Lynn R

I have just read elsewhere that Sabadell are to start charging a monthly fee of €5 for their Expansion Account. As I hadn't received any notification of this change I logged into my account and checked the mailbox in the Personal Area. Sure enough, there is a notification in there, dated 4/10/19 confirming this change to their conditions - but there is no heading to show what it is about, you have to click on the link to read it. The charge becomes payable from 24/12/2019 and will be applied quarterly (€15 per quarter). I'm not very happy about this but probably won't bother to switch as it would involve changing all my direct debits and once one bank does this the others are likely to follow suit anyway. I would rather keep an account at a bank with a local presence rather than an online only bank, for those occasions when it's necessary to speak to a human. I thought other Expansion Account holders who haven't seen this message might like advance warning.

snikpoh

Just checked all of our expansion accounts and we haven't been sent that notification yet.

Let's hope it's not everyone who will be charged.

Lynn R

Oh, thanks! As long as not everyone is charged (ie not you) that'll be hunky dory, then?

tebo53

I can't see that notification on my online account pages. They are still advertising the expansion account as free on the internet with deposits of €700 and over.

Steve

snikpoh

What I'm saying is that there must be something special about your account - everyone I've spoken to hasn't received this notification and so I hope they won't be charged.

spainrico

I have an Expansion Premium account which used to pay me a small amount per month based on debit card transaction - hardly a life-changing amount but 'every little helps' this stopped some months ago.

But I do not pay fees - I think there are exemptions based on pensioner yes/no and monthly credits paid in for all accounts.

Not very happy at them at the moment re above, charges for a cheque and the recent security changes (discussed in another thread) but what is the point of changing they are all as bad my friend has just left Caixa due to charges and other issues.

thegolfer

I have the Expansion Account with Premium advantages and have been assured that there will never be any charges whatsoever and also gives me a free Gold Card and a free additional account.

spainrico

Well, I think all banks these days follow the Boris and Trump ways of working.

But let us hope this is true and they will keep their word.

Lynn R

There are quite a few comments on Spanish websites from unimpressed Spanish customers about this new charge, for example:-

https://www.helpmycash.com/opiniones/banco/sabadell/

I agree, they are still advertising this account as being free of charges, which is not very transparent of them.

spainrico

Before I mentioned this topic a Spanish friend of mine mentioned this morning banks are looking to pull in as much money as possible as they are panicking about another crash with too much money lent in bad mortgages...

snikpoh

Just been to the bank and asked about charges.

I was told:

"Letters will be going out from our branch next week. EVERYONE will be charged unless they are under 31, have an insurance product from the bank or have over 10k invested with them."

spainrico

I thought pensioners were exempt by law?

snikpoh

Didn't know that so I will ask.

spainrico

This is interesting - note 3rd paragraph - so it's about to expire but there are still rules.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/fa...3-euros-month/

Nothing about OAPs maybe I got that wrong? In fact my brain just flashed - maybe it was free transfers for pension payments.

snikpoh

That's for a "Basic Account" completely different to normal accounts and certainly doesn't apply to Sabadells expansion account