SlinkMink

Anyone recommend SolBank in Spain?
What are they like to deal with?(Considering opening an account there).
I believe they are very good translating their statements/documents into English if necessary.
Interested in using them whenever over there.
Ta

Mitzyboy

Yes they are good to deal with it, and its a sub bank of Banco Sabadell, set up originally to deal with expats. They have English speakers in every branch, and the prestige account offers quite a few extras. They will set up your electric account, recommend tradespeople, and you get discounts at restaurants as well as a number of other things

CarolandTony

Can most certainly recommend them. To add to Mitzy's comments:
All of their paperwork is in English, as is the website.
You can open the account from the UK. Did ours over the phone, and emailed copies of passports. Account was open within 15 mins of the call.
We have nothing but praise for the way we have been treated in our local branch - Oliva.
Have not tried the 'extra' services offered as per Mitzy's note.
If you go for the Prestige account you pay a set fee per month (taken every 3 months) and then you don't pay for transactions which are normally paid in Spain. You also get one credit card and one debit card for free. I think the only time that we have had to pay is when we paid in a stirling cheque.

neilwturner

Very good bank. I use the branch in La Cala. Excellent service in English. All documentation in English as is their Internet banking service.

They pay competitive interest rates on their Sterling Accounts as well.

betris

They bend over backward to help you normaly.thats what I have found

EsuriJohn

I can't figure out why they are so good! The Prestige account is very good and cheap if you read the rules and are sensible. I thought it must be all the add-ons they will try to sell me. Gave me a quote for insurance and it turned out to be €100 cheaper than the next best so maybe they will restore my faith in the banking industry. Thoroughly recommended.

jurdyr

used La Caixa myself and fine then to be good and Atms all over the place so no charges for withdrawing money for outher bank ATMS

SlinkMink

Thank you, very helpful comments.

Beachcomber

I don't use Solbank but I have a friend who does, at least at the moment. He has had nothing but trouble with them and is going to change to a proper Spanish bank.

Rotor

Yes ,100% professional,I have personal and business accounts with them,any issues are dealt with quickly,some say charges are high but these can be negotiated,
Rgds

Rotor

george43

Anyone had any experience with Bancaja ?

Rosemary

They are brilliant, helpful staff etc. Just had a letter to say that from now on we can have all communications in the lamguage of our choice.

Rosemary

EsuriJohn

I thought Banco Sabadel was the 3rd or 4th largest bank in Spain and Solbank is just a small part of tha group. We also have an account with Banco Andalucia part of Grupo Banco Popular a "proper" Spanish Bank and whilst I am not closing the account at the moment I will be if they do not refund some of the exorbitant fees they are charging. Their website is mostly in English and technically very good but I prefer the Solbank one and they send out a lot of subsiduary information in Spanish which defeats he object of the English top layer.

andyrich666

I opened a Solbank account on the reccomendation of Tony&Carol who were reccomended by Mitzy.

The opening of the account was extremely easy and went very smoothly - far easier than opening a UK account.

I asked for a credit card and was given one with no problem, I also got a Mastercard but this is a debit card.

I was unable to travel to the branch I opened the account in and asked for them to send the cards to be collected etc to a diff branch, on my arrival they could not find the cards AND I CAME CLOSE TO TEARS, but after a bit of pressure from me they turned the bank upside down and all the staff were looking for my cards and after a while (45 MINUTES) in the lovely airconditioned bank - one very nice lady found them. By this time the bank was closing and I had to sign about 60 pages of forms but they did not fully explain how to pay the credit card off.

I hired a car out on the Visa card and a day later the bank took the whole payment for the balance on the credit card out of my current account, this caused it to go overdrawn.

This happens becuase unless you tell the bank to only take a small payment they will take the full balance at the end of the month - I hired the car on 29th June and they took the balance on the 30th, lol

I was charged for this, however I explained that I was not made aware of how the banking works as the branch was closing when I signed for everything. The main branch refunded the commision and advised me to keep a higher balance - I have done this now.

Overall a few scares that were sorted out very simply by the most friendliest of people I have ever met.

I have had many accounts in the UK and relationships with managers in my business, my partner banks with the COOP and I can assure you the COOP are not a scratch on the Solbank. The Coop would never have refunded any commisions - you have a account manager (gestor) who you can email and they reply back same day.

It is a totally different banking experience - a better more personal one.

Some people would say Solbank can be expensive - for me at the moment when you unsure of your future I would rather pay a few quid and get the service I get from here.

My friend changed from solbank to Cam Bank, but for me I would reccomend Solbank for sure 10 out of 10

george43

Thanks,our Spanish lawyer recommended them and we opened an account on his word as he seems a straight guy.