonable. [/QUOTE][QUOTE=Charles Pooter; 1128056]My peso account with BHD was opened in 30 minutes so, as you suggest, it is not which bank but which currency is the key issue. I didn't have a cedula.

Yes, the debit card is handy as you say. Only problem is BHD don't have too many ATMs on the North Coast (don't know about elsewhere). [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Vincelee76;1127841]We are all God's children, why not treat these folks with equal respects.[/QUOTE]Because they have nil self-respect. They are liars, thieves, have no interest in learning anything useful, too lazy to look for a job, easier to put their women on the streets, take most or all of the proceeds and beat them up if it isn't enough (or if they are drunk enough, even if it is). I guess God is like the rest of us. Not all of our children turn out well. He would probably send a plague to rid the Earth of Dominican males but they are doing the job for him on their motor-bikes.

[QUOTE=Charles Pooter;1128214]Because they have nil self-respect. They are liars, thieves, have no interest in learning anything useful, too lazy to look for a job, easier to put their women on the streets, take most or all of the proceeds and beat them up if it isn't enough (or if they are drunk enough, even if it is). I guess God is like the rest of us. Not all of our children turn out well. He would probably send a plague to rid the Earth of Dominican males but they are doing the job for him on their motor-bikes.[/QUOTE]Ok, interesting. The dominican men, must be similiar to phillippino men, they will try to get money from tourist every chance they get. Yes, I will be more careful, since this will be my first trip to DR.

I am also assuming that you or people you know have been ripped off by dominican men? Do tell me some scnarios.

[QUOTE=Ehunter; 1128047]24 HOURS! LOL How brutal. Where you coming from?

It is possible to get to POP in 10-13 hours depending on the carrier from San Francisco. That is, if they allow you to book a flight. Continental says there is room all the way there and back but the star alliance forces me to book through United and they say there are no seats. Go figure.

Kinda pisses me off that the room is there but they won't allow me to use my miles during a 2 week time window.[/QUOTE]Yes, it is quite burtal. From SF to phoenix, then phoenix to NJ, then NJ to DR. And no meals in any of the flights. This will be the first flight with no food for me. God help me.

[QUOTE=Blk Big Bootyluv; 1128185]Thanks for all the input and responses. I had a much different experience when I was in DR last October. Each time I went into a bank and asked to open an account. The account ladies looked at me like I was asking her to lift her blouse and show me her jugs because I was obviously the international jugs judging expert.

I had to ask several time to get them to help me. This was both in banco popular why scocia bank. Banco progressivo wouldn't even talk to me. Scocia gave a laundry list of requirements like a letter from Road emigration department and a notorized letter from my current bank two letters of recommendations from businesses people in Road or locals. Basically a bunch of ridiculous requirement.

I walked in both banks with $250 Road my passport my DL and smile with good hopes.

Did I do something wSosua? BTW I was in Sosua? [/QUOTE]You must be ugly like me cause I went through the same thing in Santo Domingo. Initially I wanted to open a USD account. I probably went to ten different banks and got the same answers as you. I got the laundry list also, think it was six or seven items of things to bring.

Someone told me opening a pesos account was much easier and to try La Nacional. I went to La Nacional and not being a fluent Spanish speaker I was still able to open the peso account the same day. I got a generic La Nacional debit card on the spot. Weird thing the account is a savings account but with a debit card. All my other debit cards are linked to a checking account so I have to remember to hit savings account when making an ATM transaction. No big deal except for a few times when the Brugal and Presidentes were kicking in big time and I kept hitting checking and couldn't get more beer money. LOL.

As I mentioned I filled out an application with BHD and I also filled out an application with Banco Leon. Two months later BHD had processed my paper work and Banco Leon was still waiting. I went ahead and opened the USD account with BHD but there is no debit card associated with this account. I just leave a couple hundred in the account for an emergency and that has happened a few times.

[QUOTE=Blk Big Bootyluv;1128185]....................I walked in both banks with $250 Road my passport my DL and smile with good hopes....................[/QUOTE]
hahahaha, auto correction at work again. How much is $250 Road in USD?

[QUOTE=Vincelee76;1128242]Yes, it is quite burtal. From SF to phoenix, then phoenix to NJ, then NJ to DR. And no meals in any of the flights. This will be the first flight with no food for me. God help me.[/QUOTE]Before a trip I go to Walmart to buy stuff for the trip. Tylenol cold and benadryl (tablets and the spray on) , immodium and gas-x (the presidente beer gives me the farts). I usually carry a few of those tablets / pills with me on the airplane in my laptop bag (being congested on an airplane when your ears cannot decompress can be torture).

At Walmart I buy a box of Clif Energy Bars, a box of 6 costs about $7US. I put a few of those bars in my laptop bag and have had no trouble going through airport security with them. I have read that airport security will allow you to go through security with a sandwich. I have also gone through security with small bags of candy to eat on the airplane.

Once through security most airports have restaurants where you can buy food to carry-on the airplane. I always buy a good size bottle of water that I carry on and drink on the airplane.

I bring my own condoms, Trojans to the DR.

Mosquito repellent I always bring with me, mosquitoes are worse in the beach towns, in santo domingo I never was bothered by mosquitoes.

[QUOTE=Vincelee76;1128242]Yes, it is quite burtal. From SF to phoenix, then phoenix to NJ, then NJ to DR. And no meals in any of the flights. This will be the first flight with no food for me. God help me.[/QUOTE]See your inbox Vince

Banco Popular has many branches in the US. Do a search on their webpage to see if their is a branch located close to where you live: [url]http://www.popular.com/[/url]

Helpmann does not like Banco Popular. But they might be an option if you want to have an account that you can access both in the US and the DR. I would inquire with them whether ATM usage is free in the DR with a US banco popular account. Banco Popular from what I saw has the most ATM machines in Dom Rep, usually in the most convenient locations. You may also be able to open an account with them online and they may have a free checking account.

[QUOTE=Blk Big Bootyluv; 1128185]Thanks for all the input and responses. I had a much different experience when I was in DR last October. Each time I went into a bank and asked to open an account. The account ladies looked at me like I was asking her to lift her blouse and show me her jugs because I was obviously the international jugs judging expert.

I had to ask several time to get them to help me. This was both in banco popular why scocia bank. Banco progressivo wouldn't even talk to me. Scocia gave a laundry list of requirements like a letter from Road emigration department and a notorized letter from my current bank two letters of recommendations from businesses people in Road or locals. Basically a bunch of ridiculous requirement.

I walked in both banks with $250 Road my passport my DL and smile with good hopes.

Did I do something wSosua? BTW I was in Sosua? [/QUOTE]

Well I'm going to be in SDQ soon so I will try again. Hopefully the banks there will be more liberal with their requirements.

[QUOTE=Bq Ribs; 1128369]You must be ugly like me cause I went through the same thing in Santo Domingo. Initially I wanted to open a USD account. I probably went to ten different banks and got the same answers as you. I got the laundry list also, think it was six or seven items of things to bring.

Someone told me opening a pesos account was much easier and to try La Nacional. I went to La Nacional and not being a fluent Spanish speaker I was still able to open the peso account the same day. I got a generic La Nacional debit card on the spot. Weird thing the account is a savings account but with a debit card. All my other debit cards are linked to a checking account so I have to remember to hit savings account when making an ATM transaction. No big deal except for a few times when the Brugal and Presidentes were kicking in big time and I kept hitting checking and couldn't get more beer money. LOL.

As I mentioned I filled out an application with BHD and I also filled out an application with Banco Leon. Two months later BHD had processed my paper work and Banco Leon was still waiting. I went ahead and opened the USD account with BHD but there is no debit card associated with this account. I just leave a couple hundred in the account for an emergency and that has happened a few times.

Hahahaha, auto correction at work again. How much is $250 Road in USD? [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Jaosousa; 1128395]Before a trip I go to Walmart to buy stuff for the trip. Tylenol cold and benadryl (tablets and the spray on) , immodium and gas-x (the presidente beer gives me the farts). I usually carry a few of those tablets / pills with me on the airplane in my laptop bag (being congested on an airplane when your ears cannot decompress can be torture).

[/QUOTE]Johnson & Johnson sells a first aid travel kit that includes bandages, tylenol, motrin, antibiotic oinment, cleasing wipes, Cortaid anti-itch cream and gauze pads all stored in a convenient 4x5x2 inches plastic case. It has enough space to add a couple of more items as for example condoms and other kind of pills. It cost six or seven dollars with 70 items inside. Very convenient.

[QUOTE=BoricuaOnline;1128582]Johnson & Johnson sells a first aid travel kit that includes bandages, tylenol, motrin, antibiotic oinment, cleasing wipes, Cortaid anti-itch cream and gauze pads all stored in a convenient 4x5x2 inches plastic case. It has enough space to add a couple of more items as for example condoms and other kind of pills. It cost six or seven dollars with 70 items inside. Very convenient.[/QUOTE]Good to have that stuff in a small size, some times the chicas will have a headache, good to have motrin. The wipes are good to have if you visit a home where the water is not working, you can clean your hands.

Metronidazol MK Oral 500 mg is the same of the pills that I bought at the pharmacy at the airport in santo domingo. I was told two pills should kill intestinal parasites. Price at the airport was 50 pesos per pill, I was told the price in local pharmacies is 15 pesos per pill.

After eating the pineapple from the street, I started to think twice, so I bought these pills as a precaution, I have not taken them yet. Leafy greens found in salads might be a more likely source for parasites, I don't know. I was with one medical doctor from the US and he wouldn't use the ice in Santo Domingo for his bottled water.

[QUOTE=BoricuaOnline;1128582]Johnson & Johnson sells a first aid travel kit that includes bandages, tylenol, motrin, antibiotic oinment, cleasing wipes, Cortaid anti-itch cream and gauze pads all stored in a convenient 4x5x2 inches plastic case. It has enough space to add a couple of more items as for example condoms and other kind of pills. It cost six or seven dollars with 70 items inside. Very convenient.[/QUOTE]

Before my last trip I bought an unlocked Nokia E71 cell from dell. Com using a coupon code I found on dealnews. Com, cost was about $160US. My longtime Walmart $30US Samsung sch-340 prepaid verizon cell that I had unblocked at carrefour (sdq) years ago finally died. That cell did not use a sim card (cdma). On a past trip I bought a 500 pesos zte cell phone from Claro, that phone is not user friendly.

The USB sync cable that comes with the Nokia is about 4 inches long, very short. I bought a USB cradle ($9US from Amazon) that has a longer cable, that syncs the phone with the computer and charges the cell. The cradle I ordered has an open slot to charge a second battery and I bought a second battery for $10 from Amazon. The company sent me a cradle that did not have the open slot for a second battery (I will straighten that out with Amazon) ; [url]http://www.amazon.com/USB-Cradle-Battery-Charger-Nokia/dp/B002PNAC58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299006203&sr=8-1[/url]

The nokia e71 has a full keyboard (the buttons are a little small and the numbers / letters on the buttons are small). I downloaded and installed onto my computer Nokia Ovi Suite 3. 0 for free from Nokia. With that Suite and the nokia cell connected to my PC, I can manage contacts, music, videos, read and send text messages through the cell using my PC. Using that Suite, I downloaded free maps onto the cell, including free maps of the Dominican Republic.

The Nokia e71 has wifi and I connected to the internet with it in the DR, no problem. I tried out the built in GPS while I was in San Pedro de Marcoris, the Nokia found my approximate location with the map showing the street names (not sure if I would rely on the Nokia GPS to give me great turn by turn directions in the smaller Dominican cities, it may work better in more populous locations).

Before the trip I added the phone numbers of various Dominican chicas, who I met online using ovi suite and my computer. For some I added their cell phone numbers in this format: 1-809-555-1212. When I was in Dom Rep using the nokia with a claro sim card, trying to call a number in that format the call would not go through. I edited the phone number to appear like this: 8095551212 and the call went through. Problem might be the 1 in front of the area code.

When I called the states I needed to have the 1 in front of the area code: 1 212 555 1212.

I usually wear Dockers pants in DR and one time while sitting on a sofa in a bar, the nokia slid out of my front pants pocket onto the floor, I didn't notice. The chica who was with me, told me my cell was on the floor (another time a few credit cards fell out of the front pants pocket while sitting).

You can download and install various free and inexpensive applications for the nokia e71. A free application that I used was Flashlight which makes the screen totally blank with light so it can be used like a flashlight (I used it at D'Luis Parrilada to read the menu at night). The Nokia also has a program that uses the cameras zoom to make thing appear larger on the screen.

I would like to make the fonts bigger on the Nokia, but the application to increase font size costs about $15US. I bought an application for about $3US called Lockme which will password protect any and all programs on the phone, including contact list, call log, text messages, photo gallery etc. You can still use the cell to make and receive calls, while whatever programs you chose are password protected. One time I was driving in my car and a chica in the back seat asked to use my cell, with the lockme program, that chica could not snoop around inside my cell.

I need to figure out how to send incoming calls directly into voice mail. If a chica is using my cell and another call comes into the cell, sometimes the chica will answer that call.

ATT sells a refurbished pantech link cell (takes sim cards, full keyboard) for $29. 99. I was told the cost to unblock that cell in DR costs from 600 to 1200 pesos. A cell phone place in Megacentro mall (sdq) called Tony, may charge 600 pesos to unblock it. I bought one that I sometimes use in the states and may buy another to use in the DR. Possibly get a second DR sim card for it and use that cell when I am out at night slumming (if it gets lost or stolen, it won't be a huge loss) ; [url]http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phones/prepaid-phones.jsp?wtSlotClick=1-004ROX-0-2&WT.svl=button[/url]

Thank you for your message.

Please be advised that our branches are located in Florida, Illinois, California, New York and New Jersey. Banco Popular North America is not affiliated with the Banco Popular in Dominican Republic.

Regards,

EG.

Popular Online Banking Team

Customer Care Specialist.

[QUOTE=Jaosousa; 1128428]Banco Popular has many branches in the US. Do a search on their webpage to see if their is a branch located close to where you live:

[url]http://www.popular.com/[/url]

Helpmann does not like Banco Popular. But they might be an option if you want to have an account that you can access both in the US and the DR. I would inquire with them whether ATM usage is free in the DR with a US banco popular account. Banco Popular from what I saw has the most ATM machines in Dom Rep, usually in the most convenient locations. You may also be able to open an account with them online and they may have a free checking account. [/QUOTE]

Thanks BBL.

I can cross Banco Popular off the list of banks to open an account with. I will probably open a Bank of America free e-banking account and use their debit card at Scotia Bank ATMs in Dom Rep for no fee ATM withdrawals.

[QUOTE=Blk Big Bootyluv; 1128927]Thank you for your message.

Please be advised that our branches are located in Florida, Illinois, California, New York and New Jersey. Banco Popular North America is not affiliated with the Banco Popular in Dominican Republic.

Regards,

EG.

Popular Online Banking Team

Customer Care Specialist. [/QUOTE]