At least once a week, without fail, one of the major news channels will have a story on its main bulletin about a visitor (or local: they are just as prone) who has been right royally ripped off by one of Bucharest’s not-so-customer-friendly currency exchange houses.

An example:

Usually, the relevant authorities impose a fine on the miscreant and announce some new legislation designed to prevent people losing out. The law is never enforced however and the whole thing carries on until the next television expose when the cycle starts again…

The question we always ask in these situations is the same: why, in this day and age of banks and ATMs on every street corner, are people still using currency exchange offices?

Are locals still afraid of banks? Do visitors lose their critical faculties and think that Romania is unique in the world in having honest currency exchange offices?

Worldwide, currency exchange offices have the worst exchange rates, the highest commissions, and enough small print to ensure they can fleece you for every penny you have and leave you without a legal leg to stand on. Romania is no different.

So why use these places?

People: go to a bank!