| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Paying problems from the UK Thread poster: Astrid Deumers
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Astrid Deumers
Spain
Local time: 21:38
Member (2008)
English to Dutch
+ ...
One of my clients from the UK just transferred money to my bank account, but in stead of € 387.65 only € 311.15 arrived. I asked what happened and the answer was that this is because of the Brexit. I have clients from all over the world, and they all pay the amount I invoice. Any idea how to handle this best?
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Astrid Deumers wrote:
One of my clients from the UK just transferred money to my bank account, but in stead of € 387.65 only € 311.15 arrived. I asked what happened and the answer was that this is because of the Brexit. I have clients from all over the world, and they all pay the amount I invoice. Any idea how to handle this best?
For future payments I suggest you open an account in GBP with Wise (formerly TransferWise). That will enable your UK client to pay you in their currency- then you separately transfer the GBP into your own account, converted into Euro. It will cost your UK client nothing, and you will get a much better exchange rate.
https://wise.com/
| | | | Astrid Deumers
Spain
Local time: 21:38
Member (2008)
English to Dutch
+ ...
TOPIC STARTER | Claim the lost money | Jul 2, 2021 |
Thanks Tom, really helpful.
However, I would like to know how I can claim the € 76.50 that were lost on the way from UK to Spain. And actually they always offer me jobs in Euro, we never work with GBP.
[Edited at 2021-07-02 11:44 GMT]
| | | | | Just tell them to sort it out | Jul 2, 2021 |
Tell them to pay you the remainder. They need to get you the full 387. The charges are their problem (and ridiculous).
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Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Astrid Deumers wrote:
Thanks Tom, really helpful.
However, I would like to know how I can claim the € 76.50 that were lost on the way from UK to Spain. And actually they always offer me jobs in Euro, we never work with GBP.
[Edited at 2021-07-02 11:44 GMT]
I assume they took € 76.50 off you because they had to convert the equivalent GBP amount into Euro (unless they have a Euro account). It's probably too late now for you to recover that amount. But it does seem a lot.
I have been told by Italian clients that Italian banks are now charging exorbitant fees for direct bank transfers between EU countries and the UK. I presume the same thing is happening with UK banks.
That's why I recently starting asking my Italian clients to pay me indirectly, via Wise. Wise charges them nothing.
[Edited at 2021-07-02 13:25 GMT]
| | | | Thomas Pfann 
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:38
Member (2006)
English to German
+ ...
| Who kept the difference? | Jul 2, 2021 |
The first question I would look into is: Who kept the difference?
- Your client's bank? Then this is between your client and their bank and has nothing to do with you. It's a fee that your client has been charged, not you. Your client can hardly expect you to pay the fee.
- Your own bank? Then it is between you and your bank and has nothing to do with your client. You'd have to shoulder the fee – and look for a cheaper alternative for future payments.
<... See more The first question I would look into is: Who kept the difference?
- Your client's bank? Then this is between your client and their bank and has nothing to do with you. It's a fee that your client has been charged, not you. Your client can hardly expect you to pay the fee.
- Your own bank? Then it is between you and your bank and has nothing to do with your client. You'd have to shoulder the fee – and look for a cheaper alternative for future payments.
Sadly, „It's because of Brexit“ seems to be a popular excuse for anything at the moment - particularly in Spain. ▲ Collapse
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Tom in London wrote: Astrid Deumers wrote:
One of my clients from the UK just transferred money to my bank account, but in stead of € 387.65 only € 311.15 arrived. I asked what happened and the answer was that this is because of the Brexit. I have clients from all over the world, and they all pay the amount I invoice. Any idea how to handle this best? For future payments I suggest you open an account in GBP with Wise (formerly TransferWise). That will enable your UK client to pay you in their currency- then you separately transfer the GBP into your own account, converted into Euro. It will cost your UK client nothing, and you will get a much better exchange rate. https://wise.com/
As a recipient you don’t need a Wise account to get your money, just a bank account. Some of my non-EU customers have been paying me through Wise and I have no account with them. However, you do need to open an account with them if you want to use Wise to pay for something.
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Let me add another voice in support of Wise. Your client can specify the amount you should receive, in Euros, and Wise will then tell them how much they need to pay, in GBP, including charges. I regularly transfer money between my own GBP and Euro accounts in this way. You will get the agreed sum, minus any charges your own bank may impose.
Regardless of the method, though, your client's excuse is ridiculous and quite unacceptable, but I fear we will be hearing about this kind of th... See more Let me add another voice in support of Wise. Your client can specify the amount you should receive, in Euros, and Wise will then tell them how much they need to pay, in GBP, including charges. I regularly transfer money between my own GBP and Euro accounts in this way. You will get the agreed sum, minus any charges your own bank may impose.
Regardless of the method, though, your client's excuse is ridiculous and quite unacceptable, but I fear we will be hearing about this kind of thing a lot. British companies will blame Brexit for everything, and the British government will blame everything Brexit-related on the EU.
This is all part of what I call "Brexcrement". ▲ Collapse
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Philip Lees wrote:.
British companies will blame Brexit for everything
Actually they blame Covid for everything.
| | | | James Swan
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:38
German to English
+ ...
| Spanish Banks | Jul 3, 2021 |
Hello Astrid,
I suspect your Spanish bank may have something to do with this, as they will seize any opportunity to make additional charges. I transfer funds from the UK to my Spanish account a couple of times a year and since the 1st January they have started to charge 15 Euros to receive the transfer even if the amount is already converted into Euros, quoting some obscure EU regulation that they now must adhere to, due to brexit. The legality of this is dubious and they're just setting ... See more Hello Astrid,
I suspect your Spanish bank may have something to do with this, as they will seize any opportunity to make additional charges. I transfer funds from the UK to my Spanish account a couple of times a year and since the 1st January they have started to charge 15 Euros to receive the transfer even if the amount is already converted into Euros, quoting some obscure EU regulation that they now must adhere to, due to brexit. The legality of this is dubious and they're just setting their own fees. I've heard of another Spanish bank Sabadell charging 18 Euros.
This may account for at least some of the excessive amount you've been charged. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Tony Keily
Local time: 22:38
Italian to English
+ ...
| An excuse that fits all crimes | Jul 4, 2021 |
They sure have a way with words: "this is because of the Brexit". I almost feel like flying up to London and running amok, leaving little cards bearing that wording in my wake!
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| BEWARE, UK-based translators working with EU countries | Jul 6, 2021 |
A client in Milan has just informed me that to pay me for a very small job (€70) her bank would apply a transfer fee of €40 !!! The reason given: "Brexit".
Instead, she is going to pay me via Wise, which will cost her nothing.
UK-based translators working with EU countries should beware. Your clients may not tell you about these ridiculous money transfer charges; they may simply stop giving you work.
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| Wise: thanks! | Jul 6, 2021 |
Tom in London wrote:
A client in Milan has just informed me that to pay me for a very small job (€70) her bank would apply a transfer fee of €40 !!! The reason given: "Brexit".
Instead, she is going to pay me via Wise, which will cost her nothing.
UK-based translators working with EU countries should beware. Your clients may not tell you about these ridiculous money transfer charges; they may simply stop giving you work.
I was worried that might be the case but I suppose they must have non-EU translators on their books too who have non-EU bank accounts. I guess, like it or not, we have to get used to considering our EU clients in the same way as non-EU ones, and vice versa. Sadly, from a business perspective, this is just one of the losses for UK-based sole traders and businesses.
On the other hand, thanks for the info about Wise; it turns out that some of my clients are paying me that way already and, as Teresa said, as a recipient you don't need a Wise account. I do have a question though: what are the pros and cons of Wise with respect to PayPal or any other similar payment system from a European (UK included) perspective? Thanks
| | | | | The new mafia | Jul 6, 2021 |
Tom in London wrote:
A client in Milan has just informed me that to pay me for a very small job (€70) her bank would apply a transfer fee of €40 !!! The reason given: "Brexit".
Banks now routinely engage in practices that used to be the province of organised crime - money laundering for drug cartels, loan-sharking (charging interest up to 20% or more, while paying out less than 1%) - while also engaging in new forms of financial crime, such as manipulating exchange rates for their own profit.
Daylight robbery, as in the case Tom describes, is very small beer for them, but it's all money, right?
[Edited to make links open in new tab]
[Edited at 2021-07-06 10:07 GMT]
| | | | Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:38
Member (2008)
Italian to English
| Not quite right | Jul 6, 2021 |
Aisha Maniar wrote:
.....as a recipient you don't need a Wise account...
Actually, you do. If you want to receive payments via Wise you need to have an account and keep a minimum of €20 in it.
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