I wanted to donate to the Earthquake and Tsunami Fund, so I sent €50 to the Japanese Consulate in Vienna and requested confirmation of the payment. I received a reply in the name of the ambassador for Japan and saw that only €42.02 had been paid into the account and that €7.98 (16 percent!) had been deducted by the Bank Austria for “transfer costs.”
I now watch pictures on television showing the catastrophe in Japan, knowing that a lot of money is not reaching the victims because the banks have taken out part of it to increase their profits. This is disgusting!
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.