Now I have always had this love, hate relationship with the banks here in Spain. To be honest I bank with the international branch of Sabadell. I can't fault the people who actually work in the branch, they are fantastic, always helpful and accommodating. Their English is perfect, they are polite and, even after only seven months, they know us by name. This kind of thing does not happen in Britain, which is such a shame.
Today, the bank has literally been doing my head in. The process and paperwork involved in doing anything official over here is an absolute nightmare. The Banks in Spain are probably the biggest headache of all. The initial process of opening an account was long and drawn out. The charges, even as a Resident, like me, are also extortionate. I was recently told that most people do not keep money in Banks, because of the complicated nonsense involved in doing just that. To keep money in a Bank, you once again, need to jump through Spanish hoops. Personally I would have cancelled my bank account, but with Darrell living in Australia for a bit, we both need the facility to transfer money quickly.
So today I had to try and change my Bank account, from a salary one to a normal key account. I am not working at the moment and the minimum amount of money they require going into the account, no longer applies, so I have to change the account. There is no simple account that suits all, you have to pick the best one for you, with the least amount of charges, as I did initially. Circumstances have now changed and I have to change accounts, not an easy process.
Two hours waiting in a queue, maybe fine for some people, but it's not for me. Funny enough, I do actually have a busy life. If I ever return to Britain, I will never complain about the banks at home again. This morning I counted one person on the desk in the branch I was at and about ten people behind the counter, milling about. Surely, these people should be on the counter, serving the public. The people I feel sorry for the most are the business owners, who have to stand in a queue, paying in money for half their life. There are no Business Banking facilities and they file along, just like everyone else.
There is a lot I love about Spain, more than I want to put in this entry today. Equally the sheer revulsion at the bureaucracy in Spain, the outdated siesta and the archaic banking system, is high on my hit list. Today has not been a good day!
