Starting to "brick"

News: Registration is free here at the CPMF!

Hi,

I am considering the idea of starting to brick but before I do I was hoping to get an idea of exactly what I am in for.  I am hoping that fellow members who already do this might be able to provide some guidance.  Here are some questions I really do not fully understand.

1) What are the fees?  Are they per brick or per order?
2) What is the size of a brick?
3) Is there a process to follow to order a brick or do you simply ask a teller?
4) How do you return the notes and does this raise any flags with the bank when they are returned?

If there is anything other useful information I could use please let me know.


Thanks for all your help.

Tim

Hi,

I am considering the idea of starting to brick but before I do I was hoping to get an idea of exactly what I am in for.  I am hoping that fellow members who already do this might be able to provide some guidance.  Here are some questions I really do not fully understand.

1) What are the fees?  Are they per brick or per order?
2) What is the size of a brick?
3) Is there a process to follow to order a brick or do you simply ask a teller?
4) How do you return the notes and does this raise any flags with the bank when they are returned?

If there is anything other useful information I could use please let me know.


Thanks for all your help.

Tim

Hi Tim,

When I was doing "bricking" what I can tell you is :

1 - My fee was 11$ by brick when you order from a bank but it may vary for other people... and if you are using a credit line well.... count your interest.

2 - A brick is 10 Bundle of 100 note each so 1000 notes...

3 - You ask the teller if the bank can oder brand new notes and be very nice with her... not many bank want that...

4  - Many bank when you order brand new notes don't want it back so you might open another bank account at another place......


In this time when you "bricking" the profit is not very good....  , maybe Squid and Mortgage Guy will tell you the exact fee and told you the right story about "bricking" In this time of year....



 

viauauto,

Thanks for the information...much appreciated

Tim

As a brick searcher, here is a typical conversation to be ready for. This is based on a  recent account, where I basically was sick of being played as some suspicious crook. We have to know when to fold em as they say, but when this happens to you, don't take it personally, and move on. Some people are scared of what they do not know.

Legend:
SB = Some Bank
Me = Me


After explaining I wanted to get a brick, even on occasion....

SB: Well, we need to know the source of the funds.
Me: Well, I stock a regular bank balance of $x, so that I am able to do this.

SB: Well, we need to make sure it has been in there a long time... have you had large transactions in your account before?
Me: Well, yeah pertaining to doing this sort of thing before (bricks of $5s which I ordered 2 times from "SomeBank" in Edmonton)
SB: Yeah I know, I read the notes
Me: (thinking: Why then did you ask?) Yes, the notes were there so that people would understand what I was doing.
SB: But we are not here to do that, why would they do that in the other places you were? We would have to do transaction reports.
Me: Customer service, because I am a paying client. (I did not address the transaction reports)
SB: We can't guarantee either that the notes will be new, and then if you didn't take them, we would have to pay special cash handling fees...
Me: I would take them if they sent new or if they did not send new, because I know there are limitations on the types of reserves you can carry. And since I know that you won't do this for me, I will let you know that it is possible, according to the Bank of Canada, for any of the big 5 to specifically order new notes, with a fee attached, which is transferred to clients.  Chinese new year is a perfect example of the banks doing this.
SB: Well those are a one shot deal, not something done over and over again.
Me: (Thinking, okay so you DO know how to order new notes) Yes, because it is possible, and a procedure exists for that.
SB: I am going on what "SomeBank" tells me and not what someone else says (referring to when I cited the Bank of Canada relationship with cash handling and the big 5). I don't know where else you have been doing these things, but we can't.
Me: Regina main branch, Edmonton main branch, Edmonton (non-main branch)...
SB: Main branches (this was not a main branch that I was at)
Me: No, not main branches, all branches have the capability.  Its fine that you don't want to, but know the capacity exists. So it is "SomeBank" that is directing that perspective from a level above you, okay that is fine. But then it is still a fact that "SomeBank" does have the capabilities, but what you are saying is that that the upper levels are saying no. Okay no problem.  Considering I am not getting notes from you anyway, I would like to make sure you understand that "SomeBank" does have the capacity to do so, despite their non-willingness. Anyway, have a good day.

I can appreciate a "no we are not willing", but I cannot appreciate "we can't", despite knowing that according to the agreements between Bank of Canada and the big 5 that this is possible.

Lie one: "We can't" order new money.
Truth: "SomeBank" has the capability, but the MCS was not interested in meeting her request of her client, despite the fact that she knows she can order new money for Chinese New Year.
Lie two: We have to do transaction reports.
Truth: LCTRs are for transactions of over $10,000. Mine are not.  Suspicious activity reports are pertinent to the regular business of the client, regardless of amount.  This brick research falls under regular activities of this client (me), but by far is an irregular activity by and large. Across Canada, there are on average between x and y-many people who contribute to the catalog on this level, all at our own cost.  So, the personal situation of the client and the client's regular activities were not considered, period.
Lie three: We can't guarantee the notes will be new.
Truth: "SomeBank" has the procedure in place to send orders of new cash. It is a matter of whether or not they are willing to do this (on any level).

This MCS seemed rather offended that I might know about procedures and policies of these entities and a little bit about what "SomeBank" could do that was beyond her comfort level or know how.  I tried to be polite, yet I admit I was a little more assertive than normal, especially since knowing she wasn't going to budge.  While I knew from the start that I was not going to be ordering notes from there, I did want to take the opportunity to respectfully let her know about what is and what is not possible, and instead of hearing me out, and perhaps considering that I might have something intelligent to say, she walled up and deflected each issue with another straw-man case for why she couldn't order.

The fact is, I am a client, and a paying client, SB earns good money off of me with my mortgages, and being lied to is not what this client needs, nor should it be a result of providing customer service.  If the answer was "We can but it is something that we are not going to be doing at this branch, even though it is possible", fine, that is acceptable.  However, washing it with non-truths is not.

This woman was not friendly, but standoff-ish, right from the start. She deflected things she didn't know with certainty instead of suggesting that perhaps she could "find out". Her reasons at one point in the conversation transformed into other reasons later in the conversation, pointing to an escape of question.  As a client, I do not feel like I was properly served, properly treated (for the assumption was made that I was involved with some form of suspicious activity, WITHOUT a willingness to understand what I was doing), nor properly handled.  It was literally someone who dug their heels in, unprovoked while I tried to explain what was going on, and what "SomeBank" had the capability to do as one of the big 5, all the while knowing that I was not going to have notes ordered (and being okay with that).  What I am not okay with is MCSs who try to fleece me into believing that the limitations of what they know is the "truth" of the matter, when in reality, I know it is not, and they too know there is more to the story.

I don't wish anything to fall down onto any MCS who is like this other that a note of consideration for the circumstances of the client, for in my case, this was completely ignored. I don't mind that I was told no, but I do mind the manner in which it was done.

Re: Brick or Cash Searcher & bank customer service:

This is based on a  recent account, where I basically was sick of being played as some suspicious crook.

Thanks for that interesting account of a typical conversation with some bank employee Hudson.  I have never bricked per se, but have occassionally taken out large quantities of older bills just snooping to see if I can find a short prefix, radar or something collectible.  Bottom line- it's a lot of hassle for so little return.

I am glad you shared this because I thought that maybe I did something wrong (or had the wrong approach).  I mean- I did realize I was probably scaring the tellers by requesting withdrawals in the hundreds of dollars worth of $5.00's or (rarely thousands) worth of $10.00.  But I still resented their reactions as a bit overtly put-out (esp considering how much they make from me in mortgage payments alone!) 

Every time I did this, the tellers (all of whom I knew from regular banking) insisted I count the cash in their vault, an office, or some private place.  When I would return the cash to a different branch I was told I was creating suspicious activity and red flags. Two managers told me this on two different occassions (both attempting to put an end to what I was doing- even after I explained my hobby).

That's why I only would bother doing it occassionally.  Also- I would so rarely find anything worthwhile.  (like withdrawing the 2500 in TENS before finding 1 VF $10 - BTV prefix note).  Even though I would occassionally buy these same tellers a box of TH donuts, or butter them up in other ways, they always huffed and puffed when I went into search mode of large quantities of cash. 

In my opinion- the whole brick searching business is best left up to you "pros" who've been doing it for a while (& have the heart/thick skin for it).  It's simply not worth my time and aggravation (esp in light of how inexpensive radars and other new "inserts" have become with the market flooded and so soft).

WTW