Paying UK suppliers in £ - how?

[coldplugs]

Does anyone have a good place to get checks in UK £ mailed to a US address for subsequent mailing overseas?

The problem is that a couple of small suppliers in England (understandably) want payment in a check drawn on a UK bank. They don't take PayPal or credit cards.

I've looked at various services like Wells Fargo but they don't seem suitable for small amounts (< $200). I've used friends over there to help me out but don't like to impose too often.

I think some large banks may be able to handle this but out here in the sticks I have to pay a hefty service charge and wait weeks for a check. By this time the exchange rate has usually changed. I'm hoping there's a web site that'll accept a US credit card and mail me a check in equivalent £ that I can sent on to the supplier.

Has anyone used a service that'll do this.

 

[JamesWilson]

I think that you'd have to pay fees that are extortionate. Here in the UK these payments are most effectively handled through direct bank to bank money transfers. I've sent money fairly easily and quickly to the US and other countries that way, but the cost is £20; and I suspect the costs where you are may be similarly high. You might approach one of the UK based banks (Barclays, Lloyds TSB, etc.) and see if they'd send out Bank drafts or money orders if paid for with your credit card. I kind of doubt it, in the past when I've wanted such faciltities they've generally insisted that I have an account with them.

This seems to be unnecessarily difficult and costly when using banks.

One possibly cheaper alternative might be to buy sterling £ denominated travelers checks for the approximate cost and send those. That should be more widely available to you and it may be cheaper to over pay a little if the fees are lower. You'd need to check with the suppliers if they accept them, but I'd think they would, and the checks made payable to the suppliers shouldn't be any more risky than sending any other kind of check.

I've not done this, but its an idea you might consider and explore....

 

[CraigFL]

When I travelled in the UK, I got the travellers checks before I went and they were easy to get and inexpensive...

 

[Basil]

I had posted about using Paypal, but deleted it as I didn't read far enough in your post. Sorry. Well, here's a thought, if these vendors have done business before with overseas customers, you might ask them how it was done in those cases. I think bank wire transfers would work but as pointed out, there is usually a hefty fee.


Basil

 

[Steve]

John, I think that I may be able to help you out.....I have always maintained my UK bank account ever since we left, and I have a UK cheque book. Unless you're looking to buy a car there should be sufficient funds to cover whatever you have in mind.

E-mail me off-list and I'll discuss it with you. I'm at work right now, so it may be a few hours before I can respond

 

[DrEntropy]

TA-DAAA!!!!

Ain't this BCF thingie a great resource! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif

 

[Steve]

[ QUOTE ]
TA-DAAA!!!!

Ain't this BCF thingie a great resource! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

It most certainly is....... "I get by with a little help from my friends"

 

[coldplugs]

[ QUOTE ]
John, I think that I may be able to help you out...

[/ QUOTE ]

Steve, I may take you up on that & will contact you in any event. Thanks everyone for your ideas. My problem is that a few of these guys aren't on the net so "PayPal" has no meaning for them. No e-mail either, so we're back to seventies methods of doing business. I don't know how other non-UK customers pay them (I doubt they have many) but asking how others have managed is a good idea.

BCF - what a great resource!