My report on the analysis of Oberursel’s finances was on page 6 of the Oberurseler Woche last week.
Click here to read it (in German)
On-line credit card payments just got more complicated
February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Paying with a credit card when buying things on-line has become a part of life on the internet.
A few years ago credit cards were not particularly popular in Germany, and many shops still do not take them. Many people only have them for ordering goods on-line, so they do not get that much use.
One of the main reason for their popularity is probably the fact that it is considered safe, because if something goes wrong you can call the credit card company and get their help to sort it out. This makes it better than a bank transfer, cheaper than ordering something to be delivered as “Nachnahme”, and avoids giving out bank account details for a direct debit payment.
Of course, the credit card companies have an interest in making their system safe, [Read more…]
Leasing a car in Germany (and why you might want to)
October 28, 2011 By 5 Comments
Many companies in Germany who provide their employees with company cars do not actually buy the cars outright, instead they prefer to lease them and my company car is no exception.
By leasing the car, I pay a monthly fee to a leasing company, often a bank, who have purchased the vehicle from my usual dealer. That fee allows me to drive the car up to an agreed number of kilometres each year.
And when the lease runs out, I just return the car to the dealer and can lease a new one.
Buy why not buy the car outright as a business and then sell it again later? [Read more…]
