My friend Mike Kus release a lovely book a while ago and I can’t remember if I already pointed you to it. If I did, well, than this is the second time, but it is worth it.
The book comes with a mass of examples, but also:
[…] will arm you with a mountain of easily actionable tips that will elevate your photos to the next level. This book makes photography accessible to everyone.
⇾ Visit: The Pocket Photographer by Mike Kus
(German version of this article available here)
Just over a year ago, after more than 20 years, I decided to change my previous business bank. The reason was that the bank I was with seemed outdated and offered few good online services. Everything seemed outdated and was also quite expensive.
So I did some research and read up on several banks and N26 seemed to offer me what I wanted. Various portals gave the bank a decent and good rating. However, N26 did not come off well on review portals. I kept reading about poor to no support and “account freezes”. For this reason, I kept my old account until the end of 2024, just in case I also had a bad experience.
I wish I had listened to the bad reviews and kept my old account for longer.
It all started when I received a message from N26 with the following content.
To avoid restrictions, please submit the following documents by February 1, 2025 by clicking on the Reply button below. February 1, 2025 is the last possible day on which you can send us the requested documents.
Proof of address, such as: - your registration certificate or - a gas, water or electricity bill issued within the last 90 days
Proof of income, such as: - your employment contract or - pay slips or - statement of assets and income (e.g. rental income, cash gifts) etc.
Proof of your residence in Germany, such as: E.g.: - Visa documents - Proof of studies - Proof of refugee status - Proof of family reunification
Evidence of the origin of the funds, such as: - Contracts (e.g. purchase and sale agreements) - Information about the sale of assets or capital gains - Information about inheritances or other sources of income - etc.
Please also provide us with a rough estimate of your expected transaction volume per year (i.e. expected incoming and outgoing transfer amounts) for your N26 account - including the countries you expect to send these transactions to or receive them from.
We always ensure that your personal information is treated strictly confidentially and is only used for regulatory processes.
I could understand the first point and sent the current electricity bill.
The second point, not really. Employment contract? Pay slip? I have a “Business Metal” account, ”The premium business account with 0.5% cashback for the self-employed and freelancers.”. There are therefore no employment contracts. So I sent my 2022 tax assessment on this point.
By the third point I was already out. Visa documents? Proof of study? Refugee status? Family reunification? Excuse me?
And on the fourth point I didn’t really know what they wanted from me either. “Origin of funds”? I issue invoices and receive my money. A look at my account would certainly have helped. Everything was unremarkable.
I received no answer to my questions and the sending of the above documents. Well, not directly at least. I was sent the same questions again. No answer to my questions.
Instead, six days ago (as of February 10th) my incoming payments to the account were blocked. The statement, again without answering my questions, says: “You cannot currently receive any incoming transfers, such as salary payments.”
Although I have a “Business Metal” account where I pay for “Preferred Consent Service”, I have no way of reaching anyone who can help me.
It says...
Preferred Customer Service
If you have any questions or problems, we will be happy to help you. No matter whether you just have a quick question about your premium business account, want a function explained in more detail or urgently need technical support: Call the Metal phone number or contact us via the chat support in your N26 app - we are happy to help you.
What about “preferred customer service”. Yes, you can use the chat support. First via a bot, later via a human. But they can't help, just like the telephone support on the “Metal phone number”. Because nobody has access to anything. They can perhaps explain to you how the app works or how to find a function, etc. But they don't provide customer support there. Especially not if you have problems.
I then gave a negative review on Trustpilot, because nothing is more frustrating than not being able to reach anyone. Not privately and certainly not as a business customer who has to work with such an account every day.
They responded to the review promptly and ”[…]to write a private message on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter (X)[…]” and they would be ”[…]available there at any time.” That’s true in the sense that I could write there and they responded there, similar to chat or when I called. But they couldn’t help me there either:
Please excuse our delayed response. Due to data protection guidelines, we have no access to our customers’ accounts and data via “X”
So why tell me to contact them there?
In the end, it is and remains a mystery to me how you can offer a business customer service where no one is really available who can actually help. Apart from the actual problem, which I still don’t understand, that is actually the bigger problem and also the one that is currently making me look for a new bank only after a year.
It remains to be seen when and if someone will contact me and whether I will ever find out why exactly my money has been frozen. Today is February 10, 2025 and I will report how things develop.
This is a new hub with tutorials and tips on how to use iA Presenter (and presenting in general).
⇾ Visit: iA Presenter How To Hub
What is time actually? I got a little addicted recently and read a few interesting articles, watched documentaries and dug a little bit deeper into this topic. Those articles circled around questions like …
It quickly became quite interesting and complex, surely. But one thing that stuck with me is – even though it is, or might be obvious – how much value time really has.
When we are younger, we do not care much about time. We seem to have endless time and everything else seems more important, of more value, like money or traveling for example. But at some point we realise how precious time is.
Isn’t one of the best things in the world spending time with you granddad and grandmother? With your dad and your mum? You best friends during your time in school? Well, we often recognise this too late sadly. And where we might be able to earn money all our life, getting time back with people who are not here anymore is something we’ll never be able to achieve.
If you ask anyone, rich or poor, relationships – time with other – makes anyone happier than anything else. How much value time really has dawns on us sadly often only when we are old.
People of age never regret not having had more money or owned more valuable things and fancy cars. They regret not having had more time for certain things.
Time? Time is valuable.
Panos Semitekolos has written a nice summary with a few takeaways from my talk at T3CON24, end of November.
⇾ Visit: T3CON24 Recap – Why Independent Community Events Matter
It was so beautifully sunny, that I went for the very first ride on my gravel bike. Just 2° Celsius meant, that for the last 2 years, since I got this bike, I wouldn’t have gone during the winter time. First of all I did not have the gear to do this and wasn’t sure what do get to be on the safe side in terms of low temperatures, but I also did not want to clean my bike after each of those muddy rides. Well, I have to say that I like riding the bike so much since I got it, that I will be ok cleaning it (I actually enjoy cleaning all of our bikes during the summer time).
But still, I wasn’t sure what do get to be safe when it is cold. I read a lot and finally was chatting to Hans about what he uses, since I have seen him riding quite a lot also in the cold days of the year. He gave me some insights in what he uses and it mirrored pretty much what I was reading. He also gave me some tips on what he usually buys and I looked into it. I liked what he recommended, but also had an eye on stuff by Ryzon, which usually is something I find a little too expensive.
It turned out that they had a winter sale running and I got a few essential bits. Still some money, but I have to say after the first ride: worth every Cent. I got a base layer, a mid layer, a thermal jacket and last but not least some thermal bib tights. I usually don’t really like tights and use mountain bike gear from Endura during the Summer, but for the cold time of the year it really makes sense to get something like this.
Oh, and did I enjoy the ride! ;)
Happy Birthday to my brother, who would have been 63 today. When he died in 2013 suddenly, he was as old as I am this year.
This is a lovely summary by my friend Brendan Dawes about last week’s Berlin premiere of “Eno”. Brings back memories and a smile.
⇾ Visit: Nice Summary by Brendan Dawes about the Eno Screening
