Farochilen remittance................

[Tawi2]

I put a few hundred quid into their knightsbridge account at 1pm,tried calling them 9 times since then to name the beneficiary,no answer to the calls,just...ring....ring....ring....ring great customer service,I havent a clue how Consuelo built up her services but it wasnt through employing the guys she now has on the remittance "Hotline" Put the ladies back on as telephonists,at least they were efficient and spoke good english
She doesnt even have an e-mail contact,just two phone lines which seem to be answered on a whim

[Pepe n Pilar]

Hi Tawi2, i am also sending remittance and the address is also at Knightsbridge. I can immediately contact them. BTW how much is the charges if you send? Mine is just £4.00/send and free on every 5th send.

[Tawi2]

Maybe I should retract my rant,because they answered the 11'th time I phoned the 0207 244 7600 number I think they charge me a fiver P&P Maybe they make the charges up as they go along and I get puti-price How can you immediately contact them?I just did a web-search and there are quite a number of disgruntled customers posting online,I think they only achieved their position in the remittance world as they were the forerunners,were they entering the race nowadays they wouldnt make it past the first hurdle before falling,they need to pull their socks up

[Bluebirdjones]

I'm being a little naive here, or missing something...

But you are effectively giving your money to an unregulated / unlicensed
company
(.. there is no record of the company on the FSA's website)
which is basically trading on your "trust" in it.

If they go under, or disappear one day .... your money also disappears.
You have no recourse to anyone.

..... and for what ?
A few extra pesos on the FX rate ?

.. and the charges ain't that great.

I think I'll stick with PNB (Europe) .... at least it's regulated.

[Tawi2]

I think this is the last time BB,its habit however,I have used them most months for the last maybe 15 years?Switching as of next month,it wasnt the exchange rate,its just when I first started remitting I had to go into London to PNB or remitt through Barclays locally,it was just convenience,I will look for alternatives over the weekend.

[Bluebirdjones]

If u are thinking of going down that route, they'll want to see some ID to
open a remittance or Global Filipino account.

I believe that the only PNB branch open on Saturday is the Notting Hill one
PNBE
First Floor
10 Pembridge Road
London W11 3HL

... but I'm sure that someone else will confirm if the Fenway Rd office is open
or closed.

BBJ

[maria_and_matt]

I think this is the last time BB,its habit however,I have used them most months for the last maybe 15 years?Switching as of next month,it wasnt the exchange rate,its just when I first started remitting I had to go into London to PNB or remitt through Barclays locally,it was just convenience,I will look for alternatives over the weekend.

i use PNB tawi, i just do it online, money gets there the next day.

[Tawi2]

Thanks BBJ and M&M, I guess its PNB for me then,even though I havent had an account with them for years I will pop in and sort something out,Farochilen said the money will be in next thursday or friday,if PNB is next day I guess its a better route to follow

[maria_and_matt]

Thanks BBJ and M&M, I guess its PNB for me then,even though I havent had an account with them for years I will pop in and sort something out,Farochilen said the money will be in next thursday or friday,if PNB is next day I guess its a better route to follow

next day if you send it before 3pm to a pnb acct in PI... i never ahd a problem with them, register for their online remittance, less hassle, esp winter time its coming winter is cominggggg

[joebloggs]

I'm being a little naive here, or missing something...

But you are effectively giving your money to an unregulated / unlicensed
company
(.. there is no record of the company on the FSA's website)
which is basically trading on your "trust" in it.

If they go under, or disappear one day .... your money also disappears.
You have no recourse to anyone.

..... and for what ?
A few extra pesos on the FX rate ?

.. and the charges ain't that great.

I think I'll stick with PNB (Europe) .... at least it's regulated.

true, i can't believe people still send money to anyone who advertises as a remit company...

use a bank like many on here, i only use PNB, had only one problem in 5 or 6 yrs

[IainBusby]

I guess its PNB for me then,even though I havent had an account with them for years I will pop in and sort something out

You don't have to go into town to do it, you can just download the forms. As far as the "evidence of identity" is concerned, I sent a good quality scan of my passport which I got a professor at work to authenticate and attach his business card to and they accepted that, but it would be best to inquire what they would require these days.

like many on here, i only use PNB, had only one problem in 5 or 6 yrs

I've never had a problem with them and I've been using them since early 2006. I opened an account with them which requires a £50 balance and used their customer card system at first, I used to transfer money from my current account into the PNB account which took 4 to 5 days to clear, but then I'd log onto the customer card account and remit and it always arrived there the next day.

The only real hangup is the fact that you have to send evidence of identity to register, but you'd have to show that with any other UK bank anyway.

I now use their online remittance system, once it's set up, the credit/debit cards registered and the beneficiaries registered on the account, it's just so easy and the exchange rate is always as good as you can get anywhere else. I can't understand why anyone would use anything else. The only real problems I've had with them was with communication and the website, but that's been much improved lately since they moved offices.

Iain.

[joebloggs]

I've never had a problem with them and I've been using them since early 2006.

like i said, i have only ever had one problem,. i transfered £700 from my RBS account to one of PNB's british bank accounts, days later my misses still didnt get they money, i phoned PNB and they said they had never received the money , this went on for a couple of days until i threatened to get my bank to trace the money, and if by magic they found it

[Florge]

is it wise to open a PNB account here in the Phils so I can withdraw money with an ATM card when in the UK?

[IainBusby]

is it wise to open a PNB account here in the Phils so I can withdraw money with an ATM card when in the UK?

I'm pretty sure you can't do that, PNB Europe is quite separate from PNB in Phils in that way, it's just that it's very easy to remit from PNB here in the UK to the Philippines, especially if you remit directly to a PNB account in Phils. When my wife and I go to Phils we always transfer our spending money from through PNB Europe to her PNB account in Phils where we can withdraw it as we need at ATM's. So it is very handy to have a PNB account in Phils just for this purpose, the only drawback is that you have to have a P5,000 maintaining balance in the account.
Iain.

[darren-b]

like i said, i have only ever had one problem

I think we've had just the one problem as well - a slight delay in the money being transfered. What was annoying was that we were in the Philippines at the time and had gone into the local branch to withdraw the money out of our account. It's normally so reliable we hadn't even checked the status of the transfer through the online system.

is it wise to open a PNB account here in the Phils so I can withdraw money with an ATM card when in the UK?

I'm pretty sure you can't do that, PNB Europe is quite separate from PNB in Phils in that way

A PNB ATM card should work in most UK ATMs, though I'm not sure what the exchange rates/charges would be.

PNB Europe isn't that separate as we opened an account in the Bacolod branch through the London office.

[lizaphil]

i use PNB tawi, i just do it online, money gets there the next day.

hello me too i use pnb online its easy

[Pepe n Pilar]

So far we haven't encounter any problems since we use this remittance agency which has a tie- up with BDO, withdrawable the following banking day. We as well use the xoom and it reaches the recipient's account very quickly with the confirmation on the email account. Just not so sure if it's less than 24 hrs transmittal.but withdrawable the ffg day.

I am considering to make use of this bank to bank transactions but with BPI because recipient's account is maintained with that bank already. If i try this PNB which i learned that many has been using this bank for transmittal and that it is easy and so safe then i will have 4 accts already for i have 2 cash cards opened with 2 remittance agencies (both with BDO tie-ups) then these 2 Commercial banks.

Thanks for the inputs Ianbusy and Joebloggs..I think i will try this PNB next time.

Cheers!

[IainBusby]

A PNB ATM card should work in most UK ATMs, though I'm not sure what the exchange rates/charges would be.

PNB Europe isn't that separate as we opened an account in the Bacolod branch through the London office.

I didn't know that, I'll have to ask my wife to try it with her card.

[Pepe n Pilar]

Same thing with other ATM cards (ex. BPI International). Just make sure it has the logo of cirrus,mastercard,visa card etc etc. You can make withdrawals in any country using the ATM machine which has those logos, and will dispense the currency of the country where you make the withdrawals, charges in dollars/withdrawal.

[Pepe n Pilar]

is it wise to open a PNB account here in the Phils so I can withdraw money with an ATM card when in the UK?

I suppose you can Florge if the account is International. It's just that you will be charged in dollars/withdrawals made. If it is the same bank (like PNB-Phils and PNB-Europe) then i guess charges will be minimal than doing it with a different bank because the corresponding bank will have to charge you as well.

[darren-b]

I didn't know that, I'll have to ask my wife to try it with her card.

Actually don't bother..

http://www.pnb.com.ph/content/view/100/113/#f3

Can I use the PNB ATM card abroad?
No, the PNB ATM card is currently limited for use in ATM terminals located within the Philippines

What sort of bank doesn't let you use your card abroad.

[Pepe n Pilar]

Sorry i stand corrected. So with BPI it is possible.... I don't have the PNB account anyway, i was just planning thought it is also international like BPI...

http://www.bpidirect.com/aboutus/atm.html

Cheers!

[Pepe n Pilar]

What sort of bank doesn't let you use your card abroad.

That i have to know as well. Perhaps small banks doesn't have these services. I was surprised PNB atm card opened in the Phils cannot be used abroad..

I thought if it is International ATM card then it is useful abroad.. i only know BPI and Equitable PCI Bank so far.....

International ATM Card

If you have an ATM account with Equitable PCI Bank, then you can use your E-Card to withdraw cash in any Bancnet, Megalink or Expressnet in the Philippines. When you’re out of the country, then you can also withdraw from any VISA Plus ATM. Charges from withdrawing would range from US $1 to US $3.

[darren-b]

Sorry i stand corrected. So with BPI it is possible.... I don't have the PNB account anyway, i was just planning thought it is also international like BPI...

http://www.bpidirect.com/aboutus/atm.html

Cheers!

I was actually correcting myself I presumed like you that a PNB ATM card would work abroad

[Bluebirdjones]

A card issued by BDO will also work at most ATM machines in the UK.

However, each (withdrawal) transactions seems to cost p240, so not
advisable to constantly draw out small amounts.

[IainBusby]

Actually don't bother..

http://www.pnb.com.ph/content/view/100/113/#f3

Can I use the PNB ATM card abroad?
No, the PNB ATM card is currently limited for use in ATM terminals located within the Philippines

What sort of bank doesn't let you use your card abroad.

I thought that was the case, but things change and I thought maybe PNB Phils had almost caught up with the western countries at last.

[Tawi2]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH...............Wow,that feels better The cash I deposited in Farochilens account on the 11'th of this month STILL isnt in Pinas I just spoke to one of their staff who will do a "Follow-up"maybe the same sort of "Follow-up" they promised me they would do last friday I learnt my lesson,no more Farochilen after this

[Northerner]

I'm never, ever... ever ever..... using these guys!

[Tawi2]

Money is STILL not in so its been 14 days today

[aphrodite78]

Money is STILL not in so its been 14 days today

that is so appalling. i am just glad i stayed with pnb despite of some problems i encountered with them.