I need to make regular monthly payments of a fixed quantity of Euros to a UK bank account denominated in Euros. Ideally I'd like to be able to do this from my Lloyds current account, but the poor people at Lloyds have no means of doing it apart from charging me £13 a time (for a ?120 transfer) "because it's an international payment".
Before I have to shoot myself, or a bank employee, can some kind sould please suggest a more sensible solution? I'll open a new account if I have to.
In message , David Millen
In message , Simon writes
I wouldnt open an account with any bank that was once fool enough to employ me!
Until you do organise a "more sensible solution" pay the bill with Amex euro travellers' cheques. Encashable without fee in any euro zone country. (Whether a tourist can use them in retail stores depends greatly on which country s/he is in, but to deposit them in a euro bank account at par is straightforward.)
Buying charge is 1%. Unless you buy them at Lloyds Bank, who charge
1-1/2%.
Thanks to all for their suggestions. In case it helps others, here's what I discovered:
Bank of Ireland don't respond to email enquiries Lloyds do, but very slowly HSBC have the worst, and worst-informed, call centre staff I've ever encountered You can't make automated payments from an HSBC Euro account You can from a Lloyds one
The Lloyds offering is based in IOM and costs ?50 a year. Minimum opening balance ?100. So that's what I'm going with - it may not be the best offer in the marketplace, but I can't stand another 2 hours talking to call centres.
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