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andrzejewskil
Just Starting
Joined: 12 Jul 2006
Posts: 6
Location: london/moscow
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 Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:59 pm Post subject: bank account |
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Hi there,
I have been living and working in Moscow for a year now. I am an innostranyets As probably many of you I get my wages cash in hand. I think time is ripe now to finally open a bank account. Thus this post.
Do you have any experience of opening an account? Is it possible for a foreigner at all?
If it is so, which banks could you recommend? Russian ( prob.not....?) or international ones?
+ if you have any hints, pointers or suggestions, I'll gladly welcome them. Ta |
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StephenB.
VIP
Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 810
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:47 am Post subject: |
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| Citibank also has many branches in both Moscow and St Petersburg. |
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vox16
WayToRussified
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 322
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 2:19 pm Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: | | ***bank also has many branches in both Moscow and St Petersburg. |
Important notice ( again... ) - these are not branches. **bank-russia is always subsidiary of ***bank. ( whatever *** is ). And it is ***-bank-Russia that have branches in Msk and wherever, not **bank. It means that ***bank-russia have right to collapse ( with all other banks in Russia, like in 1998, for example ) on its own independently from ***bank, and ***bank is not liable for its subsidiary's debts in this case. Just don't put too much money in subsidiary ( unless you have other reasons to do it ) if you can deposit them in parent bank. |
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overseas_expat
VIP
Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 612
Location: Moscow
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 6:48 pm Post subject: |
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A lot of expats use Raiffelsen. Decent customer service, not so many add-on fees, credit cards and mortgages available. Among expats the Russian version of Citibank is generally referred to as $hittybank. An unending array of user fees, miserable customer service, and they make it difficult to impossible to get at your own money.
Raiffelsen is a Russian chartered subsidiary of the Austrian bank. |
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jo jo 7
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Posts: 3200
Location: Louisville,Kentucky
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I would not recommend Citibank at all in any form or in any country that is has merged too. |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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| jo jo 7 wrote: | | I would not recommend Citibank at all in any form or in any country that is has merged too. |
What are you talking about? Citibank is a great bank and is very international too as it has branches in most European cities. It has great internet banking service, and very nice customer-friendly branches. Plus, it's the largest financial firm in the United States and pretty much the whole world. I guess they missed Kentucky on their path to expansion... |
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jo jo 7
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 05 Nov 2006
Posts: 3200
Location: Louisville,Kentucky
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: | | jo jo 7 wrote: | | I would not recommend Citibank at all in any form or in any country that is has merged too. |
What are you talking about? Citibank is a great bank and is very international too as it has branches in most European cities. It has great internet banking service, and very nice customer-friendly branches. Plus, it's the largest financial firm in the United States and pretty much the whole world. I guess they missed Kentucky on their path to expansion... |
Spicey, I just don't care for them. Sometimes when a bank gets too big their customer service goes elsewhere. I have never had good experience with Citibank. I have read some not so great reviews about them on their customer service. I like smaller banks because they are more personal with you. Hate to tell you this, but KY (Louisville) is homebase to alot of large corporations. I know you might not think that we are up on the latest, but we are.
You know Spicey, if you like something and it is working for you then by all means stick with it. I just don't care for them myself. We have our own opinions on service. |
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vox16
WayToRussified
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 322
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: | | jo jo 7 wrote: | | I would not recommend Citibank at all in any form or in any country that is has merged too. |
What are you talking about? Citibank is a great bank and is very international too as it has branches in most European cities. It has great internet banking service, and very nice customer-friendly branches |
Maybe it is about NY citibank, not Russian subsidiary.
http://banki.ru/services/responses/
It the very bottom, colored pale-poo
68 Ситибанк −452 (−451,848)
Millions of lemmings can be wrong?
Most responses are about 'friendly' personnel and citiphone. |
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mediashark
Moderator
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1601
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| Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: |
What are you talking about? Citibank is a great bank and is very international too as it has branches in most European cities. It has great internet banking service, and very nice customer-friendly branches. Plus, it's the largest financial firm in the United States and pretty much the whole world. I guess they missed Kentucky on their path to expansion... |
Spice has no idea about what $hittybank Russia is like.
There is no friendly customer service. each branch only has 1 teller, always crowded, priority goes to obnoxious gold customers who have 1001 transactions that will take all day so you will be stuck in a queue for nothing till closing time.
Avoid Citibank in Russia at all costs. Something has gone seriously wrong with the management there. There is nothing bad about Citibank in other countries, but avoid Citibank Russia.  |
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gomer
WayToRussified
Joined: 30 Mar 2007
Posts: 438
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I've used Citibank ATMs in Moscow with no problem but that's the extent of my contact with them. |
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StephenB.
VIP
Joined: 18 Aug 2007
Posts: 810
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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Just stick with HSBC you won't have a problem...forget about Citibank it appears everyone is in an uproar about it..  |
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MrSpice
Lounge Wizard
Joined: 14 Jul 2003
Posts: 3436
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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Now I understand that Citibank in Russia is not that good. Fine. It's pretty decent in the US, especially in New York.
I don't understand exactly what Jo Jo mean by service. To me, the best bank is the one that:
1) Has excellent and online payment system so that you can pay any bill and do most operations on the web site
2) Has lots of ATMs in your area so that you don't have to pay fees/charges when you withdraw cash.
3) All ATMs should allow deposits and other basic banking operations
4) Low monthly fees that include online services
My salary is deposited directly/electronically so I never had to go to the ARM to deposit my paycheck.
I think I visited the bank branch 2-3 times in the past few years. I only go there to get a banker's check (i.e., when I bought a car or an apartment), and to deposit cash (and that does not happen often).
Therefore, large banking firm to me is much better than a small one because they normally have better web sites with better security, more ATM and more integrated services (say, if you have Bank of America account with certain minimum you can purchase stocks for free). |
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mediashark
Moderator
Joined: 04 Nov 2004
Posts: 1601
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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| gomer wrote: | | I've used Citibank ATMs in Moscow with no problem but that's the extent of my contact with them. |
Their automated services are fine. At least most of their ATMs are in secure buildings and are open round the clock. Just avoid everything else.
I am not sure of HSBC in Russia is into retail/consumer banking.
Banking in Russia is generally undeveloped. There isn't much of a choice. But even then a lot of expats are starting to avoid citibank. |
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vox16
WayToRussified
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Posts: 322
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| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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| MrSpice wrote: |
I don't understand exactly what Jo Jo mean by service. To me, the best bank is the one that:
1) - 4)
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5) And some sane personnel, accessible by phone, that can help is something of this automated stuff goes wrong. But whether it is result of staffing policy, or whatever - it is not a strong side of citi. |
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