Problems with Bankia in 2019

Good Morning,

I have signed up to this website in the hope someone can help. I saw the posts re. Bankia on google and I am also tearing my hair out. Many years ago, when we had a holiday apartment in Mallorca, my husband and I opened an account with Sa Nostra in Palma Nova, Mallorca. It them became BMN and now Bankia. As we are getting old we made a special trip to Mallorca a few weeks ago to transfer the money to our UK bank so we could get our financial affairs in order but were told as we hadn't been to Spain for over 2years our account had been blocked and, although, we signed many forms and left our digital signatures and confirmed that we have never lived in Spain and paid tax in the UK it was not unblocked. We were advised to open an online account when we got home to do the transfer but every time I reach the end of the online registration I am instructed to call into my branch. I have emailed customer services four times and been given different advice each time, including setting up telephone banking with my password even though I have repeatedly told them I cannot get a password and do not have a smartphone. Their final email said they couldn't help and I should go into my branch. I have emailed  and written to my branch and they have completely ignored my mail. Is there anyone we can contact for help?  We live in lovely North Wales and I suppose this makes a change from Brexit and elections!! Wonder which will get sorted out first. Many thanks for listening. Susan.

Hello Susan or Hilary or both, and welcome to EOS.

 Is there anyone we can contact for help? 

Yes there certainly is, contact below on a daily basis until it is sorted out.

José Sevilla Álvarez CEO of Bankia
josealvarez@bankia.com

Calle Pintor Sorolla, 8
Valencia, Valencian Community 46002

José Sevilla Álvarez

Hi Susan

The possible reason that your account was blocked is that you should have filled in a non resident declaration every 2 years. If you click on this link https://www.bankia.es/en/servicio-atencion-cliente there is an email to their customer service dept and a form that you can download and send to them. Good Luck.

No Jarvi, the OP has taken all the time and trouble to physically go to the bank and ask for help and assistance, and got nowhere. Now Susan is being ignored and no one wants to know because she is a nuisance and a pain in the arse. Where does this industry show any care for the elderly, those with Alzheimer's and Dementia. This is an industry that uses T&Cs to fob off customers, hoping they drop dead and the bank can keep their money. One day your turn may come.

Hi, I get the feeling you don't like banks! I am sure Jarvi is doing his best to help us. The problem, or one of them, is that the bank only has one young man on the front desk to handle all customer problems so he is always busy and more used to dealing with everyday local problems. When we asked him to find out when our account would be unblocked he didn't even have a phone number for his own head office and when he emailed them they said we were in a queue of accounts awaiting attention. He was sure we could just go home and open an online account to do the transfer. He didn't foresee all the problems involved. I will have another go at customer services and see if they can, at least, find out why the account is still blocked. As you say they can't be bothered. If it's just a form that needs signing why can't they send it to us instead of telling us to contact the branch. I have tried phoning them all this afternoon but they never answer. No wonder they are rated the worst bank and probably the richest if they keep all our money.

Sorry Susan my sincere apologies. I should never have commented or tried to give you advice.

I wonder if another tack might be possible.... with intent to resolve this problem for Banking customer service representatives and yourself going forward.

Trust pilot has identified major problems with Bankia https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/bankia.es including an instance which sounds very similar to your own.

 Might it be worth therefore bringing this continuing problem to the attention of customer service in writing ( quoting Trust pilot reference), and ask if this problem might be linked to Jarvi’s observation re non resident application and stress that you want to give them the opportunity to restore your faith in the Bank’s intention to resolve this problem going forward, which would benefit not only yourself but also the Bank. For the bank to leave this problem unresolved is no solution.

Thereafter if this still doesn’t get resolved then perhaps worth contacting the CEO with this evidence, stressing the need to restore faith in their banking service.

Might a longer term solution be for the Bank to automatically renew non resident application ( with prior forewarning to the customer) as is the practice with some other Banks. A win/ win scenario?

Many thanks for the advice. I sent customer services a not so polite email asking why, after telling them for 7 weeks that I cannot return to Spain, they keep insisting I call into the branch. as I don't have internet or phone banking they said they don't have my details so can't help. (Which is not true  and somewhat ironic as they won't give me a password), I told them I just want to know what to do to unblock the account so I can set up internet banking and do the transfer myself.and if they can't do it please give me contact details for some one that can. They actually replied that if I phone them they will try and sort it out. Why the change of heart? I tried phoning but they were busy so I will try again tomorrow and let you know how I get on.. Thank you everyone for all you help.  Susan

Well done Susan. Good luck