$$$$$$$$$$$$ Counterfeit problems (Orlando: hotels, restaurant, shops)

[berniej1309]

Hello US Fl friends,

We are returning to Orlando, one of our favourite vacation spots and due to arrive 16 November 2009.

My question is this....

Are there money issues with $100 bill circulation as in shops-bars etc not accepting them?

A cousin who has recently returned from NYC said he had problems paying with $100 bills due to counterfeit/forgery issues.

We have just changed GBP to USD and have a large number of $100's and although we bought/exchanged via travelex, I am wondering if I should change 100's to 50's.

PS. How's the weather doing?

Thanks all

[GLS2010]

some places dont accept 100's like fast food places, but most other places you should be fine, they might check it to make sure its real but thats it. The weather is pretty nice right now highs in the low 80's F upper 70s F and lows in the low 60s F and sunny. By the time January comes around highs will probably stay in the 60s, low 70s, and sometimes stay in the 50s. and lows will be in the 50s, 40s, sometimes 30s, rarely 20s. and by the time april comes around temps will hit 80s again.

[berniej1309]

Thanks for the reply, your comments noted and appreciated.

[AONE]

Here is a suggestion when you go to the bank, to get those 100's ask the counterfeit pen be used to prove authenticity. I know this sounds unreal but infact banks do pass bad bills too. If you accept them and they get rejected anywhere you will lose the bill and your money. I heard a guy got 1300 from BOA for a postal bill. $800 were bad bills.

If you go to a place in the morning they may not have the change to break a $100 so it is always wise to break one when you have the chance so you have some backups.

[Parrotrosie]

I was just told recently that they have found a way to counterfeit and the pen still shows its a real bill....they bleach somehow the number on the currency and increase it.

So, if you wanted to be safe, I would get lower denomination of bills to be on the safe side. They are checking even the $20 bills around here. I would have for you to get here and not be able to spend you money.

[berniej1309]

Thanks Rosie, comments noted.

Jo

[hgebel]

Originally Posted by Parrotrosie

I was just told recently that they have found a way to counterfeit and the pen still shows its a real bill....they bleach somehow the number on the currency and increase it.

So, if you wanted to be safe, I would get lower denomination of bills to be on the safe side. They are checking even the $20 bills around here. I would have for you to get here and not be able to spend you money.

Parrotrosie, they bleach the whole bill and then print an entire hundred dollar bill on top of the old one. If the original had a security thread or watermark (ie, anything except $1 bills) the original will still be there, so the security thread will still say USA FIVE or the watermark will still be Abraham Lincoln.

Note that those counterfeit detector pens are not very reliable in any case. Theyare detecting if the paper is made out of wood or not (U.S paper money is 25% linen and 75% cotton). To fool the pen the paper doesn't have to be from an original bill, it just has to be from a cloth-based paper instead of a wood-based paper. Any bill that would be detected by the pen would be almost as easy to detect by feeling the bill with your fingers. I used to work in the money room in Tomorrowland, and you can definitely tell a wood-paper counterfeit just by feeling it. The reason they use bleached bills isn't to fool the detector pens, it's partly to get the right feel but mostly to get the little blue and red microfibers, which are extremely hard to duplicate.

-Harry

[itsajourney]

Department stores, theme parks, attractions, hotels, etc. probably take $100's for the most part. However, just so you know, there are a number of businesses that will not even take a $50--this includes fast food (my daughter's restaurant won't take anything larger than 20).

[annerk]

Even in some of the department stores they now require a keyholders approval to take a $100.

[berniej1309]

Thanks to all who have chipped in with comments.
Early hours on Monday we'll be flying Virgin Atlantic all the way to Orlando International and so whatever problems exist re forged notes, we're still going to have our usual fab time.

Jo & Bernie