Question for Germans - Page 2

09-05-09, 07:51 AM

The internet connection thing reminds me of another friend who went to Germany for student exchange. He was in a college or university that was somehow connected to the German military. According to him the German military has no shortage of money, as a lowly exchange student he had his own office with computer with internet etc. This was about 4-5 years ago. Not sure if he was bs'ing me though.

XabbaRus · 09-05-09, 08:00 AM

Skybird I am surprised you found Brits getting hostile when asked for ID to match the signature to the card.

Up until about 4 years ago in the uk we still had to sign when using our debit cards, of course we don't carry other id with us so you just match the signature on the receipt to the one on the card.

In the UK we are all chip and pin now or cash. Cheques are only used for paying by post or if you are paying a business such as a a building contractor or nursery for example.

The thing with chip and pin is I use my wifes card and she uses mine as we know each others numbers.

Jimbuna · 09-05-09, 08:02 AM

Let me chip in with the UK.

Transactions in the high street continue to be made predominantly with cash.....cheques are seldom used nowadays.

Whilst the credit/debit card system is very widespread and Chip and PIN protected, there are those on lower incomes who obviously have no need for such sophisticted security because they don't have access to a bank account.

The Government are trying to reverse this trend with measures such as transferring pensions and welfare benefits directly into individuals bank accounts or into Post Offices where the individual will require a bankers card to access the funds.

Skybird · 09-05-09, 08:16 AM

Xabba,

I can't tell you why it is like I described, but it was very obvious, an observation shared by my colleagues of that time as well. That does not mean that all British and American tourists were like that, hell, no. With most there was no problem. but compared to other tourists groups, the share of people being upset for the reasons mentioned, was bigger. Like for example american tourists being easier upset about the shop personnel not speaking English. On many working days I was the only one on my floor being fluent in English, and sometimes I got called by colleagues in despair (and stress!) when they had to deal with an American tourist who was angry that he was not understood. It seems they take it as granted to come along with their mother tongue everywhere , but many older generations of germans have not had english at school or were no longer competent at it. With younger generations of Germans it is no longer a problem. when I think of it, it seems to me that it were younger tourists sometimes being angry, and older American tourists always being extremely polite indeed. In my last year, there was a traveling girls group of maybe 20, 25 girls from a religious community, they came from Maryland and all wore light-grey, oldfashioned (but somehow attractive!) dresses. I forgot what community it was. They swarmed over the whole floor immediately and in absolute record time, they literally took EVERYTHING in their hands and lifted it and examined it and chatted and chirped and laughed as if there was no tomorrow. I felt like in a bird cage at spring time!

Strange what kind of observations you make about people when business was running low and you had too much time!

Funny it often was with Dutch, becasue the languages are very close, it seems, but most germans find it more difficult to speak dutch than Dutch find it to speak German. Often it was doing communication with both hand and feet - resulting in much smiles and laughter. Somehow they seem to be immune to speaking English at these occasions.

But I cannot remember to have ever seen a Brit being upset if one of my colleagues did not speak English.

I especially liked the Danish, Spanish, Dutch and British soldiers that sometimes came in. Very relaxed, and often soime jokes exchanged. We have several British families living up our road here, belonging to the British garrison here, and over the years I used to form some very lose contacts with some of the men, having a short talk when meeting on th street, exchnagign some not seriously meant "strikes" when football national teams played - things like that.

09-05-09, 09:32 AM

When I was living and working in Germany I simply used cash , the same as I have done in every country I lived and worked in.

Seeadler · 09-05-09, 09:51 AM

EC / Maestro cards are very popular here in Germany and I've even used my Maestro card last month in Orlando/FL at an ATM in order to get cash. With my Master Card I would have been paid increased foreign sales using an ATM, with Maestro not.

stabiz · 09-05-09, 10:09 AM

In Norway we still trade stuff on markets. I usually bring fish when i go to get a DVD or some cigarettes.

Thomen · 09-05-09, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seeadler

EC / Maestro cards are very popular here in Germany and I've even used my Maestro card last month in Orlando/FL at an ATM in order to get cash. With my Master Card I would have been paid increased foreign sales using an ATM, with Maestro not.

Aye.. did the same until I closed my checking account at the Stadtsparkasse last year. You can even use your Postbank savings account card here on a ATM. Still doing that..

However, when in Germany we usually pay cash, except when the bill is going to be big, as in restaurants or a boat load of groceries that are going to be shipped to the US..

Thomen · 09-05-09, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stabiz

In Norway we still trade stuff on markets. I usually bring fish when i go to get a DVD or some cigarettes.

I got some shiny sea shells and half a chicken in the freezer. That's enough for a six pack, yes?

09-05-09, 10:38 AM

Well to explain my original point, I think it's interesting to compare countries and how average everyday things 'work'. For example in many far eastern nations there is a pretty high level of technological sophistication and the weather is nice so average everyday life is often pretty simple. Then again there are countries with lots of bureucracy and things are made purposefully difficult, especially for non-natives.

Jimbuna · 09-05-09, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stabiz

In Norway we still trade stuff on markets. I usually bring fish when i go to get a DVD or some cigarettes.

LMAO :rotfl:

What!!....no sheep or cattle?

Torplexed · 09-05-09, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomen

I got some shiny sea shells and half a chicken in the freezer. That's enough for a six pack, yes?

Who run Bartertown?

Shearwater · 09-05-09, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

LMAO :rotfl:

What!!....no sheep or cattle?

Don't confuse Norway with Australia :rotfl:

Jimbuna · 09-05-09, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shearwater

Don't confuse Norway with Australia :rotfl:

Fair enough

TarJak · 09-06-09, 09:06 PM

Well now you've dragged Australia into it I have to say that recent visits to the US have surprised me in how far electronic payments have come in Australia. Most people including those on welfare have bank accounts as almost all government payments are made into bank accounts.

Shopping for groceries etc is now about 80% cashless with either credit or EFTPOS cards being used. PIN's have been used for EFTPOS transactions for years but Credit Cards are now offering either signature or PIN options for transactions.

Even Taxis in capital cities have mobile EFTPOS units so you can use your card for that. I found the US a bit behind in that regard as up until my most recent visit in 2008 no cabs that I had travelled in had any way of paying that wasn't cash.

We are getting a big push from Mastercard and Visa for getting Debit cards which access your bank account funds rather than using someone elses money.

As for broadband well we are royally screwed by our telcos and ISP's who put ridiculous caps on monthly usage and punative overage fees if you happen to use a bit more than your pre-paid limit.

09-05-09, 08:00 AM	#17
XabbaRus Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 5,330 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	Skybird I am surprised you found Brits getting hostile when asked for ID to match the signature to the card. Up until about 4 years ago in the uk we still had to sign when using our debit cards, of course we don't carry other id with us so you just match the signature on the receipt to the one on the card. In the UK we are all chip and pin now or cash. Cheques are only used for paying by post or if you are paying a business such as a a building contractor or nursery for example. The thing with chip and pin is I use my wifes card and she uses mine as we know each others numbers. __________________

09-05-09, 08:02 AM	#18
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,615 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Let me chip in with the UK. Transactions in the high street continue to be made predominantly with cash.....cheques are seldom used nowadays. Whilst the credit/debit card system is very widespread and Chip and PIN protected, there are those on lower incomes who obviously have no need for such sophisticted security because they don't have access to a bank account. The Government are trying to reverse this trend with measures such as transferring pensions and welfare benefits directly into individuals bank accounts or into Post Offices where the individual will require a bankers card to access the funds. __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

09-05-09, 08:16 AM	#19
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,649 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Xabba, I can't tell you why it is like I described, but it was very obvious, an observation shared by my colleagues of that time as well. That does not mean that all British and American tourists were like that, hell, no. With most there was no problem. but compared to other tourists groups, the share of people being upset for the reasons mentioned, was bigger. Like for example american tourists being easier upset about the shop personnel not speaking English. On many working days I was the only one on my floor being fluent in English, and sometimes I got called by colleagues in despair (and stress!) when they had to deal with an American tourist who was angry that he was not understood. It seems they take it as granted to come along with their mother tongue everywhere , but many older generations of germans have not had english at school or were no longer competent at it. With younger generations of Germans it is no longer a problem. when I think of it, it seems to me that it were younger tourists sometimes being angry, and older American tourists always being extremely polite indeed. In my last year, there was a traveling girls group of maybe 20, 25 girls from a religious community, they came from Maryland and all wore light-grey, oldfashioned (but somehow attractive!) dresses. I forgot what community it was. They swarmed over the whole floor immediately and in absolute record time, they literally took EVERYTHING in their hands and lifted it and examined it and chatted and chirped and laughed as if there was no tomorrow. I felt like in a bird cage at spring time! Strange what kind of observations you make about people when business was running low and you had too much time! Funny it often was with Dutch, becasue the languages are very close, it seems, but most germans find it more difficult to speak dutch than Dutch find it to speak German. Often it was doing communication with both hand and feet - resulting in much smiles and laughter. Somehow they seem to be immune to speaking English at these occasions. But I cannot remember to have ever seen a Brit being upset if one of my colleagues did not speak English. I especially liked the Danish, Spanish, Dutch and British soldiers that sometimes came in. Very relaxed, and often soime jokes exchanged. We have several British families living up our road here, belonging to the British garrison here, and over the years I used to form some very lose contacts with some of the men, having a short talk when meeting on th street, exchnagign some not seriously meant "strikes" when football national teams played - things like that. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert. Last edited by Skybird; 09-05-09 at 08:30 AM.

09-05-09, 09:51 AM	#21
Seeadler Pacific Aces Dev Team Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Northern Germany Posts: 1,096 Downloads: 169 Uploads: 0	EC / Maestro cards are very popular here in Germany and I've even used my Maestro card last month in Orlando/FL at an ATM in order to get cash. With my Master Card I would have been paid increased foreign sales using an ATM, with Maestro not. __________________ -- Vapor-ware is always easier to sell because there's no limit what it can do!

09-05-09, 10:09 AM	#22
stabiz Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Norway Posts: 4,224 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	In Norway we still trade stuff on markets. I usually bring fish when i go to get a DVD or some cigarettes. __________________

09-05-09, 07:51 AM	#16
OneToughHerring Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	The internet connection thing reminds me of another friend who went to Germany for student exchange. He was in a college or university that was somehow connected to the German military. According to him the German military has no shortage of money, as a lowly exchange student he had his own office with computer with internet etc. This was about 4-5 years ago. Not sure if he was bs'ing me though.

09-05-09, 09:32 AM	#20
Tribesman Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	When I was living and working in Germany I simply used cash , the same as I have done in every country I lived and worked in.

09-05-09, 10:38 AM	#25
OneToughHerring Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Well to explain my original point, I think it's interesting to compare countries and how average everyday things 'work'. For example in many far eastern nations there is a pretty high level of technological sophistication and the weather is nice so average everyday life is often pretty simple. Then again there are countries with lots of bureucracy and things are made purposefully difficult, especially for non-natives.

09-06-09, 09:06 PM	#30
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Well now you've dragged Australia into it I have to say that recent visits to the US have surprised me in how far electronic payments have come in Australia. Most people including those on welfare have bank accounts as almost all government payments are made into bank accounts. Shopping for groceries etc is now about 80% cashless with either credit or EFTPOS cards being used. PIN's have been used for EFTPOS transactions for years but Credit Cards are now offering either signature or PIN options for transactions. Even Taxis in capital cities have mobile EFTPOS units so you can use your card for that. I found the US a bit behind in that regard as up until my most recent visit in 2008 no cabs that I had travelled in had any way of paying that wasn't cash. We are getting a big push from Mastercard and Visa for getting Debit cards which access your bank account funds rather than using someone elses money. As for broadband well we are royally screwed by our telcos and ISP's who put ridiculous caps on monthly usage and punative overage fees if you happen to use a bit more than your pre-paid limit.