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Covid 19/touring

Heck no I want to ride in Canada where my money is accepted at face value instead of 40%+ more expensive US$'s only accepted.

It's only a rip off if you're spending CDN in the USA (If they even take it) and they don't give a decent exchange rate. I would expect to pay a 50% premium at a store for a cash purchase but it could be worse.

Credit cards are better but there are surcharges and I feel they delay the transaction until the rates favour them.
 
It's only a rip off if you're spending CDN in the USA (If they even take it) and they don't give a decent exchange rate. I would expect to pay a 50% premium at a store for a cash purchase but it could be worse.

Credit cards are better but there are surcharges and I feel they delay the transaction until the rates favour them.
The only time it is not a rip off is when you spend your Canadian money inside Canada.

I have actually had people in foreign countries not want a Canadian money tip :| a freakin gratuity!
:rolleyes: here, have some free money, oh my no thank you I can't accept, can you pay to exchange that into US$ and then give it to me? :LOL: no.
 
The only time it is not a rip off is when you spend your Canadian money inside Canada.

I have actually had people in foreign countries not want a Canadian money tip :| a freakin gratuity!
:rolleyes: here, have some free money, oh my no thank you I can't accept, can you pay to exchange that into US$ and then give it to me? :LOL: no.

In Watkins Glen I saw some shirts I liked figuring about $25 each. They were $10 each. In Watkins Glen there are no taxes on clothing under a certain price so $10 USD per shirt. Here $32.30 CDN. I won.

Other than possibly Buffalo or Niagara Fall NY I wouldn't even dream of trying to use $CDN.
 
I just shop around for signs like this :)

IMG-20190921-131415.jpg
 
In Watkins Glen I saw some shirts I liked figuring about $25 each. They were $10 each. In Watkins Glen there are no taxes on clothing under a certain price so $10 USD per shirt. Here $32.30 CDN. I won.

Other than possibly Buffalo or Niagara Fall NY I wouldn't even dream of trying to use $CDN.

Would you like me to google up a Canadian site where you can order T-shirts for $3.37 each :|
 
The only time it is not a rip off is when you spend your Canadian money inside Canada.

I have actually had people in foreign countries not want a Canadian money tip :| a freakin gratuity!
:rolleyes: here, have some free money, oh my no thank you I can't accept, can you pay to exchange that into US$ and then give it to me? :LOL: no.
Not every country has the ability to convert. But us dollars are very welcome just about anywhere. Were are spoiled with our banking system.
 
Would you like me to google up a Canadian site where you can order T-shirts for $3.37 each :|

The last time I bought T-shirts it was at the Kensington Market. Six for $11.00. The Watkins Glen ones weren't T's. Name brand made in India not China.
 
I have actually had people in foreign countries not want a Canadian money tip :| a freakin gratuity!

Come on...seriously?

If you worked in a tip based industry in Canada and someone tipped you in, say, Indian Rupees, would YOU want it?

Because foreign currency is foreign currency, and it's a PITA to convert since it involves a trip to a bank, standing in a line, and often, bank fees - fees that could consume the entire value of that tip.

Add on top of that that many may not even understand how MUCH you're tipping them since they don't know the conversion in their head, do you blame them for not wanting a foreign currency? If you had a $40 lunch at a restaurant somewhere and tipped the waitress a 50 Rupee bill the waitress may have no idea you just tipped them the equivalent of..... 92 cents.
 
Come on...seriously?

If you worked in a tip based industry in Canada and someone tipped you in, say, Indian Rupees, would YOU want it?
...
Absolutely! I'm no a** I say thank-you to a gift.
Then I would add it to my international coin collection that I started when I was like 5 years old :unsure:
 
Tried to use CDN cash in St Lucia and Costa Rica. Same thing. Lol, Try tipping someone in Fla or SC at a golf course with CDN dollars!
 
Absolutely! I'm no a** I say thank-you to a gift.
Then I would add it to my international coin collection that I started when I was like 5 years old :unsure:

You know a lot of people in tip based industries in the USA can make as little as $2.13/hour, right? Lesser elsewhere in the world - sometimes $0 per hour in places with lax or no wage laws if they are in a job that has tips.

These people aren't keeping novelty tips for their "collections". They need that money to put food on the table and put a roof over their heads.
 
Tried to use CDN cash in St Lucia and Costa Rica. Same thing. Lol, Try tipping someone in Fla or SC at a golf course with CDN dollars!
:LOL: and St.Lucia money at near half the value of ours has a picture of Queen Elizabeth II on it. Ya don't feel too bad that you offered.
 
Just an FYI for the insurance inquiries.. I did a US trip last summer, got health insurance before leaving, paid a premium to even get the evacuation and upto $5K in vehicle return option. I had an accident in Virginia, they covered the hospital bill. However, a big however, spent hours back and fourth on phone calls, they did not cover any hotels or expenses related to the accident. In fact, the reps told me, since the accident occurred during my insurance being active, I was on the trip anyway and they have no reason to cover staying expenses, which was ridiculous, because I was supposed to be camping, not in a hotel recovering.

On top of that, I requested to use the vehicle return option and fly me back to Canada, they said not until doctor says I cannot ride and gives a note. I spent 6hrs in an Emergency room waiting to get this letter, I get it, and they tell me to call in 3-5 business days cause the vehicel rep is away(all while I'm paying from my pocket at $120/US a night per room mind you) to speak to a rep. I wait 3 days, doing squat, the rep tells me oh, It was a motor vehicle accident, we have to go through your Motorcycle insurance and file an at fault with them, so they can cover all your expenses. I told her to piss off, I paid them for TRAVEL insurance while travelling, I hung up, got on the bike, and rode it home.

Oh, and mind you, since they got the note saying i couldn't ride, they told me I would have no coverage if I attempted to ride myself out of there, a nice trap. Luckily the hospital visit was before all this and already filled the claim under their policy automatically.

Needless to say, if it's an accident you can walk away from and need care, say you slipped and fell, don't say it happened on the bike or else they will go through your insurance to raise your premiums.
 
Just an FYI for the insurance inquiries.. I did a US trip last summer, got health insurance before leaving, paid a premium to even get the evacuation and upto $5K in vehicle return option. I had an accident in Virginia, they covered the hospital bill. However, a big however, spent hours back and fourth on phone calls, they did not cover any hotels or expenses related to the accident. In fact, the reps told me, since the accident occurred during my insurance being active, I was on the trip anyway and they have no reason to cover staying expenses, which was ridiculous, because I was supposed to be camping, not in a hotel recovering.

On top of that, I requested to use the vehicle return option and fly me back to Canada, they said not until doctor says I cannot ride and gives a note. I spent 6hrs in an Emergency room waiting to get this letter, I get it, and they tell me to call in 3-5 business days cause the vehicel rep is away(all while I'm paying from my pocket at $120/US a night per room mind you) to speak to a rep. I wait 3 days, doing squat, the rep tells me oh, It was a motor vehicle accident, we have to go through your Motorcycle insurance and file an at fault with them, so they can cover all your expenses. I told her to piss off, I paid them for TRAVEL insurance while travelling, I hung up, got on the bike, and rode it home.

Oh, and mind you, since they got the note saying i couldn't ride, they told me I would have no coverage if I attempted to ride myself out of there, a nice trap. Luckily the hospital visit was before all this and already filled the claim under their policy automatically.

Needless to say, if it's an accident you can walk away from and need care, say you slipped and fell, don't say it happened on the bike or else they will go through your insurance to raise your premiums.

I had a vastly different experience when I had the pleasure of visiting a Virginia hospital seven years ago with a broken arm. Medical insurance was with CAA, which I believe was underwritten by Manulife at that time.

- Medical insurance covered all of the medical bills, which my memory recalls being around $7-8K
- Regular CAA paid for the UHaul and gas to bring the broken bike back home, I drove it myself. This was about $1500
- I had two nights in a hotel, didn't try to get reimbursed for this. Can't remember why
- My bike insurance was never involved
 
Which insurance company was this policy with? They need to be shamed ... and avoided ...

I agree, the process you went through sounds abusive and punitive. Give us a name of the broker/underwriter and I will avoid like the plague......
 
I had a vastly different experience when I had the pleasure of visiting a Virginia hospital seven years ago with a broken arm. Medical insurance was with CAA, which I believe was underwritten by Manulife at that time.

- Medical insurance covered all of the medical bills, which my memory recalls being around $7-8K
- Regular CAA paid for the UHaul and gas to bring the broken bike back home, I drove it myself. This was about $1500
- I had two nights in a hotel, didn't try to get reimbursed for this. Can't remember why
- My bike insurance was never involved

I have CAA aswell, next time around I will just use them. I did even tell the insurer I would get a U-Haul and bring the bike myself, they said they can only reimburse if I use one of their logistic carriers, and all were 4-7 business days from availability, let alone getting quotes. I felt like I was just being trapped and they wanted me to deal with it on my own knowing I was spending more on waiting to hear back from them just sitting in the hotel.

Which insurance company was this policy with? They need to be shamed ... and avoided ...

It was Allianz, I did a bunch of research before and they seemed to have good reviews, not the my case
 
I have the TD First Class Visa Infinite Travel.

Normally it's $120/year, but this fee is waived if I maintain balance of $5k in the linked account. I've had the card for about 10 years or so and it gives free travel insurance all over the world, including trip cancellation/interruption. It provides emergency medical coverage for 21 days. All I need to do to activate the free insurance is use the card in the US. So when I cross the border, at the point I fill up my first gas tank, the insurance is active from then on. To extend the coverage for a longer trip, I just make a phone call. Considering we travel multiple times a year, the savings in travel insurance make the card a no brainer right there.

The loyalty points are quite nice. Each year I redeem around $1000 worth of points, which can be redeemed before or after point of purchase for almost any major travel related product, including any flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. - as long as that purchase was made with the card. Lastly, TD has partnered up w/ Expedia, so any purchases made using the card via this partnership nets back 3x the loyalty points. So for a pair of flights I was going to buy anyways, I now make back enough points to do something fun with.
I have the same card (by the way it's 9x points for travel booked online using expediafortd.com). It's also great in that you can use it on anything travel related, not just flights. Hotels, excursions, theme park tickets, car rentals (insurance included for free) etc.
 
Come on...seriously?

If you worked in a tip based industry in Canada and someone tipped you in, say, Indian Rupees, would YOU want it?

Because foreign currency is foreign currency, and it's a PITA to convert since it involves a trip to a bank, standing in a line, and often, bank fees - fees that could consume the entire value of that tip.

Add on top of that that many may not even understand how MUCH you're tipping them since they don't know the conversion in their head, do you blame them for not wanting a foreign currency? If you had a $40 lunch at a restaurant somewhere and tipped the waitress a 50 Rupee bill the waitress may have no idea you just tipped them the equivalent of..... 92 cents.
I spent 20 years rambling around the globe in my job, I always had a pocket full of foreign small bills and change. I made point of unloading them as tips in Canadian restaurants -- never got a complaint.
 

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