Digitalisation of details

[gerryh]

Contacted my bank Solbank (Sabadell) and they confirmed they had all my and my wife's details.
If they hadn't they said they would have contacted me.
Cheers
Gerry

[infoseeker]

The whole situation has been badly handled by most banks, it seems.
They've had 5 years yet panicked people in the last month.
All it needed was a prominent notice in the bank, an email or letter, or merely a polite request from bank staff asking if a client needed to update details eg passport number, residency renewed, in the last 5 years.
This way it would have been a gradual procedure, instead of the present mayhem,resulting in threats to freeze bank accounts.
Too logical and simple !

[Miro]

You need to send your passport and NIE/Green sheet

Typically, but disconcertingly, different sources seem to be quoting different requirements. How can this be if this is govt. legislation? Why is it not black and white and the same regardless of who/which bank is quoting? (Rhetorical - the answer obviously being "This is Spain").
Some sources say "Passport OR DNI/NIE". Since this is supposedly about identifying account holders, why would both be required, since the green residency sheet does not prove identity? Surely a passport alone should suffice?
Only asking, because an elderly acquaintance never bothered getting a green sheet when his old card expired (his bad) and now he's got to re-apply for residency, obtaining an S1 from Newcastle etc., and faces the possibility of his account being frozen and, since inadvertently rocking the boat with the Seg.Social, his health entitlement suspended in the meantime! All because his bank (Santander) took 4 years and 50 weeks to pass a message on. (And because the dimwit didn't get his green sheet when he should have).

[Trooperman]

Did it at Unicaja today. 30 mins queuing, 3 minutes to present passport, consternation when looking at credit card sized residencia, conversations between staff....then online form completed, printed, signed and copy taken.
No signs in bank or on ATM.
Here's a Spanish take on the whole kerfuffle and whilst my Spanish is cr@p, there seems to be a debate about democracy!
http://www.rankia.com/blog/cuentas-corr ... lucionarlo

[Parilla]

Having given Sabadell a justified bad rep a few days ago, in the interests of fairness I should say what happened since. On Saturday, in order to get it out of my system, I sent them an email giving them a very hard time, pulling no punches.

Within 2 hours I had a phone call back from them, with apologies that I had been unfortunate to communicate with an "imbecil" (their word not mine), and asking if we could pop into the branch on Monday with just our original Residencias, and that was all that was needed. The caller gave a contact name at the branch who would be aware of the situation and would deal correctly with it.

We called in this morning and asked for the contact name and the man came straight out of his cubbyhole at the back. More profuse apologies, the green forms were copied and we were on our way in about 4 minutes.

Parilla

[Miro]

Only the green sheets? Which actually state on them that they are not a valid form of ID???

[luckyjim]

I think that the crux of this subject is that when someone on the forum offers a valid and experienced bit of information that you accept it for what it is assistance.

[Miro]

Well I wasn't exactly criticising or doubting the veracity of the previous statement, merely commenting. My acquaintance who banks at Santander has been asked for both the green sheet AND his passport. My point was really only to emphasise my previous comment, that there is no consistency in the application of this particular requirement.

[ninamh]

I emailed Sabadell last week, and got a response now. We opened the account in 2004. The lady told me that our info expired in 2012, and she kindly asked me to email a copy of our passports to the local branch. And she provided the email address. So hopefully every should be ok now.

[luckyjim]

Sorry Miro, that was not intended to be any one person but generally I have noticed that there are always members who treat things with great suspicion!

[Miro]

No worries.
So, just to recap, we have one branch of Sabadell requiring just the green sheet, another branch of Sabadell requiring just a passport - and my branch of Sabadell told me they need nothing from me.

[GerryinCajiz]

I Emailed my Branch Manager on Friday (Sabadell) , today I received a reply saying all the info for our accounts was up to date, and no action was required.

We did visit the branch last year with our new passports so they could up date their records.

[Lyric]

My branch of Sabadell, Nerja responded to my mail with "If you haven't heard from us you will be OK, although I see your passports we have on record are expired, just pop in to any branch with them to be sure"

Morning task sorted then.

[oblong113]

I will need to follow up on this but am in the UK at the moment.
Does anybody know the English speaking internet banking phone number for Santander please?

[Beachcomber]

A friend called Santander in the UK and got the necessary information. Try this number in the first instance - 0800 068 6069

[El Cid]

It seems that even if they do freeze the account, direct debits will be paid.

According to the president of the bank users association, the blocking would be gradual never automatic and neither will it close an account.

Also, if the bank fails to advise you of the requirement to provide ID details, the bank can be fined up to €150000

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news-sp ... ount.shtml

Sid

[Lavanda]

In spite of both my banks telling me I was 'all right' I did go into the Caja de Extremadura and INSIST they took my details. The bank manager did so — but he clearly thought I was even more eccentric than he had been led to believe.

I e-mailed the Banco Santander asking if the manager was TOTALLY sure I did not have to do anything as Thursday (yesterday) would have been the last day. She e-mailed back that she had looked at the account and ... Yes could we come in with passports and residencia cards pronto.

Arrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!

Well, a.com advice and information is not to be dismissed as it's usually correct. Thanks, everyone.

[pensure1988]

Hi

According to EWN newspaper yesterday,you now have until May 11,2015 to show your original passport etc to your Bank in terms of the new legislation.

Nigel

[fyfin]

We took our passports to our bank, Ibercaja, about a year ago as we had heard they required scanned copies (digital ID) and they were happy to accept them. Here there have been huge queues at Cajamar and Unicaja as customers have received letters asking them to call before 28th April with ID.

It is , of course, the fault of the banks leaving everything to the last minute. Also there is confusion between DNI and NIE as I believe the DNI is an identity document whereas an Nie or residencia certificate is not accepted as an identity document do we Brits have to show passports. The problem is that the passport number changes every time you renew it so I suppose every time you get a new passport you should take it to the bank for them to scan it. I'm also slightly surprised that they accept an emailed copy as normally they like to see the original.

[luckyjim]

When I started this topic I was surprised by the negativity it received. Just goes to show that sometimes people are just trying to help with information they have gleaned.