Nationwide Again!

[Baz]

[quote user="hoverfrog"]I've just had my bank statement from NW, and the leaflet enclosed said that visa debit cards on a flexaccount would no monger be 'free' to use abroad. Credit cards still are though, AFAIK.[/quote]

This seems a bit strange as the Nationwide Site currently states the following:

Use of debit card worldwide

Nationwide does not charge you commission on any purchases or cash withdrawals that you make abroad, on your Nationwide debit or credit card.

When making purchases overseas, you should always be offered a choice of paying in sterling or the retailer's local currency.

We recommend that you always opt to pay for purchases in local currency.

This ensures that you get the best exchange rate and no commission charges on your Nationwide cards.

Baz

[hoverfrog]

unfortunately I threw the leaflet away - after vowing to only use the credit card over here from now on!

There might have been a date it was to come in, but I don't think so.

Web-sites are not always uptodate - especially if one's browser or ISP does a reload from cache.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="hoverfrog"]I've just had my bank statement from NW, and the leaflet enclosed said that visa debit cards on a flexaccount would no monger be 'free' to use abroad. Credit cards still are though, AFAIK.[/quote]Nothing like this with my latest statement.  I'll look out for it with the next one!

[Rascalb]

We are currwently thinking of changing accounts so called Nationwide to check if charges to be applied in future for using Flexcard abroad. Branch manager says they have not heard this and fully expect to continue as normal.

[hoverfrog]

how odd!

I hope they're not penalising me for living abroad :(

I wish I hadn't thrown away the leaflet now - funny how they always say "read this - Important - changes to account terms and conditions" and most of us think "yadayadayada" and skim through then bin it!

This particular leaflet caught my eye and I read it carefully and vowed to only use the CC and then transfer the amount from the flexaccount online.

[Chancer]

Cooperlola / Chris

I tried a dummy run at my bank (Credit Lyonnaise) today without success, they understood what I was trying to explain to them but said that they did not have the means to do this at the branch, they also looked doubtfull as if they understood but had never heard of it.

Whilst I can continue to transfer 400 euros per day like this I will soon have to transfer close to 10,000 euros, so can either of you explain to me (perhaps in banking terms that they can understand) exactly how you are able to do this, do you withdraw cash and then pay it in? Or is it transferred directly to your account?

I checked my Nationwide statement today and I don't appear to be paying any charges, however the one ATM withdrawal that I made was at a marginally lower rate than purchases made the day before and after.

My bank branch serves its town of 10,000 inhabitants and the surrounding communes within a 25km radius, I was quite pleased to discover that they have only one other English client. I have always spoke French there (despite starting with virtually none 2 years ago) and was very surprised when the teller wheeled out an English speaking colleague to cross examine me, it was quite amusing because I was as insistent on speaking French as she was to speak English. She had a charming American accent having worked in Miami and it turns out that she has been with the branch for 18 months, shame that I didn't know about her in my early days, but hey-ho!

[AnOther]

Ultimately your investigations may be futile because it is illegal in France to transact a deal for over €3000 in cash,

See this thread for more:

 http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/946438/ShowPost.aspx

BTW what is an "enduiser" ?

[Matelot]

Hello there!

We have had Nationwide accounts for nearly twenty years.

We are thinking of upping sticks and retiring to France next year. We won't have an english address anymore, so will we still be able to use our Nationwide a/c for the receipt of interest, pensions, etc? 

(I seem to remember reading somewhere in this thread, of a forum member receiving his N/W statements in France.)   

Cheers!

[AnOther]

No problem at all in retaining your NW A/C it's just that you cannot open one if not resident in UK.

[Joy1]

Hi there. We also have N/W accounts. We were told that it Ok to use a French address for bank statements etc- BUT they could not send new cards to a non- uk address. We actually have our address listed as my parents address in the uk, so we can collect the cards from them. We told the NW that this was parents address and they said not a problem. Do you have any family who can act as your "host" address? If not we were also told that cards could be collected as required from our branch. Depends whether you need to return in future to where ever your branch is based. Joy

[derf]

[quote user="Joy1"]Hi there. We also have N/W accounts. We were told that it Ok to use a French address for bank statements etc- BUT they could not send new cards to a non- uk address. We actually have our address listed as my parents address in the uk, so we can collect the cards from them. We told the NW that this was parents address and they said not a problem. Do you have any family who can act as your "host" address? If not we were also told that cards could be collected as required from our branch. Depends whether you need to return in future to where ever your branch is based. Joy
[/quote]

We receive all our new cards here in France, as I am sure most people do, if the account was opened before leaving the UK, I don't see a problem.

[Chancer]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

Ultimately your investigations may be futile because it is illegal in France to transact a deal for over €3000 in cash,

See this thread for more:

 http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/946438/ShowPost.aspx

BTW what is an "enduiser" ?

[/quote]

Ernie.

An Enduiser would be called a renderer if the trade existed in the UK, not someone rendering carcasses in a slaughter house but someone applying a sand/cement render to a house (often misquoted as crepi) in this case par projection or by machine.

Whatever made you think that I intended to settle the account in cash? 

I wil be paying him by cheque from my French account and wanted to transfer the money there in advance, not involving cash at all.

However should he offer me a remise of 19.6% I would be tempted but in my experience those wanting to trade like that request it as a prerequisite up front and would never give a written devi with their insurance and siret details.

Editted.

Any hypothetical  cash discount would have to be a lot more than the TVA to be equitable to both parties given the loss of comeback on such a major visible and aesthetic job.

[chris pp]

You draw the money in cash and then put it in your account if that's what you want to do, no limit.

BTW, I handed over an envelope with €8600 to a notaire for a transaction, he didn't bat an eyelid, took his bit and handed over the remainder to the other person involved.

I guess it's all about who, where and when, there is the law and ..well...

Chris

[Chancer]

Thanks for replying Chris.

That is what I tried to do today without success, what bank are you with? Is it perhaps a major branch or in a major town/city? And finally do you know what they describe this kind of transaction as? - So that I can try again at my branch.

I had to use the outside ATM machine to do the above as they said that they didn't have a machine (not sure what type) in the branch but the maximum that I can draw from the public ATM is 400 euros per day which would mean going every day for a month!

[Chancer]

[quote user="derf"]

[We receive all our new cards here in France, as I am sure most people do, if the account was opened before leaving the UK, I don't see a problem.

[/quote]

From the Nationwide?

The reason I ask is that I left my card in an ATM in Bolivia, they cancelled it but would only send the new one to my UK address, I had to then arrange for it to be sent on to me in New Zealand.

[chris pp]

We are with Credit Agricole, small town, small branch but only one two people seem to know how to do it, I keep telling them to get it written on a staff information sheet so that they don't have to keep finding the "people who know how".

Our cards are sent to us in France, have been for 12 years.

Chris

[AnOther]

[quote user="J.R."]Whatever made you think that I intended to settle the account in cash?[/quote]Sorry, must have misunderstood somewhere along the line, didn't intend to cast aspersions [:)]

[Joy1]

Hmmm! It must depend on each Branch as to whether they will send cards to an overseas address! We specifically asked if they could and were told definately not! Joy

[Jacqui Too]

Good news![:D]

Arrived home this morning after a short visit to our house in France. I used my NW flexaccount card for the first time to withdraw 3x 400€ from the ATM, then paid it all into the CA account. Had to wait till today to check what rate I was given:

• 26/05/07 ATM   400€    =   £272.26 = exchange rate of 1.4691

• 28/05/07    "       400€    =         "                 "         "            "

• 29/05/07     "      400€    =         "                  "        "            "

HiFX daily spot rate for 30/05/07 ( date transactions put on my NW account) was 1.4709

So altogether I think that NW  with no transaction charges plus rates that compare like that ARE an excellent way of transfering smallish amounts of cash to France and I will certainly do this whenever we go.

I would also make the point that you would need to to have an ATM fairly close or you might find yourself driveing miles!

Chipie

[derf]

[quote user="J.R."][quote user="derf"]

[We receive all our new cards here in France, as I am sure most people do, if the account was opened before leaving the UK, I don't see a problem.

[/quote]

From the Nationwide?

The reason I ask is that I left my card in an ATM in Bolivia, they cancelled it but would only send the new one to my UK address, I had to then arrange for it to be sent on to me in New Zealand.

[/quote]

Yes! we told them of our change of address before leaving the UK and we have always had the new cards delivered here to our French address's.

The one thing I should add is, that if you change your address in France, you may have to go to your UK branch to do the paperwork before they will change it.

[andyh4]

[quote user="Joy1"]Hmmm! It must depend on each Branch as to whether they will send cards to an overseas address! We specifically asked if they could and were told definately not! Joy
[/quote]

 

It could be, but I doubt it since most cards are sent out from a central facility and not from the individual branch.  I would get you branch to confirm in writing that they will not send cards abroad and if they do, then take it up with head office, who would probably be more than uncomfortable with different standards being applied.

[allanb]

I don't know why some banks are reluctant to send cards abroad but if the reason is security, i.e. the risk of the card going astray, you might suggest to them a procedure that my non-French bank has used for many years;  they send me the card by ordinary mail but they don't activate it until they get my signed receipt for it.  The PIN is sent separately anyway - all banks do this, I think.

It seems risk-free to me.  Of course, they may have other reasons.

[P]

[quote user="hoverfrog"]I've just had my bank statement from NW, and the leaflet enclosed said that visa debit cards on a flexaccount would no monger be 'free' to use abroad. Credit cards still are though, AFAIK.[/quote]

Well, we opened an account last Saturday (26 May - and already have received cards and cheque books).

I asked the question about cards not being free to use any more and was told, by the branch manager, that she had no knowledge of this. However, chrages are made for 'abuse' but would not affect normal use.

Paul

[AnOther]

And they're still advertising it on Telly............

[P]

[quote user="ErnieY"]And they're still advertising it on Telly............[/quote]

Yes, and funnily enough I was going to post today about it in which they make the firm statement that no charges apply.

Paul