I had accounst withSOLBANK AND OTHER SPANISH BANKS

kitty_3-2

I,ve warned people about Solbank (the leading ex-pat bank in Spain) before. This is an update.

If you have a spanish bank account my strong advice is to get your money out and into an account with a subsidiary of a UK bank.

I have just been charged Euro 2,400 to close an account...an account on which in writing I have that there are no penalties.

Brief details. I told my Fuengirola branch of Solbank (Banco Sabadell)in May that I would wish to close my deposit (and current) accounts if rates did not improve.They assured me they would mid year but did not.

Mysteriously they then without notice stopped my internet and telephone banking access. They claimed I had entered the wrong PIN ...not true and irrelevant to the telephone banking.They stopped sending me statements, refused to acknowledge any correspondence, but carried on charging fees!

To close the accounts via the internet would have cost me Euro 30 plus say approx Euro 60 for transfers.

For six months they refused to accept instructions unless I went to the branch in person in Spain! though they knew that this was not possible for medical reasons.After much effort they agreed to accept the instructions in person at their London office. These were duly delivered. Even then they delayed carrying them out.

To close the accounts they have charged me over Euro 2,400 . Exhorbitant and unreasonable by any measure.

Of course in practice there is nothing I can do. Unlike spanish citizens who can use the Bank of Spain to seek UK redress...which they do and very vigorously, in the UK our agencies refuse to get involved.

deemy2004

As an EU citizen the spanish authorities should also represent you. I'm not surprised that the UK institutions don't want to get involved as its not their juridiction.

Though the moral of the story is , withdraw your funds before you tell them your going to close the account

Still, you should be able to get compensation, maybe chase it up with your EU MEP