BBVA

We're with BBVA, the account we have has no charges if we pay in a minimum €2,500 per quarter. 

However I've looked on their website and they have a no fees no conditions offer on for new customers, which we just missed out on when we opened our account 🙄, here's the link, hope it helps

https://www.bbva.es/en/personas/productos/cuentas/cuenta-online-sin-comisiones.html

Very helpful, thanks.

Thanks Nelngaz for posting this info (and link) on BBVA.

The “we pay you” special offer on that link won’t work for us as the list of qualifying companies is VERY restricted. Endesa, for example, are one of the companies we were delighted to dump years ago with their ludicrously high charges.

The free banking seems almost too good to be true, but maybe, just maybe, Spanish banks are waking up to the modern world. We were already looking at BBVA having had our fingers burnt with Cajamar, the devil incarnate.

Do you (or any other BBVA customers) have any useful feedback on them? We’d like to know the good and the bad.

We were originally with Solbank Sabadell, who wouldn’t let us go fee-free despite wanting to invest funds. Unfortunately at that time Cajamar were highly recommended to us, and that’s been the biggest mistake of our lives.

Bleu, from your OP, who did your solicitor set you up with? €40 per quarter is a lot, but Cajamar are ripping us off nearly twice that, which is crazy. They’ve also done us a lot of financial damage over a few years, and have no professional customer service at all.

I’m highly amused when people here complain about €5 a month or so! If only!

Our solicitor set us up with Sabadell. We've had no problems with them but the fees are now starting grind a bit, around 600 euros over the 4 years. We've just got back to England so we'll look into it a bit more.

We've had no issues with the bank, the app has worked perfectly 🤞I get emails with promotions etc. and so far very happy with it.  

May need to give an update if we ever need to access the bank in person, but very happy with it so far. 

Hi All 

I had one issue with Sabadel hat they could not answer. 

When I went overdrawn by 30 cents 

 I recived phone call from a collection agency from someone who would not  give me their name, stating that legal proceding were going to be started unless I  agree to pay forthwith. At this time there had been monies deposited so at most I was 12 hours in the red. They wanted my card details. Nah not happening so I just hung up.

When I  went up to the bank in Vera about this, had to make an appontment and was 5 minutes early for that but still ended up waitng for a 1/2 hour. I spoke with the woman who deals with clients (forgot her name but I think Dario mentions  her in a another thread)  she was very abrupt and said she had no idea how the agency got my details. 

Couple of days later I get a letter from the same agency WITH my NIE Phone and account numbers 🤔🤔. 

I call Sabadell help line and they imformed me that I should go to the branch and speak with the account manager they could not help me.

I made several requests via the app and website to schedule an appointment EVERY one was refused 

So good by Sabadell. Which is a whole other nightmare closing the account

PS Phone number from collection agency blocked 

Good to know, thanks.

Thank you for the link and your details of our experience with BBVA

I am thinking of switching from Sabadel to BBVA

Richard

Thanks again Nelngaz!

I’m guessing you have a standard branch account, and not the ‘online only’ account?

In light of my experience over 13 years with two other ‘big’ Spanish banks, the BBVA free banking seems almost too good to be true, but let’s hope it will prove correct.

We were already looking at BBVA having had HUGE problems in just a few years with Cajamar. Many many problems and more and more charges. Our neighbours are ‘swallows’ and essentially just USE Cajamar for anything they can get, and they boast they’ve not paid a penny. We’ve been perfect customers for Cajamar and have begged to deposit savings and they WILL NOT ASSIST in doing that, they just keep charging more un-itemised charges.

I guess Cajamar employees get paid regardless of effort and results.

I’m still very interested to hear from any other BBVA customers. Does anybody have good or bad feedback on them?

We’d like to know the good and the bad, for example if you’re ‘online only with no charges’ is the account inferior to a normal branch account?

Do they do joint accounts with two debit cards?

Do they charge for just possessing debit cards?

Can you bank from home on a PC?

Is a mobile phone (with app) essential?

Does the account run smoothly?

Any fraudulent activity?

We’ve had no end of problems with Cajamar, and they are sooooo slooooow to react when either phoning or emailing.

When having problems with online banking I discovered with some surprise that Cajamar have separate websites for expats and native Spaniards. The Spaniards get a fully featured website…

This year they’ve modified the online EU payments process for ‘security’. There is so much to do now in a very limited space of time that it’s almost impossible to complete the transaction before they shut you down for ‘inactivity’. (extremely rude expletive here)

It’s reached the point for us now where Cajamar are deducting yearly, an amount equivalent to my month’s (pathetic) pension. There’s no way that’s going to continue.

Incidentally, I’m not expecting BBVA to be perfect, but I do want to see some signs that they care.

Also, if anyone is wondering about Solbank/Sabadell banking, there’s a useful detailed thread on here at:

https://www.costadealmeriaforum.com/area/el-cabo-de-gata-spain-248/banking-and-finances-in-el-cabo-de-gata-11/free-banking-180035/

Cheers me dears…