Why oh Why don't shops here have change for €100 ever ?
Yesterday I bought €42 worth of stuff from a big chain store & the cashier insisted that he has no change. You would think that €100 should be readily acceptable. Not here it's not. I refused to use my credit card cos I didn't think it's unreasonable to expect a shop their size to have change for €100. Plus if he had a more I'm-sorry-but-I-really-can't-help-you attitude rather than his how-dare-you-inconvenience-me attitude, I might have relented. Then you know what happened - he finally gave me change - but all in €2 coins !
Granted most people here use cheques when they shop (now you know why the lines at the supermarkets are always so slow cos all the little old ladies would take their time writing the cheques at checkout). But seriously €100 is not off the ball park. It's not like I'm flashing a €1000 note.
You say "Look maybe it's because you live in the ulu countryside", then how do you explain the similar experiences I've had in Paris. The most frustrating being at the Pompidou Centre - neither the bookstore nor the ticket counters were willing to give me change (in this case, they had change but just didn't want to give it to me because it was too early in the morning) . I had to go several blocks to a money changer to buy a phone card in order to get some change. URGH.
Granted most people here use cheques when they shop (now you know why the lines at the supermarkets are always so slow cos all the little old ladies would take their time writing the cheques at checkout). But seriously €100 is not off the ball park. It's not like I'm flashing a €1000 note.
You say "Look maybe it's because you live in the ulu countryside", then how do you explain the similar experiences I've had in Paris. The most frustrating being at the Pompidou Centre - neither the bookstore nor the ticket counters were willing to give me change (in this case, they had change but just didn't want to give it to me because it was too early in the morning) . I had to go several blocks to a money changer to buy a phone card in order to get some change. URGH.
Morale of the story : When in France, never go shopping with €100 bills.
5 comments:
Gee, I didn't know this. How anal of them. How very snobbish and uncustomer-friendly! When I was working in TGIF, I get told off by my boss if I don't have small changes of at least RM300 in my pouch (incase any customers come in and paid with RM100 cash, for which I SHOULD/MUST have change in my pouch, not matter if he is the 1st customer!).
I will remember not to accept any Euro100 form the money changer if i were to visit France cos it's not "legally tendered" there (jk jk).
oh les francais..it really gets to me at times when they don't want to bother themselves to give/look for change for a large note too..feel like reaching over into their till and grabbing my own change..hehe..
tsu lin - More often than not, you'd probably be using credit cards but yes it's better to have 20s & 50s
moo - So it's not just me
The thing is for us visitors when we change money at the money changer, all we get are 100 dollar bills. :/
SIG - I know. Sometimes I withdraw 100 from the ATM & they will give me one 100 euro bill....so now I only ask for 90 euro
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