Would you pay 9.9% to count your small change?

ILikeBananas · 26-07-2011 11:26PM #1

I was in my local Tesco the other day waiting for my sister to go through the checkouts when I saw this Coinstar change counting machine. If you're not familiar with it, it's a big machine about the size of a passport photograph booth that will accept a bucket of loose change and will count it and give you a voucher (as far as I know).

So I was thinking "That's a good idea" but then I noticed the (very small) sticker that said "Coinstar charge a counting fee of 9.9 cents per euro counted.

I think this is daylight robbery-like fair enough charge a fee but 9.9%!

These things have been around a long while so clearly somebody is using them.
Would you?

py2006 · 26-07-2011 11:29PM

Don't bother! Just get the money bags from your bank! count it out and they will give you cash without charging you!

or you could do what I did! I counted up nearly €300 euro in change, put it into the bags and the local took it off me for cash!!!

Although they got most of it back anyway! :rolleyes:

shamtastic · 26-07-2011 11:30PM

1. It's quick and saves you time + effort putting coins into bags.

2. It counts all your change whereas the bank needs bags in exact amounts and you'll always have a few euro of left overs so it's convenient enough although I see where you're coming from!

AnneElizabeth · 26-07-2011 11:30PM

I hate those machines! I know you're never going to have hundreds of Euros in small change, but it's annoying to have to pay so much just to get the money changed. I'd prefer to go to the bank.

AnonoBoy · 26-07-2011 11:31PM

It used to be 12% commission they charged so they're moving with the times!

carefulnow100 · 26-07-2011 11:31PM

Just pay someone else 2% to count it:cool:

I should run the banks

sdanseo · 26-07-2011 11:31PM

I'll do it for coppers, maybe 10c's but I count the rest myself. Went in with a huge jar of 1-10c coins a while back and got €17. counting that, bagging it, bringing to the bank would have been a royal pain.

amacca · 26-07-2011 11:32PM

ILikeBananas wrote: »

I think this is daylight robbery-like fair enough charge a fee but 9.9%!

These things have been around a long while so clearly somebody is using them.
Would you?

No but its amazing what people are prepared to pay for convenience....cough (lazy or stupid bstids)

Liam Byrne · 26-07-2011 11:32PM

That was in Tesco?

Just go to Tesco when it's quiet and then use their self-service checkout; it'll count it AND won't charge you anything.

Naomi00 · 26-07-2011 11:32PM

No way! I count money for someone I know and they were thinking about using that machine but didn't bother. The money I counted added up to about €1500, counted it in about an hour. It would be a waste of money to pay €150 to a machine when you can do it yourself.

carefulnow100 · 26-07-2011 11:32PM

py2006 wrote: »

Don't bother! Just get the money bags from your bank! count it out and they will give you cash without charging you!

or you could do what I did! I counted up nearly €300 euro in change, put it into the bags and the local took it off me for cash!!!

Although they got most of it back anyway! :rolleyes:

:eek::eek::eek:

amacca · 26-07-2011 11:34PM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

That was in Tesco?

Just go to Tesco when it's quiet and then use their self-service checkout; it'll count it AND won't charge you anything.

Genius....

buy the cheapest item in the store and shovel eleventy million squids in copper into the till before it has time to react

up yours coinstar 9.9%!

Marty McFly · 26-07-2011 11:34PM

Yep I sure would and have done in the past its just a lot handier.

p.s does anyone know were theres one of these in around Clondalkin, Tallaght or Lucan area? I know this is after hours not Dublin but just thought id throw it out there while were on the topic:).

AgileMyth · 26-07-2011 11:35PM

No I would not. But its not because there's a recession on, pissing away money is foolish at the best of times!

oppenheimer1 · 26-07-2011 11:37PM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

That was in Tesco?

Just go to Tesco when it's quiet and then use their self-service checkout; it'll count it AND won't charge you anything.

And the new self service machines have a hopper now for change, so its even handier to dump a load of coppers into them.

GoldFour4 · 26-07-2011 11:37PM

How would you ever know if the machine was counting the right amount. Seems like a scam tbh.

johngalway · 26-07-2011 11:38PM

Not even for 1c pieces.

Money bags, as someone said. Or local shopsusually like getting change.

admiralofthefleet · 26-07-2011 11:39PM

the coin machines in supevalu dont charge. shove that up yer bollix tesco

boomerang · 26-07-2011 11:40PM

Yes for coppers, but not for 10c, 20c or 50c coins.

I wait til I have loads of coppers - I empty my wallet of change every day - and then use the machine. Last time it came to €26.00. Didn't mind paying €2.60 odd for the convenience.

AnonoBoy · 26-07-2011 11:41PM

I always feel like it's free money when I empty my change jar.

Good advice on the Tesco self service - must give that a go next time I'm bored. Can you put as much as you like in or does it stop you when you've reached the amount necessary for your purchase?

JJJJNR · 26-07-2011 11:43PM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

That was in Tesco?

Just go to Tesco when it's quiet and then use their self-service checkout; it'll count it AND won't charge you anything.

Sooo trying this tomorrow morning.

pragmatic1 · 26-07-2011 11:43PM

Done it at 12.5%. Was a monster bag of 1 and 2 cent though.

YoureSoVain · 26-07-2011 11:44PM

If you want to redeem the voucher for cash you pay. but if you use the voucher to pay for your shopping it doesnt charge you the fee

byhookorbycrook · 26-07-2011 11:48PM

I borrow the change machine from work.We had €300 + in the jar for our hols.

HazDanz · 26-07-2011 11:52PM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

That was in Tesco?

Just go to Tesco when it's quiet and then use their self-service checkout; it'll count it AND won't charge you anything.

I do that

Also If you live on a dub bus route abuse the exact change rule with your collection of coopers. You might get a look off of the driver but fcuk it.

naughtysmurf · 27-07-2011 12:14AM

I use it,

Every morning, anything less than a €1 coin goes into a bag at work, I keep track of what I put in it and every two months I cash it in, usually about €40 to €50, saves me a 20min drive going into a bank to stand in line for 30mins, for four or five euro every couple of months I think it's ok, suits me and besides the counting I exchange for notes,

CorkMan · 27-07-2011 12:19AM

Naomi00 wrote: »

No way! I count money for someone I know and they were thinking about using that machine but didn't bother. The money I counted added up to about €1500, counted it in about an hour. It would be a waste of money to pay €150 to a machine when you can do it yourself.

Did an old women give you the change by chance?

Mezcita · 27-07-2011 12:22AM

Liam Byrne wrote: »

That was in Tesco?

Just go to Tesco when it's quiet and then use their self-service checkout; it'll count it AND won't charge you anything.

I nearly got lynched when I tried that in Tesco Ballybrack.

vibe666 · 27-07-2011 12:25AM

i know of a guy who has a dozen or so of these things that he goes around emptying and taking to the bank.

afaik he empties each one about once every 2 weeks or so and although i don't know how much he makes off them, he doesn't have any other job that i know of, so he must be doing okay off it and fair play to him, making a business off the laziness of others.

EmacB · 27-07-2011 12:26AM

malachyscott wrote: »

How would you ever know if the machine was counting the right amount. Seems like a scam tbh.

No way a massive company like tesco would risk the controversy if they did do that!

I think its a great idea for coppers, they would go to waste otherwise anyway!

ArmaniJeanss · 27-07-2011 12:28AM

Use the 1c, 2c, 5c in the Self Service checkouts as Liam said.
Also if you are buying something for 1.20 or 2.30 (newspaper, busfare) then its another opportunity to make inroads into them for the odds.

20s,10s can be used in an off-license. Strolling over to buy 4 cans for €6? A Fiver and ten 10c coins or 5 20c coins, job done.

Would you pay 9.9% to count your small change?

Would you pay 9.9% to have your small change counted 133 votes

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