Bank acc - Page 2

DaveRioja wrote on Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:00am:

TBH most Spanish banks are now determined to take as much money from expats as they possibly can, a lot of them increased their fees as soon as the pandemic hit and would not let you close your account or move direct debits unless you went into the branch in Spain, which was impossible. I had bee...

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...n with Caixa/Bankia bank and all its predecessors for 20 years and have just closed it totally. If you do not take out their overpriced insurance, take one of their poor investments, or have a salary/pension paid in they will take extortionate fees. I can’t believe that I have now set all my direct debit‘s up with Starling Bank and it cost pennies rather than over 200€ a year just to have a debit card & account that only pays 3 Direct Debits. And I got fed up with 2 hour queues with shambolic organisation, totally useless customer service, and short opening hours which include their coffee breaks. 

Brisas10 wrote on Mon Oct 4, 2021 2:05pm:

Hello folks, I am a newbie to your site after owning an apartment in Villarmartin for 10 years.  Living in UK l have been  unable to come over for the last 15 months but would like to post something about Sabadell. They were originally Llyods and extreemly helpful but were sold off and ...

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...now actually own TSB in UK. 

They have been increasing their fees consistently but do at least pay the direct debits correctly.  I am a  reasonably good Spanish speaker and deal with them in Spanish but find them totally intransigent.  e.g   Right now I need to fix a meeting to discuss the removal of my deceased wife's name from our account.  A meeting is impossible without copies of a Spanish will, International Death Cert and a Spanish testimony.  No compassion whatsover so I can see myself popping down to Horadara on my next visit.   

MaryT63 wrote on Wed Oct 27, 2021 10:13pm:

Hi DaveRioja

Did you have to give notice to Bankia/Caixa when closing the account?

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Mary

DaveRioja wrote on Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:33am:

I tried for 2 years to close the account from the UK when they suddenly increased the charges for doing basically nothing - by phone, email and talking to Madrid head office. They would only close it when I went in branch, so took hundreds of € for “fees”. It took a queuing for an hour or s...

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...o, 3 hours of them on their computer and had to do it all again the next day as their ‘system went down’. So it seems you don’t have to give notice, but best to book an appointment. Or just join the early morning chaotic scramble outside the bank….Take passports (2 for a joint account and you must both be present).

DaveRioja wrote on Fri Oct 29, 2021 8:33am:

I tried for 2 years to close the account from the UK when they suddenly increased the charges for doing basically nothing - by phone, email and talking to Madrid head office. They would only close it when I went in branch, so took hundreds of € for “fees”. It took a queuing for an hour or s...

Read more...

...o, 3 hours of them on their computer and had to do it all again the next day as their ‘system went down’. So it seems you don’t have to give notice, but best to book an appointment. Or just join the early morning chaotic scramble outside the bank….Take passports (2 for a joint account and you must both be present).

DaveRioja wrote on Mon Oct 11, 2021 1:02pm:

I understand your personal point of view. However, as an expat, I have or had bank accounts in five European countries plus the US and I’ve never had such appalling customer service, penalising charges and inefficient administration as from a Spanish bank. If one is happy to pay €14 a month p...

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...lus an annual administration charge, plus €28 for each debit card, pay a huge fee to pay money INTO ones account and often stand outside the bank in a queue for up to an hour or so, then a Spanish bank is for you. I now use prefer Wise, Revolut or Starling. Free card, minimal fees, good exchange rates, no queuing, pay in any currency. 

Valetie130751 wrote on Sat Oct 30, 2021 8:10am:

Who is starling? Or what are they? I've never heard of them?

DaveRioja wrote on Mon Oct 11, 2021 12:00am:

TBH most Spanish banks are now determined to take as much money from expats as they possibly can, a lot of them increased their fees as soon as the pandemic hit and would not let you close your account or move direct debits unless you went into the branch in Spain, which was impossible. I had bee...

Read more...

...n with Caixa/Bankia bank and all its predecessors for 20 years and have just closed it totally. If you do not take out their overpriced insurance, take one of their poor investments, or have a salary/pension paid in they will take extortionate fees. I can’t believe that I have now set all my direct debit‘s up with Starling Bank and it cost pennies rather than over 200€ a year just to have a debit card & account that only pays 3 Direct Debits. And I got fed up with 2 hour queues with shambolic organisation, totally useless customer service, and short opening hours which include their coffee breaks. 

bikeman wrote on Sun Oct 31, 2021 12:13pm:

HI Dave , seems all Spanish Banks are the same. Its taken a over a week to activate my wifes Debit card ,insisting she goes onto online banking,she doesn't need or want to as its the same account for us both & i sort all the online stuff out. They do not listen & the helpline is manned by...

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... people who just havn't a clue. They blamed my phone & ;laptop for problems i had . My phone is Spanish has always received SMS from DB . But it would not receive the new pin code. , she said it was because the language was set to English ,rubbish ! problem with online banking the same ,she said it was my laptop ! Rubbish  its always worked before. Next day when they had obviously sorted their technical problems out both received  all ok. .. I looked on the App for a local  ATM with no charges , one was shown in an gated Urbanisation ,nobody has seen an ATM there ..just returned ,tried one one at local shops nothing avaiilable ,card rejected . Shows one at a bus stop nothing else around .So much for advertised great experience using DB. I will now be taking steps to grab my cash & run ,problem is where to ? I told them they are driving people, especially older folk,with all their usless technology pin numbers etc etc  To take their cash out & put it under the matress , going back to the olden days i guess . There feel better now hope lots of people read this & take note who doesn't listen to customers , after all we pay their wages !!! I also suggested as we have to travel 15km or more to our nearest DB plus we do everything online they should pay us for inconvenience & time spent doing all the work online .