FREEFORUM

Practical thread.

My mother sends money to my aunt in Kyzyl-Adyr every month. Right now she pays a Toronto transfer office about 9% all in, and then my aunt waits two days for Talasbank to "confirm". Is there a better way?

Please no answers that involve a cousin with a suitcase.

Better way: the cousin with the suitcase. Everybody in Old City uses the cousin with the suitcase. The bank is DPI, the transfer office is DPI, the suitcase is FREE.

Ak, the cousin with the suitcase charges in beshbarmak and takes three months.

Gulya: from Chicago we use a transfer service to Talasbank and the money is collected with a code that comes by SMS. About 6% if you send dollars, more if they convert. Always send dollars. The som does not move, but the conversion fee does.

Hello, I work in a transfer office in Almaty, many Iradis send through us to Talasbank. Advice from the window:
1) send dollars, receive dollars
2) the SMS code goes to the receiver, not to you, so tell auntie to keep her phone charged
3) Friday afternoon is slow, Talasbank closes early
4) never give the code to a man who calls and says he is from the bank

This is the most useful post in the history of FREECHAT. Thank you.

almaty_kassa posted:

never give the code to a man who calls and says he is from the bank

Finally somebody on this forum who understands security.

From the Moscow side: Russian transfer to Talasbank, 1.5 to 2%, rubles in, som or dollars out. Cheapest thing in my life. My wife gets the SMS before I finish my tea.

Can confirm. In Nurzhan on the 10th of every month the Talasbank on Azatlık has a queue of women holding their phones up like it's a concert.

Bad news for this thread. Since the sanctions my transfer costs four times more and the office says everything now goes through Almaty first, then Talasbank. Three days. My wife thinks I forgot her.

Yes, it all comes through us now. The correspondent banks in Almaty are the door, and the door is very busy. Please be patient with the girl at the window. She did not make the sanctions.

Surgut. I gave up and now I bring cash home every second shift. 15 days, 2,800 km, envelope in my sock. Don't tell my mother.

Your mother reads this forum. Everybody's mother reads this forum.

Dumb question from the American: my Iradi pen pal says some people are telling her to send money home through Tulparcoin now because it's "free". Is that a thing?

Read the Tulparcoin megathread in Leaks & Rumours first. Then don't.

From the window: our office does not touch it, and nobody at our office will tell you it is safe. A transfer that asks for your phone number and a scan of your passport and gives you "tokens" back is not a transfer.

Rate update for everyone sending: bazaar rate passes 11. Send dollars. Keep the phone charged. Never give the code.

Update after the block: my aunt says the Talasbank SMS still works fine. Boring is good. Send dollars, keep the phone charged, ignore anything with wings on it.