La Caixa bank - my NIE number is wrong and I can't speak spanish.. help!

Scenario.. I'm pulling my hair out..

I need to pay a Suma tax bill online, I initiate this from suma website, it prompts me with list of eligible banks, I select La Caixa, it automatically brings me to banks logon screen, I enter my details then as the 2 of them sync up together an error window appears saying (in spanish) something to the effect that the number the bank is transmitting is not my NIE number (number is T38637796 which is on my bank book but is not my account number and bears no resemblance to my NIE). Phoned suma who thankfully could understand me and they've confirmed they need to see my NIE coming back from bank so I need to speak to La Caixa and explain. I don't (normally) expect anyone over there to have to speak english and I can usually muddle through face to face, but on the phone it's a real struggle. Have tried on and off past few days in the hope I'll get a linguist pick up the phone but no such luck... aaarrrrggghhh.

Does anyone have a generic email address for La Caixa customer services? (can see nothing on their website) then at least I can try an email. Or (better still) if anyone reading this knows they have a good english speaker at their branch please shout out! (used to be one at our branch but she got moved on).

Appreciate any responses that may ease my frustration.

I thought I'd give it one more go and as if by magic a linguist picked up the phone..yippee BUT..

Turn out the number the bank transmit to Suma is my passport number (as opposed to NIE). La Caixa INSIST that this is correct as I am non-resident (they say my account will only use NIE if I am resident?).

Contrary to this Suma tell me the bank are wrong!

So.. can I ask ANY forum members who are (a) La Caixa account holders, and (b) Non-residents.. What reference number is to the right hand side of your name inside your bank book (has "Libreta Estrella" on the front)? Is it your NIE number (starts with an X then 7 digits and a letter), or is it something like  "NIF Txxxxxxxx" (where the xxxxxxxx is last 8 digits of your passport number?)

Thanks very much in anticipation. Pat  

Hi,

Try and ring La Caixa Manilva, is where I live and I know they speak English here and they can give you an English general contact email/ phone number or even the answer you need . The number is 951966060.

Also. I am an expat, and I use my passport no. for identification, but sometimes they take out the 1st digit and replace it with 0, it is something weird. Also I use my NIE, but they never find me with that. Better try this branch and ask more details, well, tomorrow, now they are closed.

Cheers

Valentina

Hi, just looked on my books & it is my NIE number , but then I am a resident . I looked on my 1st bank book which was taken out before I bought here & was resident & it's a NIF number begining with T followed by numbers but they are not my passport number. Hope this helps."La Caixa "  are correct in what they say as when I became resident they changed it immediately to the NIE number & just for info when they do this the account number is also changed, although they link together for D/debits. Apparently non- resident accts. start witha 2 & residents with 0.

I had the same, non resident accounts and had my passport for identification, after that when I became a resident I am identified with my NIE, but they still ask for my passport to find me, its weird. Also on internet banking my ID is my passport, not NIE.

Hope you find a solution or at least manage to talk to someone.

Valentina

Thanks for your comments. I'm gonna call Suma and just ask for their bank details so I can transfer it (rather than try and set it up so they can take it), failing that they'll have to wait till I'm over there next which will be close to year end. I actually called into the Suma office several months ago armed with the cash to pay but they said they couldn't take cash direct...aaarrrghhhh  ;O(

I can't see any way out of this situation unless you know someone who could pay the bill on your behalf. 

I know you can arrange to pay the IBI bill by direct debit but only if the direct debit is received before they have started to prepare the bills.  After the bills have been prepared then it can only be paid in cash at certain banks listed on the reverse of the form.

I believe that someone can go into the suma office and get the bill, I don't think that they have to have authorisation but it wouldn't hurt. 

Every year I would receive a suma envelope addressed to the former owner of my property, it was for car tax.  After a couple of years I opened up the next one I received and there were no arrears showning so the tax was being paid.  The person who now has the car must have been getting the bill from the suma office to pay it.

I also had a similar problem with the car I purchased as it was registered with my plot address instead of my correos.  Suma are unable to amend the address but I registered a direct debit for next year and paid the tax at the bank.  I brought my car details home with me and have the paid bill to hand.

On the reverse it says EN CAJEROS AUTOMATICOS   CAM . Caja Murcia . La Caixa . BBVA . CajaMadrid . Santander.  So your bank is one of the banks so if you can't get someone to collect the bill for you what about asking the suma office to send the bill to you.

In an ideal world Suma would send the bill to your Bank/branch and they could pay it but this is Spain and we do things differently here.   No disrespect intended but sometimes I just don't understand the totally illogical things that happen.   Perhaps that's where the Spanish shrug came from.......others can't understand it either