Cash Machines BEWARE

[JT]

Its been a long time since I used a UK card in the machines so yesterday whilst with someone I know I had my attention to the screen

HSBC machine was only spitting euros out so he was using the TEB machine and roughly worked out £300 to 800 lira and the machine wanted to charge a 5% fee for this, nearly £15

Tried the Finans bank one and it never mentioned any charge so he used that but when I mentioned it to one of the locals in the evening I was informed that Garanti and some of the others also do this

So all the people that bring a card to use, please be careful

[Sue]

I take my halifax clarity card with no charges for withdrawing so if i get charged i will just ring the bank when i get home, should be ok shoudnt it

[Roy]

On the odd occasion I use my Halifax/Bank of Scotland debit card (not credit card) I always use Garanti ATM to withdrawn pound sterling & Garanti do not charge & Halifax only charge £1.50 regardless of how much I withdraw & I easily 'recoup' this when I exchange my money for TL. Cheaper than transferring money from my own bank to my bank here in Turkey.

[fin54]

Thank you for this infermation ,presently in Iclemer and was in a panic as the HSBC ATM wouldnt give me sterling on Friday night, read this on Sunday and did as you said and went to the Garanti bank ATM Machine got sterling no problem

[Sami]

Other than the cash machines is there any other way of getting money out of my account over there? I get paid while I am out there so need to be able to access my wonga!!

[Roy]

Yes but if you transfer money from a british bank to a turkish account it can be costly; your own bank will charge & the turkish bank will charge even more, been there done it but they didn't give me t-shirt .

Peli, I did take money from several ATM's earlier this year but on calculating the exchange rate was always poorer than what I could get at several places & this was verified when I went on-line to check the transactions. Therefore I don't do it now but thanks anyway.

[Sami]

Sami
I am not sure what you mean by you not getting money out. If you have a Turkish account then surely you must have a Paracard [debit card].
This you can use at your own bank atm or any other cash point, or even over the counter.
Obviously with your usual few days clearance of money being deposited and Iban transfered from Uk.
Peli

Hi Peli
I don't have a Turkish account. I meant I get paid into my UK account while I am there in a couple of weeks time. Other than using a cash machine is there any other way of getting my money out? If not, which ATM is best then.

[Roy]

Sami, can only speak for my own bank as below but HAD to ENSURE my debit card was activated for use here & never had any problems. If you haven't done this you simply go into the bank tell them where you are going, dates from/to, give them you card & it's done in 2 min.

On the odd occasion I use my Halifax/Bank of Scotland debit card (not credit card) I always use Garanti ATM to withdrawn pound sterling & Garanti do not charge & Halifax only charge £1.50 regardless of how much I withdraw & I easily 'recoup' this when I exchange my money for TL. Cheaper than transferring money from my own bank to my bank here in Turkey.

[toonarmybarmy]

Have always used my Halifax card at the HSBC machine and only get the £1.50 set charge, which I don't mind!

Tim

[sunlover loch lomond]

I use my Halifax Clarity Card to withdraw cash and there's no charge by either ATM or Halifax. When I return I pay it off and the last time the cost was about £1.40 for interest, which is much less than using my Halifax Debit Card which incurs a charge of £1.50 per withdrawal.

[fin54]

HSBC will not let you do a transaction with a Halifax debit card, you get no choice to get sterling, euro or TL I'm in iclemer just now and have used Garanti bank and got sterling with no problem

[toonarmybarmy]

HSBC will not let you do a transaction with a Halifax debit card, you get no choice to get sterling, euro or TL I'm in iclemer just now and have used Garanti bank and got sterling with no problem

It did on 2nd August because I used my Halifax Debit Card there than and always have for the last 10 years. Sometimes it runs out of £s so you don't get a choice though.

Tim

[sunlover loch lomond]

That explains it as in May it didn't give sterling for Halifax card but did last year. Thought it was a change to their system but as you say probably just ran out of £'s - why did I not think of that : Garanti always delivered £'s for me as did Bank of Turkiye.

[toonarmybarmy]

That explains it as in May it didn't give sterling for Halifax card but did last year. Thought it was a change to their system but as you say probably just ran out of £'s - why did I not think of that : Garanti always delivered £'s for me as did Bank of Turkiye.

I think British visitors see the HSBC sign and just always head for that.

[Caltonian]

So the concensus is that Garanti ATM is the best place to withdraw Sterling? And there doesn't seem to be any charges by Garanti? I know that my card issuer won't charge, just want to make sure about the ATMs themselves....

Where is the Garanti ATM exactly? We might need to visit it tomorrow night when we arrive lol.

[Caltonian]

Thanks for the info peli, much appreciated