Spanish Banking

When we got back to Spain I checked my bank statement and saw that a random 3 euro charge was taken out on December 31, 2008. I was in Rome then and didn't use my Spanish debit card at all. The charge was referred to as a commission.

Then I got sick and didn't have the strength to fight with the crowds of old people who gather at the bank.

Tuesday, I got the chance to go in between classes. The bank is set up like an L. When you walk in, the three tellers are straight back behind glass windows. On the left there are three counters - the first one is for opening an account and the other two are a mystery.

I went to the woman in the back who had helped me with online banking (everyone rotates around and works at all the desks). I explained that there was a mysterious three euro charge and I asked what it was. I have no idea what she said to me because most of her conversation was actually with the other teller (who opened my account). The woman then told me to go to one of the mystery middle counters and when it was my turn to ask that guy to come ask her what had to be done with my account.

I went over to the middle counters and gave the man my little account book (it's bigger than a checkbook and records all of my transactions). I asked him about the charge and told him that the woman sent me to him and told me to tell him to talk to her. Instead of doing this, he looked at the book and told me, "I'll just give you the three euros back."

So, he did. He put three euros in my account and sent me on my way. When I asked him what the charge was and what I could do to avoid it in the future, he didn't really answer my question but instead told me that this was all fixed.

I'm still not sure what the function of the middle counters is, nor do I understand where the charge came from and why it was that easy to get it back. No one seemed surprised that I was there asking about it nor were they bothered by it. All of this leads to me continue to question, how does anyone make money in this country??? (On a side note, I got more change than necessary at the post office today because the woman gave me a 5 cent piece instead of two 2-cent ones or four one-cent coins.....random).