Word of advice: Authorize wire transfers on your US accts before you come here

If you plan on using a US bank account to make large purchases, you're most likely going to need to initiate a wire transfer. Unfortunately, before your bank will allow you to do this, you need to go into a branch IN PERSON to authorize the service (this has been true for BofA, Wells Fargo, and our smaller CU account, at least). We just found this out, as we're trying to collect the money for our flat deposit and it's basically left us SOL and unable to access our funds except through the ATM (thank god for the BofA/Barclay's agreement and their willingness to raise our daily withdrawl limit).

If you plan on using a US bank account to make large purchases, you're most likely going to need to initiate a wire transfer. Unfortunately, before your bank will allow you to do this, you need to go into a branch IN PERSON to authorize the service (this has been true for BofA, Wells Fargo, and our smaller CU account, at least). We just found this out, as we're trying to collect the money for our flat deposit and it's basically left us SOL and unable to access our funds except through the ATM (thank god for the BofA/Barclay's agreement and their willingness to raise our daily withdrawl limit).

Have you tried Paypal, to transfer the $?

Hhhhmmm.... I have Bank of America and we planned on doing the BofA/Barclay's thingy to withdraw money from UK ATM Machines until we can get a new UK Bank Account then we were going to transfer the funds to our new bank.

We were planning to go into our local branch bank next week before we leave to deposit our last pay checks (since neither of our jobs would direct deposit the final one) so maybe I will mention this to the person we are speaking with.  If I need to authorize something before we go I need to do it now.   

This is slightly off topic but I do notify my credit card company before I visit England.  And they have been super diligent about suspicious activity on my account.  I got a call this summer that someone in the UK had attempted to purchase over $2000 worth of booze using my credit card details.  Twice in one weekend.  Neither purchase was authorised (big sigh of relief).  And NO, neither attempt happened anywhere near where my fiance lives.      But it's good to know they're paying attention.

This is slightly off topic but I do notify my credit card company before I visit England.  And they have been super diligent about suspicious activity on my account.  I got a call this summer that someone in the UK had attempted to purchase over $2000 worth of booze using my credit card details.  Twice in one weekend.  Neither purchase was authorised (big sigh of relief).  And NO, neither attempt happened anywhere near where my fiance lives.      But it's good to know they're paying attention.

My fiance, his sister, AND his parents have all been hit with fraud on their bank accounts in the past 2 years. It seems to be a big thing here -- people getting details off their debit & credit cards. They don't do any online shopping and the only thing they can all attribute it to is dodgy shops where they may have paid for petrol.

Hope you've been able to change your details on your card by now. I'm also surprised since they have switched to chip & pin over here. There are very few places I can even use my credit card anymore.

Good tip.

I did this before I moved over here back when I was a student in 2002. My bank now automatically sends me updated pin numbers every couple of years even though I haven't wired money in ages. Still nice to know I still have the facility.

Have you tried Paypal, to transfer the $?

Last I checked, they wanted something like 3.9% as a fee? =/

If you plan on using a US bank account to make large purchases, you're most likely going to need to initiate a wire transfer. Unfortunately, before your bank will allow you to do this, you need to go into a branch IN PERSON to authorize the service (this has been true for BofA, Wells Fargo, and our smaller CU account, at least). We just found this out, as we're trying to collect the money for our flat deposit and it's basically left us SOL and unable to access our funds except through the ATM (thank god for the BofA/Barclay's agreement and their willingness to raise our daily withdrawl limit).

How did you get them to raise your daily withdrawal limit.

Facing a similar situation over here with a flat deposit. Did a wire transfer but its going to take longer than we thought and we'd like to move in earlier.

How did you get them to raise your daily withdrawal limit.

Facing a similar situation over here with a flat deposit. Did a wire transfer but its going to take longer than we thought and we'd like to move in earlier.

I just called customer service and asked. Unfortunately, though, not all banks are willing to do this; Bank of America was happy to do it for us (to about $1700 USD/day), but Wells Fargo told my wife to sod off. =/