Standing order on my UK account (for Virgin Media internet connection to my Edinburgh flat) got refused, probably because its out of money. Can’t confirm because I’ve forgotten the password so no longer have access. I’ve cancelled the Virgin Media contract and just have this outstanding payment
Went in to Yuanta bank with the bill. Cue consternation and much smartphone scanning… Eventually
“You must to use computer” ses they (Whatever TF that means).
“Can’t you use computer?” ses I “Isn’t transferring money using computer what you do?”
Wait, you’re trying to pay a bill from the UK with a Taiwanese bank? They’re not gonna have the infrastructure for that or even know what to do with it.
Yeh. I dunno about not having the “infrastructure” exactly, since the wires are probably there, but they very obviously didn’t know what to do with them.
I still find it a bit hard to believe though.
All that “International Banking” jive I grew up hearing about was actually science fiction?
Would you be able to pay a Taiwan bill from a UK high street bank? Don’t think so, so why would you think you can do it in Taiwan?
Even if you can send money to Virgin Media from Taiwan it is going to be expensive using international remittance (SWIFT)! The fees alone will cost you at least £20. Also, the reference you are supposed to use for the payment might not even show up on the UK side. So Virgin Media won’t know/won’t care you paid and you will have a load of hassle trying to explain to them you paid from Taiwan!
The simplest solution is to ask a friend or relative in the UK to pay for you and you just send them the money using PayPal, Skrill, UK bank transfer etc.
I’m usually first to rag on the banks here but most countries’ banking systems are incompatible with each other. Even Canadian debit cards don’t work in the US.
Sorry to say, I am sure the bank tellers think it’s equally as weird a foreigner came in expecting to pay international bills that they are not set up for and not trained for.
Every country’s finance regulations are different and opening it up to a ‘natural law’ means combining China’s ultra restrictive regime with tax havens and finance-liberal regimes like Switzerland and the Cayman Islands.
Try getting 200+ countries and territories to agree on anything.
Do you have any friends or family in the UK who can take care of that?
Maybe sign up for a Transferwise / Revolut / Monese / … account otherwise. You can add money to those using a credit card and transfers to the UK shouldn’t be an issue
If it’s a one-off simple thing and you don’t have another convenient option, I could perhaps pay it from my UK account and you reimburse me into my Taiwanese account at the current exchange rate. You can let me know if that’s useful.
You can’t really pay bills from other countries at a bank.
But in the West they usually allow you to pay bills using any VISA/Master Card cards. This include rent, electricity, water, etc. (though some may charge a rather hefty transfer fee if it’s anything other than direct debit).
So find you Virgin Media allows you to pay with a credit card. You will have to call or contact support by some means if you forgotten the password and have no more access.
That’s nice of you. I’ll try using my Taiwan Post Office Visa card first, but it’ll be a few days until I get around to it because the online teaching jive has me a bit distracted.
It was a fairly substantial bill, but once a debt collecting agency got involved (which actually, unlike Virgin, seemed to respond to emails) the amount decreased sharply, possibly because they acknowledged my original cancellation email.
It’s not their fault.
You need a bank account number and the swift code. Get it. Then wire the money from here. Make sure it’s overpaid in case of deductions …Other idea is to use credit cards as you are trying .
