ChangeGroup Avis 

The Change Group Currency Exchange

What can I say? “Buyer beware” seems like an appropriate starting point. The Change Group operates as a completely unregulated business, yet they actively buy and sell currency and even offer eSIM sales. Recently, I had my first—and certainly my last—encounter with this company, and it was an experience I feel compelled to share.

I purchased currency from the Change Group’s N120 sales booth at Gatwick Airport. During this transaction, I specifically discussed the “buy-back scheme” they offer. At no point, however, was I informed that a fee of £5.99 would be required to secure this buy-back option. I only became aware of this fee upon my return, when I attempted to use the buy-back scheme at the Change Group North Arrivals booth (N73). My reaction was beyond mere surprise; I was both furious and flabbergasted to learn that I hadn’t been properly informed of this key detail at the time of purchase.

Reflecting on the situation, it became clear to me that withholding information about the fee might have been intentional. After all, they stood to gain far more profit by not mentioning the £5.99 buy-back fee than if they had—specifically, £110.73 on my transaction when I sold my Jamaican currency back to them just 11 days later.

Given my dissatisfaction, I sought to determine if I had any recourse for what I considered to be the mis-selling of a financial product. To my shock, I discovered that currency exchange transactions fall outside regulatory oversight. The Change Group only reports to HMRC for anti-money laundering purposes, leaving them with no obligation to adhere to the regulatory protections that apply to other financial services.

After a series of emails to the company’s complaints department, I reluctantly admitted defeat. The Head of Airports for the UK and Cyprus ultimately informed me that it was my responsibility to have paid the buy-back guarantee fee at the time of purchase—a statement that I found profoundly disappointing and dismissive of their lack of transparency.

In summary, my experience with the Change Group has been an eye-opener. I urge others to exercise caution and ensure they ask detailed questions before committing to a transaction with this unregulated business.

Daylight Robbery!! Never use these guys to exchange currency. Charge a riduclous service fee which they don't explain clearly until after they've stolen your money!!

Absolute rip off company. I was charged €150 at Gatwick airport for £100.
I have the receipt and it says the markup was 23%.
Another family member went to a different ATM and got £100 for €123.
How can the UK regulator all such a company to operate !!
I tried to complain via FB, IG and the telephone number of the webpage.
Nobody replies. These people need to be shutdown

The scheme to scam started with me trying to change 40GBP in old bills to 40GBP new currency, in one of the money-exchange locations of ChangeGroup near Charing Cross. I was trying to understand how much it would cost if I were to exchange my old bills for new ones. I literally placed the bills on the counter to begin the discussion and they were taken from me! The attendant snatched them and gave me 31GBP with a receipt. But there had never been an agreement to exchange and I was never even made aware of the charges or how much I would receive. The attendant then refused to return my original notes, taking out a piece of paper from under his desk to show a fraudulent non-refundable policy, the skeleton of the scheme to scam. This was never visible to me at any point before my money was taken. This was how I, a foreign senior from Canada was robbed of 9GBP for undisclosed service charges (service fee, 5.99GBP; handling fee, 3.00GBP) inside a ChangeGroup office in broad daylight in central London. Like lightening, my money disappeared in seconds.

I just arrived in Glasgow and went to change group to change 600 euros, they charge me 3 pounds handling fee and 66.89 pounds service fee. It is a rip off company, I will never use them again. 69 pounds for 2 minutes. Completely corrupt company, Brough day light robbery.

Had USD1650 transferred to 950EUR at Gatwick Airport. The compnay scams you through and through, lies about their service fee and are very rude hen dealing with them. They take advantage of you and do not conduct themselves appropriately. DO NOT USE!!!!!!!!

On 26/07/2024 I changed Euros in GBP. They charged me 12,98 % Services Fee and had an exchange rate of 1,4382. The actual rate is about 1,19.
Very bad company.

Vekselbureau på Strøget København.

Useriøst Firma. Dårlig Kurser og Elendig Kundeservice.

Ekstrem Høje Gebyrer og Elendige Vekselkurser.

Bondefangeri. Hold jer LANGT væk...

Today I went to the office in Gatwick Airport (arrivals). I needed to have 10 pounds changed in coins for the luggage trolley. They asked me a FEE to change the banknote from Scotland in UK coins.

Forbryderfirma, som tager 8%! for at veksle USD om til DKK (udover at give den sædvanlige dårlige kurs).. Når man så brokker sig og forlanger handlen skal gå tilbage, så kan de pludselig godt sænke gebyret fra 8% til 4%, og når man så atter afviser, så koster det lige pludseligt kun kr. 45 at veksle.. Hold jer LANGT væk fra de svindlere!

Today I went to the ChangeGroup bureau in New York, 315 Madison Avenue, to change some foreign currencies into US dollars.
The lady at the counter gave me an average rate (6% off mid market) which I accepted, but she then gave much less money than what corresponded to that rate.
Before I accepted the transaction I questioned the amount and, before responding to my question, she printed the ticket: it showed a handling charge of 19% when the company advertises 0% in their window.
I said that this had not been made clear and that I did not agree with the deal, and asked for my money back. But she refused, and she told me that she as she had printed the ticket she could not cancel the transaction (when she printed it after I questioned the amount!). When I asked her if she could cancel a transaction if she had made a mistake she refused to answer.
She refused to let me talk to her bosses and I eventually had to call the police for help as she refused to cancel the transaction and left the US dollars on the counter, saying that if I did not take them and something happened to them it would be my responsibility.
While waiting for the police she discussed with one of her friends telling him that "the police would always believe the version of a coloured overweight woman instead of a white man". Shocking!!

When the police arrived she told them that her bosses just told her to get me out of the place.
The police suggested I got to the company's headquarter to make a formal complaint, and later acknowledged that they had similar complaints about that company before.

So the real charge for their services, including all their hidden commissions, is 26%: a total rip-off by people very used to this way of doing business!

At Düsseldorf AirPort we changed 500 euro. F Dubai Dirham AED . These people gave us such a bad conversion rate . Rate 30% less. We noticed iT in Abu Dhabi . We get 1650 dirham for 500 EU . While iT schould Be 2038 dirham . Why is this scam conpany located on Düsseldorf AirPort . Unbeliefable. Never ever with this company

Pas på når I veksler valuta hos ChangeGoup. De veksler til en dårligere kurs end de anoncerer med. F.eks. stod der i dag ved kontorerne på Vesterbrogade, at de købte dollars til kurs 6.29 kr. for 1 dollar. Det skulle give 3145 danske kroner. Ikke desto mindre tilbydes man et beløb på ca. 2.750. Deter jo langt under de 3145.

I dag 16 september 2017 ca. kl 14, blev jeg snydt så vandet driver. Jeg lægger mine udenlandske penge og siger at jeg vil veksle til danske kroner. Manden bag glasset regner og jeg spørger om hvor meget jeg får, han lægger bon og de danske kroner ud og beløbet er utilgiveligt lavt. Jeg siger at jeg ikke vil veksle og vil have mine udenlandske valuta retur, hvor han svarer at det kan jeg ikke da han allerede har udført transaktionen. Jeg siger at han bare udførte transaktionen uden at svare på mit spørgsmål om hvor meget jeg fik i danske kroner, derved udnytter han situation som måske er hans ret i følge ChangeGroups politik, men ikke i orden i henhold til om jeg vil veksle penge eller ej. Det er hvad man kalder bondefangeri. Manden var meget fræk og ubehøvlet hvor han ovenikøbet kaldte mig racist på trods af min udenlandske kæreste stod ved siden af mig og hun sagde til ham at jeg overhovedet ikke har kommet med nogen form for racistiske udtalelser og at han skal tage sig sammen. Herefter kalder han på vagter som kommer 3 mand høj, men de er rigtig fornuftige og søde ved deres ankomst, og siger at de kender til Changegroups ufine metoder og at de jævnligt rykker ud til utilfredse kunder.