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uberscheisse
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 94
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 Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:16 am Post subject: international bank draft/japanese bank |
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my father just sent me some money from back home.
he sent me a royal bank of canada bank draft that the lady in the bank assured him was a good way to send money to japan...
what i'm wondering is if anyone has cashed any international money orders or bank drafts here, and if there is indeed some kind of standardized international money order-style thing that is legal tender in both canada and japan.
(now before people go and say "why didn't you just get him to wire transfer", he sent out of concern for my well-being it the day before i got my gaijin card and my bank account)
now - i am a little worried about this bank draft thing since my bank has been a little obstinate in the past - i went in there when i first arrived and they refused to give me an account with a combination of 1. passport and 2. the form from the city office that stated my gaijin card was indeed on its way.
a coworker swore up and down that was all you needed to get a bank account, but this bank said that "no, it can't be done". i have a nagging feeling they'll take one look at this piece of paper and go "huh"? and even if it is legal tender, they'll conveniently not know how to do it and therefore it will be "impossible". |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:15 am Post subject: Re: international bank draft/japanese bank |
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| uberscheisse wrote: |
now - i am a little worried about this bank draft thing since my bank has been a little obstinate in the past - i went in there when i first arrived and they refused to give me an account with a combination of 1. passport and 2. the form from the city office that stated my gaijin card was indeed on its way.
a coworker swore up and down that was all you needed to get a bank account, but this bank said that "no, it can't be done". i have a nagging feeling they'll take one look at this piece of paper and go "huh"? and even if it is legal tender, they'll conveniently not know how to do it and therefore it will be "impossible". |
go to another bank |
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johanne
Joined: 18 Apr 2003
Posts: 189
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 11:34 am Post subject: |
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| You can cash a draft at most banks in Japan. I cashed a Royal Bank cheque at Mizuho bank last summer. They charged me 3,000 yen and it took 3-4 weeks for it to get processed. When I was here 10 years ago, it was the same thing for a Thomas Cook cheque my grandmother sent me. I don't remember which Japanese bank it was, but they charged me 3,000 yen. There ended my grandmother's plan of sending me a $50 cheque every month. Anyway, it's no problem, just inconvient if you need the money quick or if the cheque is for a small amount of money and then you lose most of it on the fee. In the future a wire transfer would be better. |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: international bank draft/japanese bank |
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| markle wrote: |
| uberscheisse wrote: |
now - i am a little worried about this bank draft thing since my bank has been a little obstinate in the past - i went in there when i first arrived and they refused to give me an account with a combination of 1. passport and 2. the form from the city office that stated my gaijin card was indeed on its way.
a coworker swore up and down that was all you needed to get a bank account, but this bank said that "no, it can't be done". i have a nagging feeling they'll take one look at this piece of paper and go "huh"? and even if it is legal tender, they'll conveniently not know how to do it and therefore it will be "impossible". |
go to another bank |
at this point i need to go there - it's the bank my company deposits my pay into. |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2008 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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| johanne wrote: |
| They charged me 3,000 yen and it took 3-4 weeks for it to get processed. |
this is what i had feared. maybe if i go in with my boss to vouch for it, it may work out. |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:31 pm Post subject: |
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ha ha ha
as predicted, it would have taken 30 days to process.
i mailed it back. funny things, these legal tender documents and these global economies and their efficiencies. |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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| uberscheisse wrote: |
| funny things, these legal tender documents and these global economies and their efficiencies. |
funny things these newbies that come to a foreign country and expect to find everything the same as it is back home 
reality check:
When I came to Japan I expected retail banking to be antiquated and it was. Why? because there is no demand for services such as international bank drafts, etc |
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G Cthulhu
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 1373
Location: Way, way off course.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 2:21 am Post subject: |
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| markle wrote: |
| uberscheisse wrote: |
| funny things, these legal tender documents and these global economies and their efficiencies. |
funny things these newbies that come to a foreign country and expect to find everything the same as it is back home
reality check:
When I came to Japan I expected retail banking to be antiquated and it was. Why? because there is no demand for services such as international bank drafts, etc |
I had the opposite reaction when I went to the US: I expected an advanced banking system and was horrified at how backwards it was. (& how heavily the public accepts being shafted on fees)  |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 4:36 am Post subject: |
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| markle wrote: |
| uberscheisse wrote: |
| funny things, these legal tender documents and these global economies and their efficiencies. |
funny things these newbies that come to a foreign country and expect to find everything the same as it is back home
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AWESOME! i just got called a newbie by a seasoned veteran of internet condescension!
i didn't think for a minute that it'd be different or the same. hence, "thread on internet message board asking for information from people who have been here a while and know the ropes better than i."
the same thing happens when you send an international bank draft home from korea. legal tender document from faraway country = waiting period = annoyance - which is why i started the thread to begin with.
are you done feeling superior? can i now continue being mildly amused and annoyed at banks and the things that make them mildly amusing and annoying? good. thanks. |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 3:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Hmm seems I read more into your comment than you actually meant. My mistake, sorry. Good call on the newbie bit, I hate the word myself and avoid using it. |
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uberscheisse
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 94
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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| markle wrote: |
| Hmm seems I read more into your comment than you actually meant. My mistake, sorry. Good call on the newbie bit, I hate the word myself and avoid using it. |
yeah and i probably got a bit vindictive. apologies |
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