# Caixa Bank 50 Euro Fee Every Month for Dentist Insurance or What?



## James GER (Jun 4, 2017)

Hi,
when I was in Tenerife last month and wanted to open a bank account I was told that at the end of every month I would automatically have to pay 50 Euros for what I understood is dential insurance or something to do with dentists. Is that normal or what is it exactly? Is it a scam in Caixa bank?
Thanks for any info.


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## Pdstelle (Oct 5, 2017)

Hi, to open a bank account you only need to make a one time deposit. Every month you should pay the maintenance fee only, (far less than 50 ?).
I used to work at a bank in Tenerife. 
Greetings


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

It has been reported that some banks will tell you that you have to take out some kind of health insurance with them if you wish to open an account..

You don't. 

If they are insistent, just go to another bank


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## kalohi (May 6, 2012)

I have friends who work for Caixa Bank. They are put under enormous pressure to sell insurance policies any way possible. It seems that the person you dealt with at Caixa Bank decided that a good way to sell insurance is to "require" that people who open an account also sign up for an insurance policy. But that in no way is the official policy of the bank. You can open an account with no insurance attached.

Unfortunately if you have already signed on the dotted line you have agreed to pay for one year of insurance. But 50€/month sounds like a lot of money for dental insurance. That's more in line with what full health insurance costs, possibly with dental included. You really should find out exactly what you've signed up for (assuming you have signed with the bank).


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

kalohi said:


> I have friends who work for Caixa Bank. They are put under enormous pressure to sell insurance policies any way possible. It seems that the person you dealt with at Caixa Bank decided that a good way to sell insurance is to "require" that people who open an account also sign up for an insurance policy. But that in no way is the official policy of the bank. You can open an account with no insurance attached.
> 
> Unfortunately if you have already signed on the dotted line you have agreed to pay for one year of insurance. But 50€/month sounds like a lot of money for dental insurance. That's more in line with what full health insurance costs, possibly with dental included. You really should find out exactly what you've signed up for (assuming you have signed with the bank).


Hi,
If the OP has signed on the dotted line as a result of fraudulent information from the bank employee - then they should lodge a formal complaint to get any installments already paid refunded, the contract annulled and to claim compensation.
There is no way they will be held to a 1 year contact, under these circumstances.
Cheers
Steve


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## James GER (Jun 4, 2017)

I did not agree to it. It makes sense now. Thanks.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

James if you have any problem with getting it put right ask for, AND COMPLETE the complaint forms. If they subsequently put it right then you can just tear up the forms


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I am furious with Caixa Bank. After years of commission-free banking (because my pension is paid in every month and it's over €600 a month) they have changed the terms so this now only applies to salaries. They are now charging me €6 a month! If I want to switch to a pensioner's account and continue to get free banking, I have to take out an insurance policy with them! I just checked and their house insurance is twice what I am paying with Linea Directa.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Have a look at Ausbanc. An organisation set up to defend rights of bank users. I used them to get some money returned from Solbank.

https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ausbanc


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Alcalaina said:


> I am furious with Caixa Bank. After years of commission-free banking (because my pension is paid in every month and it's over €600 a month) they have changed the terms so this now only applies to salaries. They are now charging me €6 a month! If I want to switch to a pensioner's account and continue to get free banking, I have to take out an insurance policy with them! I just checked and their house insurance is twice what I am paying with Linea Directa.


In your situation I would check other banks and see if you can get a better deal. If you can ask your bank for a list of any Direct Debits etc that you have. Open an account with the bank you have chosen, give then the list and ask them to transfer the payments.

I have done that few times,


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Juan C said:


> In your situation I would check other banks and see if you can get a better deal. If you can ask your bank for a list of any Direct Debits etc that you have. Open an account with the bank you have chosen, give then the list and ask them to transfer the payments.
> 
> I have done that few times,


I will certainly threaten to move my account when I go to see the manager on Monday! But realistically I don't think any of the others are any better. I've looked at several already. They want a minimum of €1000 a month going in, and my pension is nowhere near that.

And La Caixa is very convenient because there's a branch just up the road ...


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Alcalaina said:


> I will certainly threaten to move my account when I go to see the manager on Monday! But realistically I don't think any of the others are any better. I've looked at several already. They want a minimum of €1000 a month going in, and my pension is nowhere near that.
> 
> And La Caixa is very convenient because there's a branch just up the road ...


We have two accounts, one for day to day money, but we transfer over lump sums twice a year... Caixa charge I think €8 a month

Santander I use as my business .. my fees go in and my autonomo payments go out. I have arranged three direct debits on this account the telephone, internet and my autonomo payments for €3 per month

No minimum... I pay in approx €450 pm


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## xgarb (May 6, 2011)

Everytime the banks here are told to stop making one type of charge (or give money back in the case of the floor clause) they make up some other way of trying to recover their losses.

I have the Sabadell Expansion Negocios account which is sold as free of all charges, free cards etc but...

"We offer you telephone legal assistance on any matter related to your professional activity, 24 hours a day, plus a portal where you will find offers for your business or your personal use, accessible via BS Online(6)."

Was charged at €35 per year which I couldn't be bothered to argue about as I didn't mind the bank charging me a little as I get good service. This year, without notice was charged at €50. I think they look at your account and see how much they will get away with. I told them I didn't want it and was never asked if I wanted to renew but they wouldn't remove the charge so before the next time.. I'm switching to another bank.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

xgarb said:


> Everytime the banks here are told to stop making one type of charge (or give money back in the case of the floor clause) they make up some other way of trying to recover their losses.
> 
> I have the Sabadell Expansion Negocios account which is sold as free of all charges, free cards etc but...
> 
> ...


I've been charged nothing on my Bank Sabadell Expansion account ( and certainly never been offered or signed up to legal assistance ) 
The service is free of charge ( so long as they see at least 700 Euros being credited to my Bank Sabadell account each month ) which
they see from my pay & what's more I get 1 per cent cash back ( less tax ) on all utility bills paid by direct debit from my Bank Sabadell expansion account.

The only drat this year is the Cash back on Utility bills was reduced from 4 per cent to 1 per cent.

Anyway never had Bank Sabadell trying to push me into signing up for a legal assistance helpline. Although my Insurance Broker
always 'tries it on' whenever my Motor Insurance comes up for renewal which I tactfully decline.


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## xgarb (May 6, 2011)

It's the Negocios account. I'm an autonomo.

They have offered to switch to the account you are on but I would have to keep an eye on transfering money every month to keep it free. The Negocios account you just have to pay the social security payment from the account to get everything free (except the pointless legal helpline and other mysterious non-services).

They wouldn't refund for this year even if I moved to the personal account so I'm going to look at other banks. If they were honest and just said we need to start charging for something and give you warning I wouldn't have minded so much but it's the underhanded way they act.

Everyone I speak to has had mysterious charges from their bank that sometimes the branch isn't sure what they are for. Normally they remove them if you ask. They rely on people not noticing or not caring to make up their funding shortfalls.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> I will certainly threaten to move my account when I go to see the manager on Monday! But realistically I don't think any of the others are any better. I've looked at several already. They want a minimum of €1000 a month going in, and my pension is nowhere near that.
> 
> And La Caixa is very convenient because there's a branch just up the road ...


Just been to see the branch manager and explained that as a pensioner I cannot afford to pay bank charges ... and having been a loyal customer for so long I was reluctant to move. He was very apologetic, restored the account to its previous commission-free status and refunded the €6.

This to me is the big advantage of having a local branch with a human being in charge, rather than an internet account where you can only speak to call-centre staff.


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## John98103 (Nov 12, 2015)

Does this insurance policy qualify for the required health insurance coverage?


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Williams2 said:


> I've been charged nothing on my Bank Sabadell Expansion account ( and certainly never been offered or signed up to legal assistance )
> The service is free of charge ( so long as they see at least 700 Euros being credited to my Bank Sabadell account each month ) which
> they see from my pay & what's more I get 1 per cent cash back ( less tax ) on all utility bills paid by direct debit from my Bank Sabadell expansion account.
> 
> ...


I have the same account and find it very good. Sabadell have never tried to sell me any kind of insurance policy and there was certainly no requirement to take any kind of policy out when opening the account. I said I didn't want a credit card, just a debit card, as the credit card was only free of charges if a minimum spend was made (I forget whether it was per month or per year) and I didn't think I'd use it that much, so they said no problem, just don't activate the credit card when we send it to you as a new customer.


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

That's interesting about the credit card with Sabadell. We were told to pick up a card at our branch which meant a 280km round trip but we asked at a local branch and they informed us it was a CC which we thought would be a debit card, we just told them we didn't want it and saved us a trip. Now the next thing is on our account it states loan approved for over an amount 20k, we didn't ask for a loan, do they do approvals for loans without asking or could this be somebody hacked into our account, anyway we will call in tomorrow and find out.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Roy C said:


> That's interesting about the credit card with Sabadell. We were told to pick up a card at our branch which meant a 280km round trip but we asked at a local branch and they informed us it was a CC which we thought would be a debit card, we just told them we didn't want it and saved us a trip. Now the next thing is on our account it states loan approved for over an amount 20k, we didn't ask for a loan, do they do approvals for loans without asking or could this be somebody hacked into our account, anyway we will call in tomorrow and find out.


Don't knowabout the loan thing, neither of us had anything like that happen when we opened our accounts. The debit and credit cards for both of us were sent to our home address, strange that your branch insisted on your going to collect them.


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Lynn R said:


> Don't knowabout the loan thing, neither of us had anything like that happen when we opened our accounts. The debit and credit cards for both of us were sent to our home address, strange that your branch insisted on your going to collect them.


I think that is because they use our UK address as a non-resident account. The loan thing was a surprise especially as we didn't even ask about one but I do think it is probably only an upselling thing, well I hope it is......


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Phew


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Roy C said:


> Phew


I take it that means there was a simple explanation and not anything sinister, then (hopefully)?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Roy C said:


> I think that is because they use our UK address as a non-resident account. The loan thing was a surprise especially as we didn't even ask about one but I do think it is probably only an upselling thing, well I hope it is......


We always have to go in and collect our cards as well which is a pain in the neck, but they insist


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Lynn R said:


> I take it that means there was a simple explanation and not anything sinister, then (hopefully)?


Yes thanks, it was an offer without a request.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Roy C said:


> Yes thanks, it was an offer without a request.


Which is very common.


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## Roy C (Sep 29, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Which is very common.


That's fine, now I know I will just ignore in the future.....


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