Useful Information

AFF Germany - Useful Information

You are here: Home > Worldwide News > AFF Germany > Useful information

22 Mar - 3D Digital Films - Coming to a Cinema near you
06 Feb - Tips on sourcing funding for play areas
Get You Home (Overseas) allowance
Hospital Hotline
Review of the Fuel Coupon ration
BFG Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) Review Update
Get ready for changes to the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme
New Arrangements to Passport Services for British Nationals Living Overseas
Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Germany) and Babcock Support Services GmbH
Visitors' Sponsorship
Important Message Regarding Kindergeld
Amazon Goods in excess of £200
Fuel grades compared to BFG coupons
The BFG Parent Partnership Service
What happens to your medical records when you leave Germany?
Caution before signing a telephone contract in Germany
Boarding school children and orthodontic treatment
School Children's Visits (SCV)
SSAFA Forces Help Carer Support Scheme in BFG
Struggling to cope with mounting debt?
BFG Coupons – Filling of Jerricans
Fraud involving German Debit Cards
Parking in Germany

3D Digital Films - Coming to a Cinema near you

Following on from the recent success of the newly built Jerboa Cinema in Fallingbostel, four SSVC Forces cinemas in BFG are soon to be receiving a digital makeover.

The Kaleidoscope Cinema in Paderborn, the Royal Theatre in Gutersloh, the Globe in Herford and the Ratz Cinema in Hohne will soon be joining the digital revolution, ensuring an even greater quality of service for Personnel stationed there.

From the end of April, these cinemas will be equipped with the latest digital technology, which provides audiences with superior 2D picture quality and a truly immersive 3D experience.

The new 3D facilities will be shown off at a special launch event, where audiences at these four cinemas and not forgetting the Jerboa Cinema in Fallingbostel will get to see the hugely anticipated ‘Avengers Assemble’ on Thursday 26th April. Expected to be one of the biggest box office hits of the year, SSVC Cinemas are incredibly excited to be able to bring this film to military cinemas in fantastic 3D on the same day as its worldwide release.

The Globe Cinemas in Munster and JHQ Rheindahlen will be showing ‘Avengers Assemble’ in 2D on Friday 27th April.

The digitisation of these cinemas is largely down to Hollywood saying goodbye to Celluloid film, which has been used for 120 years in cinemas around the world. Janice Lorimer, Head of SSVC Forces Cinemas, said; “This essential transition is viewed as a great opportunity as it will allow Forces Cinemas to keep pace with the very best in the cinema industry, the inclusion of 3D will further enhance the experience and will lead to an amazing picture quality for cinemagoers.”

SSVC Forces Cinemas has provided hundreds of thousands of hours of entertainment for British Forces and their families around the world for the past fifty years. SSVC has funded one third of the cost to upgrade Forces Cinemas in Fallingbostel, RNAS Culdrose, Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands and Cyprus. Two cinemas in the UK will be the next to be converted.

Tips on sourcing funding for play areas

AFF recognises that access to good play facilities for children is vital for their well-being (and your sanity). Liz Murray was disappointed when she found local play facilities in Larkhill were insufficient. She launched an excellent campaign to raise funds for a new play park. Liz has kindly given an overview as to how you can source funding for your play area.

So if play is central to patch life, why isn’t the provision any better?

Financial constraints: In 2009, DIO/MHS’s budget from the MOD for new play parks was limited to £300,000 - for more than 400 play parks across the UK. To put this into context, a decent, well thought-out play park for 100 homes for a wide age range costs anything from £40,000 upwards although a project on the patch in Wimbish, Essex is aiming to raise £100,000 for 250 quarters and the Larkhill project raised more than £155,000..
The budget for play spaces is now combined with that for housing upgrades and repairs. So if a piece of equipment breaks, such as a swing, the cost of a replacement part and the labour, this is considered against kitchen upgrades. MHS’ obligation is to keep play spaces safe, so where the cost is too great, this will and often results in equipment being removed. Over time his has left many of the 400 withering on the vine with little or no usable equipment.
Local authorities do not consider play spaces within garrisons in their ‘scope’ despite all Service families paying CILOCT (Contribution In Lieu of Council Tax).

So what are the options?

The easy answer is to lobby the MOD to prioritise more funding
Ignore the issue
Raise funds yourself

Remember that working with the council to buy the playpark equipment will save on all VAT costs.

Click here for a useful ten point plan.

Useful places to find funding:

Local Parish or Town Council
County Council (your local councillor can advise on who to talk to about possible sources of money)
Organisations such as ‘Community First’ - there are many of these across the country - they have funds and funding advice for grassroots projects across the country.
Garrison Welfare Funds
Annington Homes (typically give a few hundred pounds but will give more if the project is significant)
SSAFA Local Committee
ABF The Soldiers’ Charity (they are keen to show support for the families of serving soldiers not just those who are injured)
Armed Forces Covenant Scheme

Get You Home (Overseas) allowance

In response to the often quoted misunderstanding that eligible families must travel with their Service partner when utilising Get You Home (Overseas) (GYH(O)), Lt Col Matt Fensom, SO1 Allowances PS10(A), offers the following:

The aim of GYH(O) is to reduce the separation of eligible personnel from close family, friends and UK lifestyle. The MOD achieves this by assisting towards the cost of one return journey to the UK per assignment year for the soldier, as well as for each eligible member of their immediate family.

The likelihood is that a soldier will be accompanied by their immediate family when they make use of their GYH(O) provision. However, for service reasons, there may well be occasions when the soldier is unable to accompany his or her family back to the UK. In these circumstances, it is perfectly acceptable and reasonable to split the GYH(O) entitlement over 2 separate journeys. The travel however must be to the same qualifying address.

Additionally, the MOD will refund only one set of terminal travel costs. Terminal travel is the total travel on the on a return journey between the start point (duty station), and the departure airport/port/station and the arrival airport/port/station and the leave address. Therefore, if splitting the GYH(O) journey incurs additional terminal travel costs above those that would have been incurred if the family had travelled together, these will not be refunded.

Hospital Hotline

If you are attending A&E or admitted to a non-DGP hospital anywhere in Germany, call the Hospital Hotline on 0800 588 99 36 to get in touch with a Hospital Liaison Officer. The hotline is manned 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

The Hospital Liaison Officers (HLOs) can help with the following:

Bi-lingual communication: the HLOs are fluent in English and German and can assist you with language problems. The HLOs are also familiar with procedures and practices within the hospital and can help you overcome any concerns and make your stay as comfortable as possible.
Liaison with the health services: the HLOs will liaise with the medical centre/ dental centre on your behalf. This will ensure that translation of discharge documents and booking of follow-up appointments are done promptly.
Liaison with other agencies: the HLOs will liaise with your Unit and the welfare services as relevant. This will ensure that appropriate support is put in place quickly and that visits can be organised. This will enable administrative procedures to be initiated quickly.

The Hospital Hotline number is 0800 588 99 36

Review of the Fuel Coupon ration

Following a review of the Fuel Coupon System and discussions with the garrisons, the fuel ration is to be given a 21st century makeover.

On the 1st November 2011, a new fuel allowance is being introduced which will affect all entitled drivers of BFG vehicles. In order to reduce the administration costs of the coupon and to simplify the system, the allowances will change from 12 different types of ration to just 3.

For most people this will see the ration more than double, with this increase being balanced by no longer being able draw fuel up to 3 months in arrears. Combined with these measures, a minimum purchase of 4 coupons, (40 litres) will also be introduced. Click here to read more.

BFG Local Overseas Allowance (LOA) Review Update

By Captain Danny Read, HQ UKSC

A full review of LOA in Germany took place between 17 and 26 July, its aim was to ensure that the allowance captures all necessary expenditure incurred to maintain our standard of living when compared to our UK based counterparts. As part of a 5 – 6 year cycle all rates of LOA in Germany were reviewed (Germany Main, US Zone and Isolated Detachments). The last full review of LOA in Germany was in 2005 with confirmatory price checking exercises carried out annually.

Click here to read more.

Get ready for changes to the UK’s Pet Travel Scheme

At the beginning of next year, the UK Government will introduce new rules, making it easier and cheaper to travel back to the UK with a pet. The changes mean the UK will bring its Pet Travel Scheme into line with the rest of the European Union.

Click here for full details.

New Arrangements to Passport Services for British Nationals Living Overseas

On 16th June 2011, new arrangements were underway in a phased roll out programme which will see the responsibility of printing passports be transferred to the Identity Passport Service (IPS) in the UK. This will include applications from British Military personnel serving overseas.

How will these changes affect the customer?
British nationals living overseas should still send their passport application to the relevant Regional Passport Processing Centre (RPPC), who in turn, will forward it to the UK to be printed. The key difference is that the supporting documents which were sent with the application will be returned separate to the new passport. This new arrangement mirrors the process in place for passport application in the UK.

Why are these changes going to be better for British citizens overseas?
Changes had to be made in order to continue to provide a passport service to British nationals living overseas whilst keeping the cost of the passport as low as possible. The new passport has a more sophisticated security feature which meets international quality and security standards. It is designed to reduce the likelihood of identity theft and passport fraud as well as protecting British nationals.

What will this cost?
There will be no change to the Passport fee, however, customers will be charged an additional courier fee (which must be sent at the same time as the passport application) for the return of the supporting documents from the RPPC and the return of the passport from the UK.

Personnel should be aware that submitting an incomplete passport application or sending incorrect fees will only add to a delay in the passport. Fees are set in Sterling but are paid in currencies accepted at different locations and are subject to currency fluctuations. Therefore, personnel are strongly advised to check the website (see link below) for changes to fees before submitting a passport application.

More information on Courier fee and delivery time can be found at: www.fco.gov.uk

When should I renew my passport?
Passports can be renewed up to nine months before they expire. Any remaining time within this period will be added to the new passport validity. Dusseldorf RPPC is experiencing a significant increase in demand for passports which may affect processing time for applicants by up to 8 weeks. Additional staff and resources have been implemented to reduce the process time as quickly as possible.

What happens if I need to travel urgently?
Diplomatic missions overseas will still be able to assist in emergencies by issuing an Emergency Travel document. Details can be found at: www.fco.gov.uk

Defence Infrastructure Organisation (Germany) and Babcock Support Services GmbH

Babcock Support Services GmbH are now responsible for delivering direct maintenance of the British Forces Estate in Germany.

If Estate users need to report a fault there are several ways of doing this, you can either:

Call the Babcock Technical Service Centre on German freephone 0800 888 4242
Via the web portal bssghelp.babcock.co.uk
Via webchat, an interactive instant messaging service that will let you interact with an agent. This can be found at bssghelp.babcock.co.uk
Via email at: bssghelp@babcock.co.uk
Via Fax: 05254 0 9573499

Visitors' Sponsorship

Many families in BFG enjoy welcoming visitors into their homes, so it is always good to remind everyone about sponsoring visitors and what this does and does not entitle them to.

Will my visitor(s) need a Visa?
Depending upon the visitor’s nationality depends on whether they require a visa to visit Germany. For example; relatives and friends of Foreign and Commonwealth personnel who are planning to visit will usually need a Schengen Visa prior to arrival, unless they have a British passport or a British National (Overseas) passport. The visitor will need to apply for a visa at the German Embassy in the country that the live in. Before the Embassy will issue a visa they usually require a number of documents from both the sponsor (yourself) and the visitor, in order to support the visit. It is the responsibility of the visitor to satisfy German Immigration requirements. Further information may be available from your Unit Welfare Office (UWO).

Do I need to inform anyone about my visitor(s)?
Regardless of nationality, all personnel should obtain a ‘Visit of a Close Relative’ form from their Unit Welfare Office (UWO). Each visitor should carry this form at all times along with their passport during their stay in BFG. This enables them to come and go around the station/garrison facilities and also to shop for non-rationed goods in NAAFI retail outlets on behalf of you the sponsor.

Does my visitor(s) need Travel/Medical Insurance?
All visitors, regardless of nationality should ensure that take out full travel/medical insurance which should cover the duration of the visit. Service Medical Centres are not mandated to provide treatment. However, where possible, free urgent treatment may be carried out on a privilege basis but your visitor will not be covered if onward or specialist treatment is needed, even if they are sponsored. All visitors should carry enough medication with them as some drugs and medicines are not available through Service Medical Centres.

In respect of F&C visitors, travel insurance including medical cover and repatriation is required if you apply for a Schengen visa (actual repatriation clause needs to be presented to the Consulate).

In addition to medical insurance, British Nationals should also obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). EHIC application forms are available from post offices or online at www.ehic.org.uk. The combination of EHIC and travel insurance should cover medical treatment (including hospital treatment) and MEDEVAC if necessary. Visitors who do not have appropriate cover may be liable for all medical costs.

Important Message Regarding Kindergeld

All those who are receiving Kindergeld (German child benefit) or who have applied for it, should read the message below very carefully.

The German office administering Kindergeld for members of BFG, the Kindergeldkasse in Nürnberg, have informed BFG that the number of fraudulent claims and families receiving payments in error is steadily increasing. This is not only giving members of BFG a bad name, it also holds up the speedy administration of claims from all honest applicants.

In order not to put the Kindergeld payments at risk for everybody, it is very important that you follow the rules as set out in Standing Instruction British Forces (Germany) no 3231 (known as SIBF(G) 3231). If you do not, and you receive Kindergeld in error, you run the risk of a) having to pay back the money, b) being prosecuted for fraud and c) possibly not receiving any future UK Child Benefit until the Kindergeld overpayment has been offset against the Child Benefit entitlement in UK. You should know that the Child Benefit Office in UK and the Kindergeldkasse in Nürnberg work closely together. So make sure you are honest at all times and answer all questions to the best of your knowledge.

In particular you should inform the Kindergeldkasse of:

the correct arrival date (i.e. the date when the applicant and the child or children were physically present in Germany) on the application form.
any change of address (Annex H of SIBF(G) 3231) within BFG.
any change in circumstances (e.g. a child attending a boarding school, losing dependent status etc.). Children at boarding school are not entitled to Kindergeld and you must inform the Familienkasse as soon as possible, otherwise you may be accused of fraud!
any change of the end-of-tour date (use Annex I of SIBF(G) 3231).
the date of leaving Germany on posting (Annex G of SIBF(G) 3231).

Please be aware that the staff at the Kindergeldkasse do not speak English on the telephone, but if you put your question in writing, keep it as simple as possible and e-mail it to them, you will receive a reply in due course (in German). Make sure that you quote your “Kindergeldnummer” as well as your name and address and the date of any letter you are replying to or have a question on. The e-mail address is: Familienkasse-Nuernberg@arbeitsagentur.de.

Most of all, make sure you inform the Kindergeldkasse of all changes in your circumstances, in particular your leaving date on posting! If you need any help, contact your local HIVE or the Kindergeldkasse.

Amazon Goods in excess of £200

Many of the BFG Community will have, at one time or another, purchased goods from Amazon.co.uk, to be delivered to their BFPO address, without any problems.

Unfortunately, over the last few months it has been reported that several members of the community have been denied the delivery of items of a value higher than that set out in the Amazon policy; £200.00 GBP.

Amazon delivery restrictions state that items that cost over £200.00 GBP are restricted from delivery to BFPO address or PO Box address. The company say that items that are dispatched to a BFPO address are being delivered to a Post Office, as opposed to the actual customer. As a result, they are not in a position to obtain the addressee’s signature, therefore due to this lack of complete traceability they cannot dispatch items to a BFPO address. The same policy also applies to items being sent to a PO Box.

Currently, BFPO London is liaising with Amazon.co.uk to try and work towards removing the current restrictions but due to system constraints this will take some time.

Some Amazon customers may have been lucky enough in the past to have received goods that have a higher value, however, be aware that Amazon are in the process of identifying all items above £200 GBP and are imposing the delivery restriction. Until such times as this issue has been resolved, Amazon will continue to restrict delivery of items to the value of £200.00 GBP or more to a BFPO address.

For more information and advice for order to a BFPO address visit: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display

Or go to the BFPO website.

Fuel grades compared to BFG coupons

Due to uncertainty caused by the introduction of the new fuel Coupon ‘Super E10’ and the changes made to various Shell fuel names (and their relationship with the BFG coupons), it is considered prudent to once again advise motorists what coupon(s) may be used for respective fuels at ARAL, SHELL and ESSO service stations in Germany.

It is of particular importance to note that at SHELL stations ‘Super 95’ coupons are ONLY to be used for ‘V-Power’. It must not be used for ‘Fuel Save Super’.

Customers wishing to purchase ‘Fuel Save Super’ must use the ‘Super E10’ coupon. This coupon will also be able to be used for ‘Fuel Save E10’ as and when it becomes available.

Understandably, this can be quite confusing for customers but HQ GSG have no influence on how SHELL has decided to apply the marketing to its range of fuels.

Current ARAL, SHELL and ESSO fuel grades compared to BFG fuel coupons

BFG Coupon	ARAL	SHELL	ESSO
Super 95	Super 95	V-Power	Super
Super E 10	Super 95 E 10	Fuel Save Super Fuel Save Super E 10	Super E 10
Super Plus	Super Plus 98 & Ultimate 102	V-Power Racing	Super Plus
Diesel	Diesel	Fuel Save Diesel	Diesel
Diesel Plus	Ultimate Diesel	V-Power Diesel	Not available

The BFG Parent Partnership Service

The BFG Parent Partnership Service is based JHQ and provides a service to all families throughout the garrisons in Germany. The role of the Service is to provide independent advice, information and support to parents/carers of children with special educational needs.

They can support parents/carers in a variety of ways including telephone advice, home visits and attendance at meetings. They will also help with a range of paperwork including writing letters, form filling, and preparing appeal documentation. Their aim is to support parents in feeling more knowledgeable and comfortable in taking part in the decisions made regarding their child’s education.

The Service can also support parents on posting to the UK in looking for an appropriate school placement, and also provides a link to Children’s Education Advisory Service (CEAS).

For further information about the service and on different aspects of special educational needs, visit the Parent Partnership website or contact Bernie Lynch, Parent Partnership Officer, on Mil: 72 6426 or Civilian: 02161 472 6426.

What happens to your medical records when you leave Germany?

When a family returns to the UK from Germany, their medical records will be sent by your BFG medical centre to the National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR). Information is passed to the NHSCR electronically from Health Authorities who are given information via the General Practitioner when you register in the UK; the records are forwarded to your new practice.

If you find that your records have gone missing during the transition call the Service Dependants Records dept on 0151 471 4792. The Department of Health recommends that GP records are kept for a minimum of ten years and recommends that hospital records are kept for a minimum of eight years following the end of any treatment. At the end of that specified time the health records would remain at the NHS Trust or in the case of GP health records, transferred to the relevant Primary Care Trust/Health Authority who will then make a decision as to whether to retain or destroy the records.

Families can also ask for a copy of their medical records and can photocopy all the documents before they leave BFG to ensure that their new GP has a copy of all the relevant documents before the records arrive at their practice – this can take two months. This can also be done for children as well.

Caution before signing a telephone contract in Germany

AFF Germany is seeing a rise in the number of personnel who on posting are experiencing difficulty terminating their telecom contracts in Germany. There are two problems - firstly those moving before the two year date is up on their telecom contract and secondly when the two year point has been reached but the contract has been rolled over for another year or two years - without the knowledge of the customer. German phone companies operate very differently from the UK and customers need to be far more savvy. For more information click here.

UPDATE: HQ UKSC has produced a form that BFG personnel can use when they need to cancel their phone and internet contract on posting. For full details and to download a form visit www.bfgnet.de/Community/g1focus.htm or click here.

Boarding school children and orthodontic treatment

My son/daughter is at boarding school in the UK and needs orthodontic treatment. Is orthodontic treatment available for my child at boarding school and if so how do we access it?

Click here for a detailed answer to this question.

School Children's Visits (SCV)

Changes to the SCV mean that the Bielefeld Travel Centre (BTC) will now book flights on a case by case basis in order to best meet the needs of the family; the 75 mile radius rule has been deemed as no longer appropriate. The AB and BMI (LHR-HAJ) contracts will continue to be used where they provide the most pragmatic and cost effective route. These new policy changes to SCV will allow the following:

The most pragmatic, convenient solution for parents, whilst achieving Value for Money (VfM) for Defence.
Avoids the use of ‘hub and spoke’ travel unless clearly necessary.
Gives the required level of care for Unaccompanied Minors (UNMINs) or, where the service is not offered, provides the flexibility for a parent [or guardian] to accompany the child on the same flight at the parent’s expense, thereby allowing the use of budget airlines.

Click here for further details.

SSAFA Forces Help Carer Support Scheme in BFG

Are you in living in Germany and have at least one member of the family with an additional need and/or disability? Would you like someone to be able to offer your family low-level practical help, respite care and assistance? Read more >>

Struggling to cope with mounting debt?

Get on top of it, before it gets on top of you...

Don’t stick your head in the sand, get help! The worry of being in debt can put immense pressure on a relationship which can lead to marital breakdown and affect children.

Embarrassed? don’t be. There are a number of Agencies across BFG who operate without passing information to the chain of command and offer a free confidential service with professionally trained staff.

Be Honest. Make a list of all debts. Prepare a budget, decide on the main financial commitments and cut down on non-essential spending. If you’re struggling, get help, The Money Advice Service offers a free online health check and a personalised ‘Action Plan’. For more information go to: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk.

Take action NOW! Agencies such as; HIVE, Home-Start, Relate, SSAFA Forces Help, AWS or The Royal British Legion all offer support and advice and if they can’t help you they will signpost you to the right organisation, depending on your circumstances.

BFG Coupons – Filling of Jerricans

Get on top of it, before it gets on top of you...

A long, well practiced habit in BFG is to use BFG fuel coupons to fill Jerricans with fuel for ‘touring’ around Europe and for journeys to the UK. What is not well known or understood is the inherent danger in the carriage of Jerricans and the legal implications of doing so. Shown below are some of the issues drivers should be aware of when considering ‘bunkering up’ with fuel for long journeys away from tax-free sources:

A maximum of 60 litres of fuel may be carried in transportable canisters such as Jerricans in vehicles before the German regulation for the carriage of dangerous goods (GGVSEB, based on the ADR) has to be applied (i.e. before the move is considered to be a transport of dangerous goods with all the restrictions that entails).
The number of cans this fuel is carried in is irrelevant, however, the cans must be carried fixed and secure and not loose in the vehicle i.e. not just ‘dropped’ into the boot of the car.
Although the maximum quantity allowable as a non-dangerous goods move is 60 litres, you should check with your insurance company if they cover you for fully comprehensive insurance if you carry this amount of fuel.
Anyone crossing the German border should check if there is a limit over which fuel carried in transportable canisters is subject to taxation in the country entered, such as The Netherlands, Belgium or France. As a guideline, for anyone entering Germany the tax-free amount (though not applicable to members of BFG) is 20 litres. Hence, if you are checked in The Netherlands or Belgium or France en route to UK, you could face a tax demand for the excess you are carrying and maybe a fine on top.
The carriage of fuel in canisters is not permitted in vehicles on ferries crossing the Channel.
The maximum, safe allowable quantity of fuel (petrol or diesel) that can be carried in Jerricans (portable reserve containers) on board Eurotunnel shuttles per vehicle is as follows, but in no circumstances more than twenty litres:
(1) Designed for use, fit for purpose plastic containers – a total of 2 containers with a maximum size of 5 litres.
(2) Designed for use, fit for purpose metal containers – a total of 2 containers with a maximum size of 10 litres.

Customers who do not meet these requirements will not be allowed to travel. Customers are also advised to ensure that the containers and quantities they carry are compliant with the relevant regulations in the countries they intend to visit.

The above points are intended as an awareness check only. It is the responsibility of individual motorists to ensure they do not endanger themselves or other members of the Public if they decide to carry Jerricans in their private vehicles.

Fraud involving German Debit Cards

It won’t come as any surprise to hear that most of us already use a debit card to access funds from our German bank account. Whether you withdraw cash or use it to pay for an item whilst out shopping, you should be aware, that the system is different in Germany.

Unlike the UK banking system which can detect when there are insufficient funds in the account and subsequently refuse the transaction, your German Bank will initially allow the transaction to go through, even if there are insufficient funds. This means, that although you may think you have, you have not paid for the item and are therefore committing an offence.

Here are a few pointers to stop you from getting on the wrong side of the law.

When using your German debit card, always make sure that you have enough funds in your account to cover any purchase that you make or that your bank has authorised an overdraft. Remember, it can take up to a month for transactions to go through, so money is needed in your account throughout the month, not just when you go shopping.

If you make a purchase and don’t have enough money in your German account, the shop will take the following action:

They will contact your bank directly and ask for the money owed to be transferred. If there is not enough money in your account to pay, then the bank will refuse the transaction, which accumulates a further charge to the amount of money already owed. You will also see a warning on the bottom of your bank statement explaining that the shop has requested the money and reminding you to pay the due amount. Remember this warning may be in German.
If you still fail to pay the amount owed then the shop will contact debt collectors to attempt to get in touch with you privately, in order to retrieve the money. The cost of the debt collectors will then be added onto the amount you already owe.
If the debt collectors subsequently fail to retrieve the owed money, then the GCP will be contacted by the shop, all details will then be forwarded onto RMP for an investigation to be raised against you. During which, a letter is sent to your CO explaining the situation, following an interview with the RMP after which you will then be referred back to GCP for them to continue dealing. The incident will go on your file, regardless of the outcome.

This is an easy problem to avoid by regularly checking that you have enough money in your account before making any purchase.

Parking in Germany

Visiting new towns and cities in Germany is always a delight but trying to find parking near to where you’d like to stop is a real headache - especially if you are on your own, in a right hand drive vehicle and you are on the wrong side of the car to reach the ticket dispenser! Click here for a guide offering some alternatives.

Share this page

Feedback

AFF is interested to hear your views or concerns about issues discussed on our website. Please email us at germany@aff.org.uk.