# Bank "Overdrawn" Charges



## jamtart98 (Jun 3, 2010)

I have received a letter today from Banco Popular where I maintain an account used only to pay Endesa and the Banks Credit Card(s).

I last checked my account after the monthly Credit Card Payment was paid on the 29th February. I had 45 euros balance and made a few small purchases of around 10 euros each.
I had no idea the account had gone in the "red" until receiving their letter today (which was dated 3rd.March).
I have only been in the red once previously and that was over a year ago.
This time the reason it was tight and left a small balance was that I had to fork out 550 euros for ITV test and repairs to my car.

I have tried their online banking which is very useful but have had so many problems when trying to access it I gave up. I have had 8 slips of paper with new passwords in the last six months,two ladies at the bank giving me different ways to access it (failed) and have tried accessing it via online instructions (also failed).

Anyway what miffs me most about all this is that they want to charge me 50 EUROS for being in the red. Apart from being annoyed at not even knowing I was overdrawn (I tried checking two of thier cards at three autocash machines this morning and they said not possible,check with your branch.So I don,,t even know the actual amount I am in the red).

I intend to speak with the manager in the morning regarding the whole matter and complain that the fee they want to charge is excessive.

Has anyone else been charged 50 euros if and when they might have slipped into the red?

Any helpful advice much appreciated.


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## el romeral (May 8, 2012)

Spanish banks are a law unto themselves. 
No way they should get away with such a hefty charge, especially as they are unable to allow you to use the home banking. My mortgage is with this bunch of cowboys. I have the home banking and I remember it took numerous visits to the bank and passwords and user names etc before I finally got it to work. I am battling unfair interest rates at the moment and threatened to use their complaints book last week. They told me to address my complaint to the "attention cliente" department first. If this fails it will be the complaint book. Most likely I will get nowhere, but you have to try. 
Hope you succeed.


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## jamtart98 (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks a lot. I,m pleased I,m not the only one who has problems with their systems. 
I,ve looked up on the on the internet an apparently this sending out a letter saying you are overdrawn is standard practice. Not on. If you don,t check your account every day then by the time their letter arrives via pony express correos you owe them more in interest!!!
I will speak direct with the manager and I intend trying to get the charge abolished since their online system is so complicated to access and at the least I will be challenging the ridiculous 50 euro charge. 
Failing success like you I will ask for the complaints book.
Many Thanks for responding and so quickly.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

el romeral said:


> Spanish banks are a law unto themselves.
> No way they should get away with such a hefty charge, especially as they are unable to allow you to use the home banking. My mortgage is with this bunch of cowboys. I have the home banking and I remember it took numerous visits to the bank and passwords and user names etc before I finally got it to work. I am battling unfair interest rates at the moment and threatened to use their complaints book last week. They told me to address my complaint to the "attention cliente" department first. If this fails it will be the complaint book. Most likely I will get nowhere, but you have to try.
> Hope you succeed.


Just wondering if you have used a lot of Spanish banks or it's just this one which is complicated.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jamtart98 said:


> Thanks a lot. I,m pleased I,m not the only one who has problems with their systems.
> I,ve looked up on the on the internet an apparently this sending out a letter saying you are overdrawn is standard practice. Not on. If you don,t check your account every day then by the time their letter arrives via pony express correos you owe them more in interest!!!
> I will speak direct with the manager and I intend trying to get the charge abolished since their online system is so complicated to access and at the least I will be challenging the ridiculous 50 euro charge.
> Failing success like you I will ask for the complaints book.
> Many Thanks for responding and so quickly.


The online bit sounds like a nightmare. 8 passwords and 2 different people telling you different things? Definitely time to complain.
Our bank (it's not well known, Caja Laboral) sends us all the outgoings and and payments into our account daily, maybe with a 3 day delay as it takes up to 3 days to process.
I would suggest setting up with another bank, checking out how easy it is to work use online and if it's bette,r close down the Popular account.


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## AllHeart (Nov 22, 2013)

I'm with Unicaja. They have Unicaja in Fuengirola. I don't know their fee for overdraft, but it might be worth checking out since their online system is excellent. I enter with my DNI (probably NIE for you) and a password that I set up at the bank. Their fees are really low (€2 a month for unlimited withdrawals and deposits, including a Mastercard credit card debit card). Since their monthly fees are so low, maybe their overdraft fees are low too? The sweetest thing is all their online banking can be done in English!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I've been banking with BS for eight years, not a single problem. I use the apps for mobile, IPad and laptop, easy-peasy. Regular - far too regular - paper communications telling me the state of my accounts. I've tried stopping this, too many trees dying needlessly but in vain. 
Lovely helpful staff at the local branch, facility that sends SMS to your mobile when withdrawals or purchases of over 100 euros are made via your card.
Highly recommended......but a lot depends on your local branch.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

I've had an account with Banco Popular for 13 years, first a non resident one then a resident account. Had online banking with both, and never any problems. I've never been overdrawn on either account, but once in the early days when I had a mortgage with them, due to an unexpected bill going out there weren't going to be enough funds in the account to meet the next mortgage payment. They got a guy from their London office to ring me at home in the UK, on a Saturday morning, to warn me about it so that I had the chance to transfer more funds over, otherwise it could have been a real problem. I thought that was pretty good service.

However, my husband also has an account with them, at a different branch, and has had problems because charges are being applied after he was assured when the account was set up that it would be free of charges because a pension is being paid into the account. When I checked the documentation it appears that the account set up for him wasn't the one he'd asked for, but as he signed the agreement he really doesn't have a leg to stand on.

He has now opened another account with Banco Sabadell and has already had problems with it (they sent him credit cards but no debit card, and put a block of some kind on the account when he requested a new card, which meant that his state pension payment didn't go into his account. He went into the branch, they apologised and assured him the money would be in his account by close of business that day, but it wasn't, and as the next working day was a public holiday he had to go to the branch again to get them to finally credit the funds to his account.

So it seems any bank can make mistakes sometimes, it is just unfortunate when you are the victim of one.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

"Overdrawn" charges are the same in UK and worse. If you haven't the funds to meet a DD or SO, they refuse it, charge you £30 for the privilege knowing full well that you don't have the money to pay that either, then charge unauthorised overdraft fees plus high interest so that before you know where you are you owe them £100 or more.


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## peedee (Aug 30, 2015)

AllHeart said:


> The sweetest thing is all their online banking can be done in English!


As can Caixa


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

peedee said:


> As can Caixa


And BS.


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## jamtart98 (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks for responding. I use BBVA for my main account. I have,nt had many problems with them and the few I have had have been resolved quickly and efficiently.
Having said that I,m perhaps fortunate as I know quite a few of the bank personnel as friends which does help.
I did get the problem at Banco Popular resolved this morning after speaking to the Manager. An "oversight" with a payment I had made on my credit card had not gone through resulting in being overdrawn 17 euros!!! Needless to say the 50 euro charge was dropped and I have been given ANOTHER password for online banking. We,ll see.
Thanks Again


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## Trubrit (Nov 24, 2010)

I didn't realize that I was speeding, officer


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## jamtart98 (Jun 3, 2010)

Thanks for that response. Changing Banks here does,nt appeal at all and fortunately I only have to use the Banco Popular for two minor things.
Surprisingly this morning I actually managed to access my account online and even managed to change the password without any tears or stress!!!
Thanks Again


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## jamtart98 (Jun 3, 2010)

Definitely pluses there and their fees sound very reasonable.

Thanks for that and I,ll give it some thought.


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## jamtart98 (Jun 3, 2010)

Hardly surprising then that the various Banks are in the top five regarding complaints. Very much a law unto themselves and as one poster has said much depends on the branch.
Quick to take your money but slow to give you it. (Even when it,s yours!!!)


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## jamtart98 (Jun 3, 2010)

Que?


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