Earlier today, I went to the Post Office in Bromsgrove, to buy some Euros.
The conversation I had with the minion behind the counter is paraphrased as follows :
- Me: Hi, I’d like to buy $x euros, please?
- Her: How do you wish to pay?
- Me: By card? <<waves debit card at her>>
- Her: We’ll need proof of ID (Passport etc)
- Me: <<sighs>> Why?
- Her: It’s an anti-fraud thing, you don’t think like a criminal do you?
- Me: Errr? <<WTF?>>
- Her: If you’ve stolen a card, the first thing you do is try and withdraw money using it … blah blah blah fraud blah blah blah ….
- Me: But, it needs a PIN number to be used…?
- Her: It’s ok, <<gestures at the card reader infront of me>> – that acts like a cash point. You can withdraw the right amount of cash to pay for your euros using it…
- Me: <<WTF?>>
- Her: Now, just put your card in the reader and type in your PIN when requested….
- Me: <<types in pin>>
- Her: <<hands over euros>>
I know I’m often a bit dim, but I’m failing to understand the ‘process’. Wasn’t I meant to have proof of ID to buy euros using my debit card?
How is me “withdrawing” cash for her, any different to me paying by card – especially when the process from my point of view is IDENTICAL.