Nationwide customers will get charged abroad NATIONWIDE CUSTOMERS who come on holiday to Spain next year will find it more expensive to withdraw cash from ATMs after the bank announced this week that they will no longer be providing free foreign transactions for its customers. To make the decision more palatable for the thousands of customers who use their debit cards abroad, they announced that their FlexAccount customers would now, instead, get free European travel insurance worth £80 per couple, per year. According to the bank, the changes are designed to reward and provide outstanding value to customers who use Nationwide’s FlexAccount as their main current account for their everyday banking. From 1st November, the bank will introduce a low charge for transactions in currencies other than sterling. However, the bank states that its FlexAccount remains the cheapest mass market current account to use abroad. GREATER VALUE
The Society’s new commission charge of 2% and £1 cash withdrawal fee are, according to the bank, lower than any of those charged by other standard or free current accounts in the market. Unlike several other card providers, Nationwide at the moment does not also
6 - 12 AUGUST 2010
Orange customer billed more than €1,000 in error A MAN who had his phone off and was in an aeroplane was billed by Orange for making four non-existent calls. Xavier S.G. from Girona, was on his way to Kiev at the alleged time the calls were made, yet he received a bill for €1,022. The bill showed that Xavier has apparently called his own number – which is impossible to do – and that each call was zero seconds, yet each call was charged at €866.70 plus IVA. When Xavier contacted Orange, they told him he must pay the bill because
he may have accidentally made the calls! A month later, the unfortunate Xavier received another questionable bill, charging him for sending 20 blank text messages. Finally, with the help of the consumer association, FACUA, Orange backed down and admitted a system error had resulted in Xavier being billed for calls he never made – as were fiver other customers. However, before FACUA’s intervention, Orange threatened legal action against Xavier if he did not pay within five days.
Nationwide customers will find it more expensive to withdraw cash from Spanish ATMs
charge a fee when a customer makes a purchase abroad and up until 1st November, many customers will benefit from both free travel insurance and commission-free card use abroad. Chris Rhodes, Executive Director of Marketing at Nationwide told RTN: “Our new package of benefits offers greater value to more of our current account customers than before.
The average customer saving with free card use abroad was about £12 a year. We’re now able to offer those who use us for their day to day banking a benefit of much greater value and one that no other bank account offers – free travel insurance worth up to £80. What’s more, we continue to provide the cheapest mass market debit card for use abroad.”
Out of work by choice THOUSANDS OF unemployed people in Catalonia have refused jobs picking fruit. The work was offered to 7,800 unemployed people by the Catalan Government, but only 21 percent agreed to it. The figure is shocking given the recent announcement by the Minister for Employment, Celestino Corbacho, that those who refuse work will have unemployment benefits cut.
Fired-up bull kills man A MAN has been killed by a bull during a fiesta. The bull had fireballs tied to its horns. This act is part of the festivities in Godella, Valencia. The man in question had been thrown out of the event twice – onlookers report that he appeared to be drunk. When he returned, the bull attacked him, slicing open an artery in his neck. The man was from Jaén but lived in Valencia. The organisers of the festival say that no such incident has ever happened before, and the town hall reported that the fiesta met all the necessary regulations.
Ship Embarkation Departs Duration Details
Crystal Cruises Miama 21st December 14 Nights St Thomas, Barbados St Lucia , Antigua etc Brochure Price POA (Age 17 & Under go free!) Selena’s Price (500$ onboard credit for each adult)
Norwegian Jade Barcelona 24th December 9 Nights Canary Islands, Madeira, Morocco £1752 £ Price Promise
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Brilliance of the Seas Barcelona 17th December 12 Nights Egypt, Greece, Italy, Malta £2388 £902 (No flights or transfers incl)
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