Currency Club

[Richard Ingham]

Bluebirds to boost Development Fund by launching innovative Holiday Currency ‘Club’.

The Board of Barrow AFC and the Bluebird Development Fund Committee have teamed up with national currency provider Covent Garden FX to provide holiday money through the Club’s website. The “Bluebirds Currency Club”, which is available to the GENERAL PUBLIC not just fans, will see all net profits go into the Club’s coffers.

People wishing to purchase holiday money, or foreign currency for other purposes, can gain access to market leading exchange rates at the click of a button by visiting the Barrow AFC home page, www.barrowafc.com, or going to www.coventgardenfx.com/bluebirds.

Every purchase will result in a payment to the Club’s Funds.

John Mackay, Vice Chairman of the Bluebirds Development Fund, says “We are delighted to join forces with Covent GardenFX to offer this service. Hopefully we can kill two birds with one stone; raise money for our local football team AND give the general public exchange rates far better than they can obtain from the Post Office, High Street or Supermarket” adding, ”there’s a real feel good factor when you save money and The Bluebirds are delighted to be associated with that!”

Because all currency is ordered and paid for online the overheads are low which results in a great deal all round. And there’s the added convenience of next day* delivery to the customer’s door. Any unused holiday money can be sold back at highly competitive rates, regardless of where you bought it from originally.(*excludes Sundays)
Mark Rowlands, Sales Director at Covent Garden FX, established in 1981, says “We really expect that we can generate a significant ongoing revenue stream for The Bluebirds with this Partnership, particularly as we now run into the Christmas holiday season but also beyond into Spring/Summer next year. I would encourage anyone who is reading this to check our rates against their usual suppliers. If they find any better we’d like to hear about it! We aim not to be beaten”.

Keith Allen, the Club’s Community Director, remarked “In these difficult times innovative Partnerships such as these can be a real boon to our Club’s finances. And when the public and fans alike are saving money it becomes a ‘win win’ situation. I’ve had a look at the Covent Garden rates and even after the cost of postal insurance they seem much cheaper every time. We hope everyone has a look at this and thinks about the Bluebirds next time they go on holiday!”

Covent Garden FX Have produced a useful guide to saving money on your holiday currency;

“How to Get More Bang for your Buck”

TOP TEN TIPS for saving your hard earned cash on holiday money. Times are hard for many and the currency is a highly competitive market, you can grab a great deal. Currency is one of those purchases that virtually everyone makes on a regular basis so you can save money every time. Follow these simple tips and the savings could pay for your taxi to the airport or even your tickets for Disneyworld! Money is money, and it pays to look after the pennies, it might as well be in your back pocket as theirs!

1. Shop around and shop online! This may sound like stating the obvious but it’s amazing how many people assume that their friendly high street Travel Agent or supermarket will look after them. Think about it, they are in business to make money and you are a captive audience. Politely decline and go and surf the net. Effectively you can cover the whole market place from the comfort of your home. It saves time and money on fuel and parking and many of the best rates can be found on the internet.

2. Plan ahead. Don’t leave buying your currency until the last minute. Some of the best deals for holiday money are available on the internet for postal delivery. You need to allow enough time for your payment to go through, your identity to be confirmed and your currency to be delivered. If you leave it to the last minute you might be forced to buy your currency at the airport. It’s amazing how many customers call us at 5pm and want their currency delivering the next morning.

3. Beware “FREE DELIVERY” offers. What really matters is how much currency arrives on your doorstep. What’s the point saving five pounds on delivery if it costs you fifteen pounds worth of currency? It’s a totally false economy. Look out for extra hidden charges, try to find out how much you are paying in total and EXACTLY how much currency you will receive. The benefits of a great headline exchange rate can be totally negated by commissions and handling fees.

4. Avoid Saturday delivery – there is often an extra charge for delivery on Saturday. Be prepared to be flexible and you will often get a better delivery rate. Some Companies will even deliver to your work address during the week but make sure you have a secure place to keep your travel money safe.

5. Get together with friends. If you order your currency in bulk you will have greater buying power. Even online bureaus are happy to negotiate for larger amounts. Call them or send them an email asking for their best deal. This works particularly well for online postal orders, a delivery often costs around £5 for up to £2,500. You might as well make the most of this charge and order £2,499 if you possibly can.

6. Beware Supermarket Currency Bureaus. We found that the difference between an online currency bureau and well known national groceries store was up to £30 per £1,000. It might as well be in your back pocket. And don’t assume you can just turn up and buy your currency at the Supermarket. Many Supermarkets require a few days notice to prepare your order, especially for ‘exotic’ currencies. That extra trip to the store could cost you an extra ten pounds in fuel and parking! If you must buy your currency with your weekly shop ALWAYS ensure that the exchange rate in store matches the one they advertise online.

7. Ask for a price match. If you’ve found a better deal elsewhere ask them to match it. If they can’t match it walk away.

8. Check the Money Market. Compare the deal you are offered to the market rate. Visit www.xe.com and look at how much profit margin has been added. You can’t buy from a wholesaler but knowledge is power. If your supplier is adding 5% - which is not unusual - walk away!

9. Beware the credit/debit card trap. The bureau will probably inform you that they have a small charge for debit cards, this is quite reasonable with such tight margins. But very often that’s not the end of the story, most credit cards and many debit card providers will treat your transaction as a cash advance. Check their small print or ring your provider and if they say there is no additional charge GET THEIR NAME. Sign up for internet banking and pay using a bank transfer to avoid hidden charges. The last thing you want is a 3% charge plus interest on your statement when you return from your hols.

10. BUY BACK. Don’t be fooled by buy back ‘guarantees’, read the small print, is what you are getting really worth paying for? You might be better off shopping around for the best deal for unwanted currency when you get back home and never assume you have to take your unwanted currency back to where you got it from. As an aside, think very carefully before blowing your unwanted currency on ‘in-flight purchases’ the foreign currency prices on board might leave you with a nasty taste in your mouth. Take it home, cash it in and shop around for the best buy back rates available.

Anyone wishing to take advantage of this new service should click the link on Barrow AFC’s homepage, www.barrowafc.co.uk or visit www.coventgardenfx.com/bluebirds.

Click on the icon travel money on the front page of Barrow AFC Official site and it will take you straight to their site.

[ron bacardi]

Are people gonna bother doing this? How much will the club make on each transaction?

[ron bacardi]

The site says best exchange rates in London... Plus i'd personally be wary of sending a load of euros in the post to a company in London to get it changed back.. But to be fair their site has good testimonials and will be good if it makes money for the club!

[Bingo]

These are the best rates available for foreign currency anywhere - they are a decent company

[Uncle Peter]

These are the best rates available for foreign currency anywhere - they are a decent company

Spot on. I've used them before and ours all above board

[Down The Park]

Do they accept dollars and convert to pounds?

[ron bacardi]

They do sound good so it's great - it just seems a bit of a random thing to do! If we're gonna do the travel money thing Why not support a local travel agents to help the area and sell match tickets there in return to try to get more people through the gates and make money that way?

[markrowlands]

Hi Everyone, It's Mark here from Covent Garden FX. I've signed up to your forum just to introduce myself and to let you all know that we are real people down here at Covent Garden. We've been trading since 1981 and we hope you will buy your currency through the Bluebirds Currency Club online/postal service. I approached Barrow AFC myself directly to offer the service and having lived and worked in Barrow I look forward to presenting a Cheque to your Development Fund. The more currency you purchase the more we will be able to give and I hope you will see this as a positive and valuable addition.
Feel free to email me directly if you have any questions regarding the service. Best wishes. Mark. (mrowlands@coventgardenfx.com)

[Nigel Bamford]

Good stuff, and welcome, Mark - thanks for instigating this. Not the best time of year to expect lots of trade (other than those fortunate to be going skiing) but a big promotion towards the end of the season should net the summer holiday business. I've already told Mrs B she must come to me when she's looking for currency for her holiday with her mother and sister.

[ron bacardi]

Do covent garden fx have any other football clubs with same scheme? If so has it proved popular/successful?

[markrowlands]

Thanks Nigel. The more the merrier! It's not limited to Barrow fans/supporters or just Barrow itself (It's national!) so if word gets around there's no reason why we can't do very well in the Xmas Holiday season (Skiing, Disney etc). And, we're in it for the long term so spring/summer should be very fruitful. Fingers crossed!

[markrowlands]

No Ron we don't, we have lots of other Partners but your Club is a completely new and untried innovation. I see it as a 'win win win' and I'll be doing everything possible to make it a success. My Mum lives in Millom and she just saved £60 on her Euros through Covent Garden FX so we really do have something which is of real value to all. Mark.

[ron bacardi]

Cheers mark let's hope it's a success, makes a difference hearing how positive u are about it.

[markrowlands]

No problem Ron, good luck against Hereford tonight (who don't have a currency club!), a good friend of mine will be there! Don't envy him in this weather!

[boyliegladbach]

Do you do a card like travelex or post office do? I only holiday in america and buy dollars all year round depending on the exchange rate but i put them on the travelex card. Do you have a card like this.