I really need the boards help on this one, I have a good friend who needs some advice. She is going to start working for a website and the American company is going to pay her by check every week.

The problem : Her bank will not allow her to deposit the check in her account because the amount is in dollars not Reals.

The company does have an agency that handles payroll for the girls, however, the agency charges the girls 50% of the check in order to process the money for them. She doesnt want to spend 50% of her pay to have the agency cash the check.

Shs talked with Citibank about opening an acount, but they will charge her 60 bucks everytime she cashes a check, so she doesnt want to do that either.

Does anyone have any ideas how she can cash these checks every week without getting raped by the fees.

Mail it to the U.S. and access the money with an ATM. I'll guess normal mail takes less than 2 weeks, or better I should say twice I've mailed small packages from the U.S. to Rio and they've been received within two weeks. Fedex and UPS do Int'l, and I'd guess the charge would be less than the $60 fee you wrote of that Citi wants.

Thumper -- A couple of ideas. How about you open a new checking account in your name the US without overdraft protection, have her American employer either deposit her checks automatically in that account (or physically send them to you for deposit), and she can access the money in Brazil via the ATM card you send her

Or...have her check deposited in your existing checking account and send a weekly international wire transfer every week or two weeks to her brazilian account (it'll cost her about thirty bucks per transfer). Her bank'll convert it to reals. You might even be able to send the funds to her via Paypal. Dunno.

Can I deposit a payroll check into my checking account if it has her name on the check? If possible, I guess I could try that.

I know that Western Union charges between 15-20 to wire money to Brasil. So I could wire her the money twice a month using W.U.

Thumper, instead of Western Union, I recommend opening a basic checking account, in your name, and giving her an ATM card to withdraw from it. You miss the Western Union fees, and she doesn't have to spend an hour or two at Banco do Brasil to get the cash.

Cambio, Rio Branco 45c

5% on the first check, 3% after..

Thank me later..

They are quite familiar with the "cam girl" checks ;-)

(Message edited by dood on May 15, 2004)

Dood, can you give me a little more detail. Rio Branco is a bank? Cambio? What? Do you have a location?

They only charge 5% on the first check? DO you need to have an account with them? I need more information bro.

This is a tough crowd. THumper, Dood solved your problem and not even a thanks--rather you act like he left you hanging.

Everything illegal or half legal in Brazil works very well.

Cambios change checks. Normally they change checks of known people, friends, recommended people. I did that for decades, mainly with my own checks. They pay the regular black market check exchange rate, a little lower then the cash rate.

I am a little surprised if Dood affirms that they will cash any check by any unknown passerby for instant cash. That would be risky, the check might bounce or be cancelled.

But basically, it can be done. Maybe they will hold the check, or demand a security deposit. Anything that guarantees the company that they will not lose money

If she were a good friend of mine I could recommend her to my cambio friend and the check would be cashed.

The other option, of course, would be a US bank account. Or Thumper, you can deposit it for her if your bank accepts third party checks. Then you send the money to the bank account of the cambio office.

All US banks accept third party checks FOR DEPOSIT. The original payee simply has to endorse it and then you deposit it. Of course, the bank has no way of checking who actually signed the payee's name if you get my drift.

The bank will place a hold on the funds in YOUR account until the check clears, in the amount of the check, so that in case it bounces, they've got the $ in hand .

I'm almost afraid to ask what the girl would have to do to become a "good friend" of Brazil Specialist. Any guesses?

Ok.. let me rephrase..

A Cambio (money exchange place)

Avenida Rio Branco in Centro, #45c (c is important, because there are cambios as 45, 45a, 45b, and 45d)

They keep 5% on the first check, 3% after..

Thank me later..

They are quite familiar with the "cam girl" checks ;-)

She does not need to open an account. It's a cambio.

If she's doing cam girl work, they are quite familiar with all the companys that send checks, and she just might get the 3% on the first one.

BS- As I stated, they are quite familiar with the "US Web companys" (read: cam girl sites) and cash the checks from them without a problem.

I don't just sit here and make shit up all day. I did not "affirm that they will cash any check by any passerby".

Dood

Ahhh, now I get it, Thanks alot Dood. I was confused because this is the first time I ever had to deal with a financial situation in Brasil and I didnt understand the information you gave me in the first post.

Not quite sure why asking you for more information, ruffled Gcl's feathers, but I truly appreciate your help. I have to pass this on to a third person, so I needed to sound like I knew what I was talking about.

SF_Hombre,

If she's good with sheetrock, that could do the trick. If not, she would have to blow him, then tip him 5% of the first check!

THumper, dont worry about GCL, he is a cocksucker from way back. Most people on this board already cant stand him. WHo knows why he gets his feathers ruffled.

Fuck you GCL

GCL a cocksucker?! Video at 11 o'clock?

Will he be a Blond is really the question?
CG

I'm anxiously awaiting the 'sheepish' look on his face when GCL does his first programma in South Dakota.

My guess is that he'll be 'on the lamb' for a while afterwards.

If you have an American Express card, go to the AE in Copacabana. There is no charge to AE card holders.

OH

PS: Assuming you pay your AE card on time, you can cash a large check. I cashed one there for $1,500 once.

Hello all,

There are no US accounts in Brazil! Some Brazilians like my mom have an account in the Banco do Brasil in New York but all the transactions that involve cashing the money here are done in REAL.

I'm not sure about "web girl" cheques and if they are in US funds or not but that is a rare case. I know for a fact that you CANT walk into a bank in Brazil and cash a cheque in US funds. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN no matter where you are from. As far as cashing amex cheques, those are travellers cheques from their own company. Your only prooblem will be staying in line at the only amex branch in Rio (copa palace) which as bizarre as it sounds only opens 5 hours per day during weekdays. Therefore you'll be very limited.

Your best bet is to get a CPF card, open a local account at the Banco do Brasil and have your money sent to you via W.U.. The only other choice is to have a mule bring in the US cash to you.

But the very best bet is to have someone in the US deposit the money THERE in your account and all you do is us the local Brazilian ATM to withdraw here.

Hope this helps

take care

Jose