The consumer defense association UFC-Que Choisir announced on Wednesday that it had taken legal action against La Banque Postale, accused of illegally forcing its customers with a housing savings plan to open a current account.
“
For several months now, La Banque Postale has been forcing its customers with a housing savings plan (PEL) to open a paying current account on pain of closing their PEL.
The UFC-Que Choisir, considers this practice as illegal and is now bringing the Banque Postale before the Paris court
, ”the association said in a press release.
Read also: LEP, LDDS, PEL ... Regulated savings duplicates will soon be banned
"
Under the pretext of regulatory requirements, the banking establishment obliges the opening of a current account with it, at the price of 13.20 euros minimum per year and being able to be invoiced close to 100 euros
", affirms the association , while according to her the ELP is a free product and no legal provision requires its holder to also open a current account in the bank concerned.
“
Some customers refused the bank's request, others demonstrated that they met the only regulatory requirement, namely regular payments.
But all of them saw their PEL closed,
”continues UFC-Que Choisir.
Faced with "
numerous consumer reports
", the association explains that it intervened with the banking establishment to ask it "
to respect the legal framework
", without success, however, even if the bank agreed "
to change the content of its mail
”.
Deeming this response unsatisfactory, the UFC-Que Choisir decided to summon La Banque Postale before the Paris court to request the immediate end of this type of practice.
La Banque Postale has already been sued by the UFC-Que Choisir
The Postal Bank asked the customers concerned "
to regularize their situation by giving them a period of 2 months
", reacts the banking establishment in a statement sent to AFP.
However, "
in the event that this compliance with the regulations would have generated dysfunctions unfavorable to the customer, the Postal Bank will continue to examine individual situations
", she continues.
Read also: Tattoo: the UFC-Que Choisir alert on the toxicity of the inks used
This case is not the first dispute between the association and the banking establishment.
In April 2010, UFC-Que Choisir had notably sued the Banque Postale for “
deceptive commercial practices
” on one of its funeral insurance contracts.
In 2012, the Paris tribunal de grande instance, however, dismissed the association, ruling that the contract offered by La Banque Postale was "in
accordance with the law
".
