Banks & Credit Cards

**Homestar** · 7th June 2019, 07:25 AM

I always have cash on me - at least $50. Lots of places either won't let you use eftpos for purchases under $10 or slug you a fee to do so. And there are still HEAPS of places that don't accept eftpos - cash only - most bakeries, lots of cafes and similar are 100% cash still. Then there's swap meets and markets - no eftpos to be seen. We are many decades away from being cashless. You only need to drive 1/2 hour out of the city to see this.

**PhilipA** · 7th June 2019, 08:10 AM

Funny, I am an old codger but I use my tap phone all the time. I have never had a problem with someone sneaking up and recording my NFC . I went a bit paranoid last time in Bali and bought scramblers for our wallets but swimming fixed mine. In Bali you never use NFC as they do not have it. You just make sure your card is never out of your sight.

I haven't been to a bank for years as I do all my banking on the internet.

I have been dudded three times in the last 10 years on my credit card .

AFAIK and Falcon knows the first was a telephone exchange intercept in Thailand and the second was a fake website interspersed between me and AFAIR Paddocks in the UK. The third was undetermined by the bank but a nightwatchman service in Sydney billed me for hundreds. Probably a skim by a disgruntled shop employee.

One thing I learned. Never use a debit card overseas. Debit money is yours Credit money is the bank's. I was amused when the MD of one of the websites for recommending the best deal on health insurance or whatever got caught in Africa and lost all the money in her debit account. Bank didn't care.
Oh I always use Paypal when available as I have found them good in supporting during disputes. I know Mario hates this part.
I find that I am always scrambling for $3 or $4 to pay for tennis as I tap nearly all the time. I still carry $50 for unexpected issues but it usually lasts a month or until my wife raids my wallet.

Regards Philip A

**trout1105** · 7th June 2019, 11:48 AM

Cash will always be King because it is a great barganing tool

There are also heaps of places in Australia that don't have EFTPOS or they charge a fee to use it so it Always pays to have a few quid in cash on you wherever you go.
There is also the odd occasion where the EFTPOS isn't working which isn't exactly a rarity.
I don't like the phone "Tap" idea But I have No problems using my card to buy/pay for stuff and internet banking is FAR more convenient than driving down to the bank then hunting for a parking spot only to wait in a que to make a transaction/payment, Personally I much prefer to simply use a few mouse strokes from the comfort of my office at home or from my phone pretty much Anywhere in Australia.

**Old Farang** · 7th June 2019, 11:58 AM

No cash? No problem!

**Andrew D** · 7th June 2019, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by manic

There are smart ways to use a "smart" phone.

There are equally as many smarter people writing apps to out smart "smart" users.

Originally Posted by manic

I say: great, but how, and why?

Think electricity, penicillin and apply to your questions

Originally Posted by manic

If you go to a shop that doesn't take cash, be sure to tell them you disaprove.

No I won't. It will be unique and I will be somewhat happy that the shop would be declaring it's portion of tax. Miracle actually to the point it's unbelievable.

Originally Posted by manic

If you are at the grimey end of Sydney in the early hours of the morning and your phone goes dark - you will feel retarded. Be a rebel, take some cash - whilst you still can!

Why retarded. Sounds like an adventure to me. No phone or cash. Assuming I'm not allowed a smart watch as well for the challenge. I will assume I still have my house keys though. (where's the grimey part of Sydney, I haven't been here long).

**Bigbjorn** · 7th June 2019, 02:57 PM

"(where's the grimey part of Sydney, I haven't been here long)."

It is the part between Kiama and Gosford.

**PhilipA** · 7th June 2019, 03:51 PM

Those is fightin words!

Should be Ettalong in the North as you could hardly say that heaven on Earth Avoca Beach with its 4mill oceanfront houses is grimy, or Macmasters or Copa.
Regards Philip A

**manic** · 7th June 2019, 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew D

There are equally as many smarter people writing apps to out smart "smart" users.

Think electricity, penicillin and apply to your questions

No I won't. It will be unique and I will be somewhat happy that the shop would be declaring it's portion of tax. Miracle actually to the point it's unbelievable.

Why retarded. Sounds like an adventure to me. No phone or cash. Assuming I'm not allowed a smart watch as well for the challenge. I will assume I still have my house keys though. (where's the grimey part of Sydney, I haven't been here long).

I like your sense of adventure.

You carry keys!? Get some smart locks man.

Smarter people out smarting smart phone users are going to have a lot of fun.

When you cannot exchange money without a third party processor and compatible device/app - you will get skimmed on every transaction. Enjoy

**350RRC** · 7th June 2019, 06:19 PM

Originally Posted by Andrew D

It's only a matter of time.

Music cassette v. Spotify, iTunes etc

Video (VHS) v. Apple TV etc (Video Ezy)

Fax v. email.

If not already, cars will have black boxes to shed light on accidents. This will come before driverless cars.

No mention of the resurgence of vinyl records (analogue) as opposed to digital (CD's or MP3', 4's etc).

No mention of the continued growth of sales of printed books alongside 'spoken books'.

One could think that quality of product and many downstream benefits to society have taken a back seat to short term profits.

DL

**Bigbjorn** · 7th June 2019, 07:43 PM

Originally Posted by Homestar

I always have cash on me - at least $50. Lots of places either won't let you use eftpos for purchases under $10 or slug you a fee to do so. And there are still HEAPS of places that don't accept eftpos - cash only - most bakeries, lots of cafes and similar are 100% cash still. Then there's swap meets and markets - no eftpos to be seen. We are many decades away from being cashless. You only need to drive 1/2 hour out of the city to see this.

When I was a fraud investigator at Social Security we did some joint projects with the ATO. One of the ATO team supervisors told me that cake & pie shops and hot bread kitchens were one of the last refuges of the black cash society. No cash register, how much product did they make, how much did they throw out? I told him I had come across a local pastrycooks who pocketed every $100 "Grey Nurse" that came over the counter. These never went in the banking.

We got budget for a joint project, a test case, on flea markets to see if a nation wide strike on these would be worthwhile. We picked two busy flea markets that operated on Sunday mornings. Staff recorded every number plate that went in the gate at set-up time. We did this for six Sundays, entered the plates into a data base and selected those who had been there three times out of six. Got the registered owners names and addresses and ran these through the DSS and ATO data bases. Those not reporting income from this endeavour were sent an invitation to visit an office and "please explain". Those on unemployment payments had their allowance cancelled as they were not unemployed but self-employed. All were asked to provide ALL their bank statements and profit and loss statements and balance sheets. We raised many thousands of dollars of overpayments from undeclared income. The ATO were likewise busy busy. Well, the uproar. The flea market operators were into the ears of the politicians. We had destroyed their business as the stall holders had vanished. The vendors screamed and yelled that it was not a business, only a hobby, an interest, just to make a bit of pocket money, and so on and so on. Orders came from on high to cease and desist even though considerable dishonesty was revealed. Official reason being "not cost effective".

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