Hi guys

I wonder if any of you have set up direct debits ["DD"] on your home country (UK, Ireland, etc.) bank accounts to meet electricity, water, management company fees.? While I know the deadline for compliance with the Single European Payments Area ["SEPA"] regulations has been extended by Brussels, I think that many of the Spanish Banks are ready for it but maybe not many of the utility companies!

I recently asked Gesprosur, the management company for Las Jaras - CE, and they were reluctant to accept a DD on a non-Spanish Bank.

I would love to hear if you have had any success with Gesprosur, Endesa, Gihasa or the others (including the townhall).

George

Not yet, but I'm planning to test the system by applying to pay this year's IBI by direct debit from my Santander UK account. If that works OK, then I will apply to switch Giahsa and CHC Energia leccy bills to Santander UK. Then house insurance and renta payments. After that I plan to close my Spanish bank account as I now only use it to pay these direct debits.

Just hope the Santander UK Zero current account is not knocked on the head anytime soon. This account allows foreign payments and ATM cash withdrawals with no fees and no loading. Unfortunately it is no longer available to new customers.

DelAlmendro, please let me know how you get on. As my home bank also has zero fees, using it would be much more cost effective than having a second Spanish account and it would also allow better overview of debits passing over my account than at present.

best regards, George

I am VERY unhappy at the way people can take money from bank accounts in Spain. As you would expect Belgium = Brussels = EU, was one of the first to introduce a fully operational SEPA and all our bills are in the full format. It would be an extra security level if there was a country border between your bills and bank account.

SEPA is an excellent thing to come out and Ive used it a lot. For example Euro transfers are free to a high amount.... No more stupid bank receipt or sending charges.

Especially the Spanish ones.

I had to quickly change my Santander account a few years back, as they had unbelievable charges. I am a shareholder too but no advantage.

Jon

Now there's a thought if you don't have a Spanish bank account they can't embargo it so you can have a dispute without the other party having the whip hand. So Brussels may have done us a big favour with SEPA. The need for full IBAN info was evidenced by DWS needing it to continue to transfer State & Government pensions. So I would think it is quite general that it is used between UK Banks and Spanish Banks already.