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A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

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Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#71

Post by philwelch »

deanCommie wrote: post #41
cedilla wrote: post #11

Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very americentric view. The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. Very evident with this map that just appears to be a differently labeled population heat map.

Funny I had the opposite perspective - Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very EUROcentric view. In America and Canada, ALL ATMs are scams with exorbitant fees except for the customers of the bank of that ATM. The whole "Sorry, we're cash only, but there's an ATM in the back" is ubiquitous. When I moved to Europe in the mid 2010s I was shocked that I could use my bank card to withdraw cash from any other bank without fee…

There are plenty of American banks that will reimburse ATM fees. It’s an essential feature IMO.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#72

Post by vachina »

martopix wrote: post #17

I had a wonderful trip in Thailand last year by doing two things: 1. roadtripping: I rented a motorcycle and chose a (relatively touristy) destination, but enjoyed the trip to get there over several days, during which I designed my own itinerary and stopped to look at the countriside and visit small towns. 2. I designed the itinerary while avoiding Lonely Planet and the like. By now everybody uses that and goes to th…

Hmmm yeah. Google Travel used to provide very useful n-days itinerary on a city level, where it plans out, and shows on a map, the most efficient way to visit a city.

That feature seems to have been nuked and I’m sad.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#73

Post by HenryBemis »

pmckenna wrote: post #59
entropyie wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are absolutely everywhere in Ireland, from countryside to city centre, rich and poor areas.

Was going to say the same thing. There’s zero correlation between touristy spots and Spar in Ireland, unless East Wall has suddenly become a tourist hot spot without me hearing about it

I was in Mallorca this summer. And I have shopped from Spar across Europe in the past.

The various "Spar" in Mallorca are mom & pop mini markets with 20% higher prices than the Mercadona or Lidl. Walking outside such a "Spar" one you SEE that this is not you "central-europe-1000 sqm shop" but a rip-off with a Spar label on it.

I haven't paid attention on the ATMs though. I believe that with the prevalence of Conotoxia, Revolut, and the likes, and the fact that everywhere* in Mallorca you can pay with your phone/watch, it makes carrying cash unnecessary

*and I mean flea-market that sells crap that only tourists would buy, or bread/cheese/snacks/etc.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#75

Post by paganel »

dylan604 wrote: post #22

If you see it in a TikTok/Insta feed, it's over crowded. Although, if you're like me that doesn't use the socials, it's hard to check

The same goes for simple enough web searches like "what are the most beautiful 10 beaches in [Mediterranean country/province]?".

Surprisingly enough there are other people who still know how to web-search, hence why those places are crowded even at the end of the holiday season. I became aware of that basic fact this past September, while visiting the Peloponnese.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#76

Post by seanmcdirmid »

deanCommie wrote: post #41
cedilla wrote: post #11

Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very americentric view. The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. Very evident with this map that just appears to be a differently labeled population heat map.

Funny I had the opposite perspective - Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very EUROcentric view. In America and Canada, ALL ATMs are scams with exorbitant fees except for the customers of the bank of that ATM. The whole "Sorry, we're cash only, but there's an ATM in the back" is ubiquitous. When I moved to Europe in the mid 2010s I was shocked that I could use my bank card to withdraw cash from any other bank without fee…

HSBC refunds ATM fees, which is nice since they don’t have many ATMs in North America. Then I realized I can get by without using ATMs at all unless I’m traveling out of country.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#77

Post by codedokode »

cedilla wrote: post #11

Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very americentric view. The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. Very evident with this map that just appears to be a differently labeled population heat map.

I googled a little and found a Belorussian article [1] that says, that first it is an American company (despite the name), second, it targets tourists, and third, they use DCC (dynamic currency conversion), so that when you want to withdraw euros from account in euros, they do double conversion, e.g. euro -> USD -> euro with very unfavourable exchange rate.

[1] https://www.alfabank.by/about/articles/main/Euronet_DCC_11_0...

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#78

Post by bee_rider »

crazygringo wrote: post #15
cedilla wrote: post #11

Euronet ATMs being a scam is a very americentric view. The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. Very evident with this map that just appears to be a differently labeled population heat map.

> The world is not /primarily/ designed to rip off tourist. In my experiences with traveling to a great number of countries and cities... yes, it pretty much is. Taking any kind of "easiest path" tourism is basically full of rip-offs in every hotel, restaurant, and tour, no matter where you are. It takes effort to plan a genuinely enjoyable trip full of rich experiences that isn't ripping you off. Also, it doesn't se…

If it costs extra to work out a plan that doesn’t “rip you off,” and the easy path is full of “rip offs,” then maybe it is just paying a premium for convenience?

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#79

Post by cat_plus_plus »

A bit elitist? "Ugly mass tourism places" are there because weather is good, location is convenient, one of a kind landmarks, it's easy to get food and supplies for the whole family and so on. Yes, it's going to be expensive and not super authentic. But not everyone can take a month off to live like a local. If I only have one day cruise ship stop in Mallorca and I have to pay 60 euro fee to get cash, it's still preferable to missing out on a nice dinner or something to take home to remember the trip.

Re: A map of ATMs designed to scam tourists in Europe

#80

Post by lxgr »

evrimoztamur wrote: post #9

These ATMs are plenty useful for contributing to the local money laundering industry. More signals are unlisted prices, fading storefronts, fluorescent lights. Read more about what’s happening in London https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/oxford-street-candy-sho... It’s not about scamming tourists at its core, it’s about avoiding electronic banking networks and pulling cash back into the system. Disclaimer: Amsterda…

What exactly is the supposed connection between these specific ATMs and money laundering? Nothing in the referenced article mentions ATMs.
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