02 Feb 2010 6:53 PM:

It would appear to me and from others I have talked to, that all bank charges are negotiable and if you talk to them directly after seeing charges on your account they will remove them, but it must be done within the calendar year they showed up on your account.   This seems a little strange I know, but seems to be the way it works.  I don't believe you need to pay for Cash (ATM) cards - plenty of banks give them free of charge, nor should you pay for pension transfers.  Look for an account type within a bank that doesn't charge maintenance fees - you might overcome this by keeping a certain amount of balance.  If you don't speak Spanish, then it's best to find a bank that has a senior person who is English speaking so you can sit down and have things explained to you. and better understand what expense you might be incurring.   

Thread: Spanish Bank Charges

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