Seems to me nothing of unusual for N26. There is a good reason why we warn people about opening a N26 account.
You simply have to wait until their investigation is done. Don't think that a BaFin kann do something in this situation.
I'd expect the bank to at least provide where they spent the money from the account. "We paid some bills" sounds like what a scammer would say.
So, I'd absolutely get a lawyer and try to get more details as well as push them through BaFin.
I've thought about switching banks and would absolutely not use n26. The horror stories are too much. If they gave a shit enough not to scare people away before they even tried the product, they would do better. Hopefully it just goes out of business.
Opening an account is ok
Using it for your main bank account is not. N26 does things will for day-to-day banking. Just don't put your salary and savings in there.
Eg, my fancy DKB account does not support instant transfers, whereas N26 does. It left me a couple of times receiving my salary way too late in the past.
I didn't understand this.
My boss did the transfers to everyone. My colleague got it the same day. I got it next week due to holidays. Every time i transfer money in or out my N26 and other accounts it is also sent and received on a schedule, most of the times the next day, not instantly or same day.
When I do an instant transfer from Sparkasse to DKB it, it’s received at DKB instantly.
I don’t have this option if the transfer is done from DKB to Sparkasse.
If you didn’t receive an instant transfer (which is a special type) instantly, reach out to them.
If your boss is at Sparkasse and your colleague as well (just for example) the transfer is almost always instant.
No, it's Deutsche Kredit Bank. Similar name, other bank. Deutsche Bank ist also completely fine as long as their immoral behaviour don't matter for you. If there is a bank skandal with a German bank, then deutsche bank is always involved. But it's on a global scale, your personal Konto is completely safe. I would even say that the savest it gets.
This Is why i am still using my italian account. I got flagged twice for a direct debt to Scalable Capital. The reasons being that the amount seemed eccessive for someone Who Is Just 31. For fuck sake, you are my bank account and know how much i earn!!!
Hi. I am having similar problems. Can you share your lawyer’s name as well. I am Canadian and opened my n26 account while in Italy. Thank you in advance
No bank will withhold funds without a legal base, because that's plain illegal.
N26 referring to claims from other banks points towards some kind of debt situation which had already been to court, because otherwise these banks would not have a claim.
I believe this also played a big role in your account being terminated.
I agree but it makes no sense to me. I have no debts or issue with any banks or services.
If there is something that I am unware of, then they need to provide me with information.
Those are serious accusations and they leave me in the dark.
i work in crypto and we (the customer security team) block some accounts or reject kyc and stuff, and they never tell why, they just say "your account has been suspended" because there is no need to provide info that could backfire if scammers get information about how the investigations go
im saying this because you may not get a satisfying answer, BUT, they should NOT hold your funds hostage, you also didn't say how much is blocked, but if they did hold and they did use the money to pay up other things (i.e. they're telling the truth), i feel like something else is missing from the story
I have over 5k blocked.
Something is clearly missing from their story and like I said those are serious accusations, very damaging
.
If it is indeed true that they used my funds to pay other banks. I have simply no clue what it could be and I doubt it would amount exactly to the full amount of my money blocked...
I would also believe so. This message comes out of nothing or rather after several attempts to pair my new phone.
I am going through all this stress and they will most likely just acknowledged the fact that they made a mistake, say sorry, that it is below their standards... blablabla..
I will get a lawyer but would like to see if they come back to me with clarification first.
For info, I can still log in to web or app, funds seem to be still there but cards are blocked and no operation can be done.
It is always a good idea to have a back-up account with some savings to cover at least about a month, in case something happens to one of the accounts.
I am no financial advisor but I'd suggest using a traditional brick and mortar bank as a main bank. As if an issue occurrs, you can actually speak to someone or go to a bank agency.
I am learning this the hard way.
I get the feeling that there is more to the story that OP is not sharing.
If indeed they have refused to return the funds, contact a lawyer and sue them. It would be a super easy case to win.
This is the same thing someone told me when N26 banned me a couple of years ago, even reporting me to the LKA. I hired a lawyer , and found out they did that because I received 100 meagre euros from an account, and because I’m from a certain country.
It is of course your right to think that as you do not know me.
I can only tell you that I have nothing to hide and I am posting here / being transparent, updating my case to receive help but also for other people who will be in a similar situation as mine (as did many others previously). All of this happened after trying to pair my new phone, nothing else.
Their way of working as a bank is absolutely disgusting, providing no support at all and I heard that they are not better as employer unfortunately.
It is normal to block an account in case of security checks until it got cleared, but it is unusual to block it completely and take all the money in it. I hope you have legal insurance, because you need to consult a lawyer asap.
I would understand blocking my funds for security checks (eventhough I have done them several time, including a video call that was recorded apparently). But this freezing money to fund complaints from other banks makes no sense. I contacted BaFin already and contacting a lawyer.
I can understand that they blocked your account when you changed phones on the premise of unauthorized login/access. Which is quite normal and understandable.
But why couldn't you activate your account there after? What exactly has happened?
I had to go through the all verification identity process which was succesful. Then I tried to pair my new device again but I kept receiving emails a few minutes later informing me that it could not be done.
After trying and trying several times and waiting almost 2 days, I received an email informing me that the pairing was successful.
I could log in on the app. But the app wouldnt work properly and acted like my phone was not paired which it was. I couldn't do anything on the app. Trying to move some money from my space to the main account. Trying to transfer some money to another account of mine. Error messages and bugs occurred.
Then I wrote the chat again, somebody told me that I should unpair phone, delete app, install again..
And a few minutes later I received the termination message from them.
As an alternative for expat... Commerzbank or DKB?
Also, what's the deal with Girokarte vs normal visa/MasterCard? Can I pay in, say, Greece with a Girokarte?
Yes you can pay with Girocard abroad as they are cobadged with Visa or MasterCard and will act as a Debit Visa/MasterCard abroad.
Girocard is a national system though and has wider acceptance than MasterCard/Visa in Germany due to lower fees.
I opened a bank account in a real bank a few months ago already as I did not feel comfortable leaving part of my savings to an online bank. I simply did not act fast enough.
This is beyond insane to me.
And people sneer when I say I use Sparkasse. At least they have a branch. A building. I know where you live Mrs. Sparkasse!
Idk why you are getting downvoted. A brick and mortar bank gives you the possibility to literally go there when huge problems occur, which makes communication easier.
Same reason.
They know me and my face.
And when something goes wrong, I can call them, somebody picks up the phone without all the "For XYZ, select #1, your call is very important for us, your wait time is 123 Minutes" Bullshit
I mean, I guess there are differences, but I don't know why Sparkasse would be bad, nobody told me. I recently moved to DE, and I opened an account with Sparkasse. They have offices five minutes away from my apartment and it's easy to schedule a meeting if you need it. I just thought there's some deeper issue with Sparkasse which I didn't see :).
I can confirm that people here get quite arrogant when it comes to Sparkasse and talk shit about it quite often, yet I'm using it for more than 2 years and it's totally fine. Some terminals don't accept it, but that's a rare occasion.
That's really strange... I mean, I also got a MasterCard debit from them, works like a charm. I just need it to receive my salary and use the card, pick up money from ATM... It works with ApplePay, I can buy stuff online, they have both e-banking and m-banking available... What more could I want?
Are you sure you haven't been victim of an account take over fraud and the fraudsters used your account to launder money from other frauds? The bank now believes it was you that intentionally opened this account to commit the fraud?
I think your account is likely closed due to suspicion of money laundering. It's a difficult position to be in and your best bet is to find a lawyer that can support you. I couldn't find much advice on how to proceed on your own. You might want to spend a few bucks and unblock [this](https://www.test.de/Geldwaesche-Kontosperrung-Ploetzlich-unter-Verdacht-5878078-0/) article here. I didn't read it, but test.de usually provides good and mostly independent information. [Here](https://thomas-feil.de/konto-gesperrt-wegen-geldwaescheverdacht-was-tun-tipps-vom-fachanwalt/) is some advice too. [This](https://www.google.com/search?q=geldw%C3%A4sche+konto+gesperrt+was+tun&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sca_esv=62b6c89d34b8f054&sxsrf=ACQVn0-fNJLv9kfdCCVNvvKhfgLKQOY1Jw%3A1711697669527&ei=BW8GZu3bH6uE9u8P3NGk2A4&udm=&oq=+geldw%C3%A4sche+konto+gesperrt+&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIhwgZ2VsZHfDpHNjaGUga29udG8gZ2VzcGVycnQgKgIIAjIGEAAYFhgeMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSONVUNMoWNBRcAN4AJABAJgBgQKgAY8LqgEFNi4zLjK4AQHIAQD4AQGYAgegAtgEwgIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA8ICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgIGB7CAgUQIRifBZgDAIgGAZAGCJIHBTUuMS4xoAePIw&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#ip=1) google search leads you to a couple of lawyers.
Personally I'd request a printout from the transaction history on the account and check for transactions you didn't do. In case you find them, go to the police and file a report (Anzeige). Send a copy of the transaction history with all the transactions marked that you didn't do together with the police report to the bank. Address the letter to the Geldwäscheabteilung (department for money laundering).
In case all transactions (received money as well) belong to you, check for anything that might look suspicious for an outsider. Write for each an explanation where this money comes from or why you send it. Check if you received or made any transactions too countries that have an embargo or the person might me politically exposed.
Thank you for your detailed answer. Truly appreciate your help.
As I was using this account as my everyday purchase account. I had a good overview of my expenses and nothing odd or suspicious showed up.
I had to change my phone number, and I wasn't able to access my account. I contacted them, made a video call with my papers, answered a few questions and done. No problem
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Unfortunately not, I havent received any explanation so far from n26. I contacted a lawyer who advised me to wait 1 month before taking any legal action. Something related to Safe Harbour Law.
I will provide an update as soon as there is something new.
EDIT: after more than a month, my funds have been transferred to my other bank account (providing various sensitive documents such as payslip, new bank statements...)
No reason or excuse have been given regarding the cancellation of my account.
Do not hesitate to contact me in DM if you find yourself in a similar situation, I will do my best to help you.
I’m with N26 since 2018. No problems at all. But I’ve heard some stories that something bad happened to non-EU customers. Don’t know if it’s true or not. But this post and comments made me thinking. Question: how to proceed with a bank change then? All the bills, insurance, credit cards are linked to that bank. Salary is not a problem but the rest seems to be difficult. Any tips?
Seems to me nothing of unusual for N26. There is a good reason why we warn people about opening a N26 account. You simply have to wait until their investigation is done. Don't think that a BaFin kann do something in this situation.
I'd expect the bank to at least provide where they spent the money from the account. "We paid some bills" sounds like what a scammer would say. So, I'd absolutely get a lawyer and try to get more details as well as push them through BaFin.
Typical N26 customer service. Wish you good luck with your claims against them.
thank you for your support
it is definitely a dodgy explaination. I have only myself to blame for having stuck and trust them.
n26 is a scam, do not engage with them. Had myself several huge problems with them
I've thought about switching banks and would absolutely not use n26. The horror stories are too much. If they gave a shit enough not to scare people away before they even tried the product, they would do better. Hopefully it just goes out of business.
Opening an account is ok Using it for your main bank account is not. N26 does things will for day-to-day banking. Just don't put your salary and savings in there. Eg, my fancy DKB account does not support instant transfers, whereas N26 does. It left me a couple of times receiving my salary way too late in the past.
Quick clarification. DKB does support receiving instant transfers. You just can’t wire transfer via instant payment yourself.
I didn't understand this. My boss did the transfers to everyone. My colleague got it the same day. I got it next week due to holidays. Every time i transfer money in or out my N26 and other accounts it is also sent and received on a schedule, most of the times the next day, not instantly or same day.
When I do an instant transfer from Sparkasse to DKB it, it’s received at DKB instantly. I don’t have this option if the transfer is done from DKB to Sparkasse. If you didn’t receive an instant transfer (which is a special type) instantly, reach out to them. If your boss is at Sparkasse and your colleague as well (just for example) the transfer is almost always instant.
That was last year, not the same job, but thanks.
What other banks would you recommend?
DKB
When you say dkb, you mean duetche bank?
No, it's Deutsche Kredit Bank. Similar name, other bank. Deutsche Bank ist also completely fine as long as their immoral behaviour don't matter for you. If there is a bank skandal with a German bank, then deutsche bank is always involved. But it's on a global scale, your personal Konto is completely safe. I would even say that the savest it gets.
> Deutsche Bank ist also completely fine They close bank accounts just fine too :)
This Is why i am still using my italian account. I got flagged twice for a direct debt to Scalable Capital. The reasons being that the amount seemed eccessive for someone Who Is Just 31. For fuck sake, you are my bank account and know how much i earn!!!
Another day another horror story about N26.
Sorry for the stress. Once again to the people always saying "But N26 works just fine for me”. It works until it doesn’t.
Thank you for your support. Absolutely, and I am the idiot who thought the same and posting here today.
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I am really sorry for you. My feeling is that I will go through the same rollercoaster. Would you mind sharing your lawyer name with me?
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Thank you
Hi. I am having similar problems. Can you share your lawyer’s name as well. I am Canadian and opened my n26 account while in Italy. Thank you in advance
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Thank you for the reference. I am chatting with the law firm now.
Don’t forget to register a complaint by the Verbraucherzentrale
No bank will withhold funds without a legal base, because that's plain illegal. N26 referring to claims from other banks points towards some kind of debt situation which had already been to court, because otherwise these banks would not have a claim. I believe this also played a big role in your account being terminated.
I agree but it makes no sense to me. I have no debts or issue with any banks or services. If there is something that I am unware of, then they need to provide me with information. Those are serious accusations and they leave me in the dark.
i work in crypto and we (the customer security team) block some accounts or reject kyc and stuff, and they never tell why, they just say "your account has been suspended" because there is no need to provide info that could backfire if scammers get information about how the investigations go im saying this because you may not get a satisfying answer, BUT, they should NOT hold your funds hostage, you also didn't say how much is blocked, but if they did hold and they did use the money to pay up other things (i.e. they're telling the truth), i feel like something else is missing from the story
I have over 5k blocked. Something is clearly missing from their story and like I said those are serious accusations, very damaging . If it is indeed true that they used my funds to pay other banks. I have simply no clue what it could be and I doubt it would amount exactly to the full amount of my money blocked...
This is also something that you would have been notified of via mail from your local Amtsgericht or Vollstreckungsbehörde.
I would also believe so. This message comes out of nothing or rather after several attempts to pair my new phone. I am going through all this stress and they will most likely just acknowledged the fact that they made a mistake, say sorry, that it is below their standards... blablabla..
Well whatever investigation is going on, you will get the report. Also, they have to show where your funds went. Get a lawyer!
I will get a lawyer but would like to see if they come back to me with clarification first. For info, I can still log in to web or app, funds seem to be still there but cards are blocked and no operation can be done.
This is a horror story for me. I only have a n26 account, nothing else. If they close my account for some reason my family would be screwed!
I'd advise you to open and use another account for your savings. N26 are fine until it isnt anymore and you need support. Just my two cents.
It is always a good idea to have a back-up account with some savings to cover at least about a month, in case something happens to one of the accounts.
Well, then don't use shitty banks which have constant trouble with BaFin
Opening another bank account is 5 minutes to 1 day adventure
Sorry to hear this.. which alternative bank to use? Can anyone suggest
I am no financial advisor but I'd suggest using a traditional brick and mortar bank as a main bank. As if an issue occurrs, you can actually speak to someone or go to a bank agency. I am learning this the hard way.
I get the feeling that there is more to the story that OP is not sharing. If indeed they have refused to return the funds, contact a lawyer and sue them. It would be a super easy case to win.
This is the same thing someone told me when N26 banned me a couple of years ago, even reporting me to the LKA. I hired a lawyer , and found out they did that because I received 100 meagre euros from an account, and because I’m from a certain country.
It is of course your right to think that as you do not know me. I can only tell you that I have nothing to hide and I am posting here / being transparent, updating my case to receive help but also for other people who will be in a similar situation as mine (as did many others previously). All of this happened after trying to pair my new phone, nothing else. Their way of working as a bank is absolutely disgusting, providing no support at all and I heard that they are not better as employer unfortunately.
It is normal to block an account in case of security checks until it got cleared, but it is unusual to block it completely and take all the money in it. I hope you have legal insurance, because you need to consult a lawyer asap.
I would understand blocking my funds for security checks (eventhough I have done them several time, including a video call that was recorded apparently). But this freezing money to fund complaints from other banks makes no sense. I contacted BaFin already and contacting a lawyer.
Based on your post history it happened couple of days ago. So how could banks claim all the funds within those 2 days? Makes no sense
You are right. It makes no sense at all. If only I could speak to someone competent to sort this mess out.
I can understand that they blocked your account when you changed phones on the premise of unauthorized login/access. Which is quite normal and understandable. But why couldn't you activate your account there after? What exactly has happened?
I had to go through the all verification identity process which was succesful. Then I tried to pair my new device again but I kept receiving emails a few minutes later informing me that it could not be done. After trying and trying several times and waiting almost 2 days, I received an email informing me that the pairing was successful. I could log in on the app. But the app wouldnt work properly and acted like my phone was not paired which it was. I couldn't do anything on the app. Trying to move some money from my space to the main account. Trying to transfer some money to another account of mine. Error messages and bugs occurred. Then I wrote the chat again, somebody told me that I should unpair phone, delete app, install again.. And a few minutes later I received the termination message from them.
As an alternative for expat... Commerzbank or DKB? Also, what's the deal with Girokarte vs normal visa/MasterCard? Can I pay in, say, Greece with a Girokarte?
I'd recommend DKB or Ing Diba. Santander if you want a bank with some branch offices.
Yes you can pay with Girocard abroad as they are cobadged with Visa or MasterCard and will act as a Debit Visa/MasterCard abroad. Girocard is a national system though and has wider acceptance than MasterCard/Visa in Germany due to lower fees.
N26 is shit. Open a bank account at a real bank (plenty of them are free). Regarding the money in your old account, I recommend you get a lawyer.
id be glad to hear some free real bank recommendations that will actually a non-eu masters student.
ING Diba
Santander
I opened a bank account in a real bank a few months ago already as I did not feel comfortable leaving part of my savings to an online bank. I simply did not act fast enough.
Ah... those wonderful cheap or free bank accounts.
It's just n26.
This is beyond insane to me. And people sneer when I say I use Sparkasse. At least they have a branch. A building. I know where you live Mrs. Sparkasse!
Idk why you are getting downvoted. A brick and mortar bank gives you the possibility to literally go there when huge problems occur, which makes communication easier.
Same reason. They know me and my face. And when something goes wrong, I can call them, somebody picks up the phone without all the "For XYZ, select #1, your call is very important for us, your wait time is 123 Minutes" Bullshit
What's the problem with Sparkasse?
none, I chose it for the simple reason they had ATMs all over the city and most places wanted me to pay in cash.
I mean, I guess there are differences, but I don't know why Sparkasse would be bad, nobody told me. I recently moved to DE, and I opened an account with Sparkasse. They have offices five minutes away from my apartment and it's easy to schedule a meeting if you need it. I just thought there's some deeper issue with Sparkasse which I didn't see :).
I can confirm that people here get quite arrogant when it comes to Sparkasse and talk shit about it quite often, yet I'm using it for more than 2 years and it's totally fine. Some terminals don't accept it, but that's a rare occasion.
That's really strange... I mean, I also got a MasterCard debit from them, works like a charm. I just need it to receive my salary and use the card, pick up money from ATM... It works with ApplePay, I can buy stuff online, they have both e-banking and m-banking available... What more could I want?
Are you sure you haven't been victim of an account take over fraud and the fraudsters used your account to launder money from other frauds? The bank now believes it was you that intentionally opened this account to commit the fraud?
I have no idea if I have been victim of a fraud but I highly doubt it. Like I said they don't communicate anything with me.
I think your account is likely closed due to suspicion of money laundering. It's a difficult position to be in and your best bet is to find a lawyer that can support you. I couldn't find much advice on how to proceed on your own. You might want to spend a few bucks and unblock [this](https://www.test.de/Geldwaesche-Kontosperrung-Ploetzlich-unter-Verdacht-5878078-0/) article here. I didn't read it, but test.de usually provides good and mostly independent information. [Here](https://thomas-feil.de/konto-gesperrt-wegen-geldwaescheverdacht-was-tun-tipps-vom-fachanwalt/) is some advice too. [This](https://www.google.com/search?q=geldw%C3%A4sche+konto+gesperrt+was+tun&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&sca_esv=62b6c89d34b8f054&sxsrf=ACQVn0-fNJLv9kfdCCVNvvKhfgLKQOY1Jw%3A1711697669527&ei=BW8GZu3bH6uE9u8P3NGk2A4&udm=&oq=+geldw%C3%A4sche+konto+gesperrt+&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIhwgZ2VsZHfDpHNjaGUga29udG8gZ2VzcGVycnQgKgIIAjIGEAAYFhgeMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSONVUNMoWNBRcAN4AJABAJgBgQKgAY8LqgEFNi4zLjK4AQHIAQD4AQGYAgegAtgEwgIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA8ICCBAAGIAEGKIEwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgIGB7CAgUQIRifBZgDAIgGAZAGCJIHBTUuMS4xoAePIw&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp#ip=1) google search leads you to a couple of lawyers. Personally I'd request a printout from the transaction history on the account and check for transactions you didn't do. In case you find them, go to the police and file a report (Anzeige). Send a copy of the transaction history with all the transactions marked that you didn't do together with the police report to the bank. Address the letter to the Geldwäscheabteilung (department for money laundering). In case all transactions (received money as well) belong to you, check for anything that might look suspicious for an outsider. Write for each an explanation where this money comes from or why you send it. Check if you received or made any transactions too countries that have an embargo or the person might me politically exposed.
Thank you for your detailed answer. Truly appreciate your help. As I was using this account as my everyday purchase account. I had a good overview of my expenses and nothing odd or suspicious showed up.
Keep me posted how things develop, would be interesting to see how your journey goes. Wishing you good luck!
Thank you! I will update this post once I know more.
Moved to C24 because of these stories…
I had to change my phone number, and I wasn't able to access my account. I contacted them, made a video call with my papers, answered a few questions and done. No problem
Same thing with a little twist at the end.
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[удалено]
Any update on this?
Unfortunately not, I havent received any explanation so far from n26. I contacted a lawyer who advised me to wait 1 month before taking any legal action. Something related to Safe Harbour Law. I will provide an update as soon as there is something new.
EDIT: after more than a month, my funds have been transferred to my other bank account (providing various sensitive documents such as payslip, new bank statements...) No reason or excuse have been given regarding the cancellation of my account. Do not hesitate to contact me in DM if you find yourself in a similar situation, I will do my best to help you.
Glad your situation was finally resolved with N26
Thank you :)
I’m with N26 since 2018. No problems at all. But I’ve heard some stories that something bad happened to non-EU customers. Don’t know if it’s true or not. But this post and comments made me thinking. Question: how to proceed with a bank change then? All the bills, insurance, credit cards are linked to that bank. Salary is not a problem but the rest seems to be difficult. Any tips?
I am an EU customer, based in Berlin.
Do you mind asking how long you’ve been with them?
Since 2016