Comments on: Better phones, better insurance, bad banks

By: Mr Ulster

Mr Ulster — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 09:18:34 +0000

Re Sterling/Euro transfers, I avail of the Bank of Ireland, which used to, but currently does not, charge for foreign drafts (cheques). I use the branch at High Street, Belfast.

But I now use an online service, HiFX (http://www.hifxonline.co.uk), which offers both commission-free transactions and electronic transfers (also free). However, minimum transaction is about 250 Pounds/euros.

Re mobiles, have you considered some form of 3G/Skype solution?

By: Peter Kelly

Peter Kelly — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:19:35 +0000

Who is driving the differentiation between Northern and Southern consumers on this little island?
When are we going to expect to get fair treatment from the gombeen men -or is that an oxymoron I have just com-posed?
The exploitation of ordinary working people by the corporate elite, is in need of exposure and particularly in border areas where it is conspicuously obvious. Well done for your valuable comments on these issues.Can we not create a vocal pressure group for wronged consumers?

By: Ken Mc Cue

Ken Mc Cue — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:21:50 +0000

I am a regular between Belfast and Dublin. When I travel on public transport the Garda practice ‘ethnic profiling’ by selecting non-white passengers for paper checks.
This practice is particularly sickening and gives the impression that the Garda believe that there is more than one race in this world. When I travel by bus I sit up front and insist that the Garda inspect my Irish passport. They then follow suit by inspecting everyone on the bus without prejudice.

By: Robert Green

Robert Green — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:04:43 +0000

On the bank charges front it is horrendous to put up with such high costs for moving your own money. Also beware of banks that say they transfer for free. Usually this just means there is no longer an upfront charge. Currency providers including banks and MSBs (money service providers) make money between the rate they offer you and the interbank market rate. (With the banks the spread is so large that it still obviously covers their upfront charge). I now use irelandfx.com when I have several thousand or more pounds to transfer to my euro account which saves me a fair amount. Their rates have always been keen. Other MSB providers are hifx.com and moneycorp worth checking.

By: Nigel

Nigel — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:43:30 +0000

I live just on the border and use O2 pre-paid, and the roaming protection for me isn’t free. O2 have sold me a “bolt-on” service costing me 1.50 sterling per month for the privilege of not paying roaming fees if I go to my front door and get a Republic phone connection rather than the back door and get a UK phone connection.

Likewise with credit cards. I can get any number of Sterling denominated credit cards in Enniskillen, but none of the “Southern” banks there will give me a Euro denominated card. If I go over the border to the bank we use in the Republic it will not give me a Euro credit card (despite being happy to run a Euro denominated current account for me) but, because my address is in the North, it will only give me a Sterling denominated credit card (and will charge me currency fees to top it up from my Euro denominated current account). My assistance came from the friendly teller in my local branch over the border who advised me to tell a few white lies by changing my address to one in the South “They don’t check too hard when you’re changing address, only when you first open an account” she whispered, then applying for the Euro denominated credit card using the Southern address and then changing my address with the bank back to my current Northern address.