Lost Sparkasse ATM/Debit card - Germany

I have just realized that my Sparkasse card is missing. I don't have good enough German to understand the bank's website. Can anyone advise me of a number I can call to report it missing? Obviously I will go into my branch first thing in the morning.

The phone number is 01805 021021
Or 116 116

Might be a bit difficult, seeing as the OP doesn't speak German, and the hotline people might not speak English.

Aquamarine, I'm sure you know someone who speaks German, maybe you can contact them and ask them to call the banks hotline number and cancel the card for you. Might be worth the try. Though I must say Germans are a lot more careful about cards then we are in America. In America I can use my wife's debit card without a single question being asked. here lol HELL NO. and since the signature wore off on the back of my german EC card, they always ask for a photo ID.

Language is not a problem for an English speaker!

Telephone "116 116" (it's free from inside Germany). Wait for the short German announcement, which is then followed by the same in English. Or, to save time, just press "3" during the German announcement, and the rest of the instructions are in English.

I did this last year in while Skiing in Bad Tolz, the hot-line people did speak English. However, why don't you just enter the web address into babelfish and translate the whole thing to English? Of course, there are some mistakes but it is generally very good and understandable.

Good luck!

http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt

I saw an interesting piece on TV last night, about how easy it is to distract someone and snatch their card from the machine while they are standing there.

I think they pulled the scam on 30 people.

Thanks all, JeffZ and Heathclyffe I tried the numbers you gave but the 116 116 number continued in German when I pressed 3. Anyway my DH used the website last night and thinks he reported it. I'll go to the bank first thing. I hardly ever use the card but it's always in my wallet so not sure when I had it last (aargh). I know I am ignorant for having hardly any German but have been settling my youngest who is 3 into Kindergarten before I start language classes. It would be easy to distract me as I am already highly distractable with 3 small children.

Why not just go to the bank? Inevitably someone there speaks english.

Update: went to the bank this morning and someone had handed my card in! I think I left it in the machine while getting my statement printed - I hate to think how long ago that was however... I was surprised that the bank had not contacted us.

Also we just transferred some money to Sparkasse from the US and they want to know if it should be taxed. The young woman at the bank was trying her best to explain but in the end I made an appointment to meet the bank manager tomorrow as I know he has fantastic English. My dh is American and he is working as a civilian for the military over here paid in dollars and Euros. We all have TESA cards. However I am from the UK so the bank seemed confused as to if we should pay tax. We were planning on talking to a German accountant anyway and this just makes me think the sooner the better. How much would they tax a savings account?

You can earn a certain amount of interest tax-free (the Sparerfreibetrag, which is EUR 750/single / EUR 1500/married couple), but you have to file an exemption statement (Freistellungsauftrag) with the bank to get this. Otherwise they'll deduct the 25% withholding tax on any interest you earn from the very first cent.

Whatever they do, everything gets sorted on your annual income tax return - your interest income (minus the personal savings deduction) is taxed at the same rate/bracket as your regular income.

FYI...I just heard about this new 150 euro penalty if you lost your card and any money has been taken as a new banking regulation in Germany. Sorry don't have a link about it though.

Yes, it’s true. Over the last couple of weeks, banks have been sending out their new business conditions (plus special conditions), which in the case of my bank is 27 pages of good old "Amtsdeutsch", plus a letter of agreement which must be signed and sent back to them.

Undoubtedly, an awful lot of people will not read through the conditions, at least not to page 20 where these catchy paragraphs below have been added. An awful lot of Germans would not understand the implications of the terminology anyway, so for most non-German speakers it will be totally impossible to understand at all.

Here a very brief translated overview:

The cardholder will be liable for up to €150.00 worth of withdrawals, or until the card is blocked. If the card holder has written the PIN on the card, or has been negligent in some other way, then he is fully responsible for all monies withdrawn (until the card is blocked), limited only to the maximum amount which can be drawn on the card in any case.

Of course, as the PIN is mostly required to withdraw money or to pay for goods, it would appear that the customer is liable for everything until the card is blocked, irrespective of the €150.00 limit (see below re. burden of proof). Any claims for payment made where a PIN is not required is excluded entirely by the bank, and will be a [undoubtedly costly] dispute between retailer and customer.

If that were not enough, and contrary to normal common law, the onus probandi lies with the customer to prove that was not negligent; instead of the bank having to prove that he was negligent! A case of: "Guilty until proven Innocent."

Worst case scenario: A card is lost/stolen, somehow the finder/thief finds/works-out the PIN, withdraws up to the maximum credit limit and happily buys in shops where no PIN is required. The customer loses all money withdrawn without any recourse (can be 1000s of Euros); has to pay for blocking the card (€10.00), pay for a new card (€15.00), and pay for a solicitor to fight retailers trying to get their money back!

I did read the conditions from beginning to end (yawn) when I received them, and I have complained to the bank. I received a cup of coffee, words of understanding, and acknowledgement of the fact that if I don’t accept the conditions, I will cease to be a customer.

IMHO it is a perfect and dramatic example of just how much power the banks have in Germany, and where the Government has bowed out and allowed the banks a free interpretation of a ruling from Brussels regarding banking procedures. On the one hand, we (the customers) must pay for their incredible incompetence, and on the other hand they present us with a “like it or lump it” attitude, simply because the competition demands the same conditions. If I were to treat my customers in this way, I would be out of business within days!

Therefore, once more the serious warning.

• Only carry a card when absolutely necessary
• If the card has a money chip (so-called "Geldkarte") never credit more than a minimal amount. This function cannot cannot be blocked.

• Never, ever write down the PIN and carry it with you

• If the card is lost, telephone 116 116 immediately to block it (memorize the account number)

– and pray that no one has already used it!

Nice post Heathclyffe, good breakdown of that policy. I was wondering the details of it but was pretty unsure.