A BGH judgment should actually strengthen the customer's back.
As a result, some financial institutions are now simply terminating the contract for unprofitable customers - they are left without an account.
Or?
Munich - We are in a historically low interest rate phase.
It is becoming increasingly difficult for banks to make money.
Credit interest on current or overnight accounts has already been massively canceled and the financial institutions are even partially implementing penalty interest on cash deposits.
After all, commercial banks are currently also paying a 0.5 percent fine if they want to park money at the European Central Bank.
But
according to
a
Bild
report, banks are now even going one step further.
They are increasingly targeting customers who bring little money to the financial institutions - and they close their accounts.
BGH ruling makes price increases more difficult for banks
The background is a BGH ruling from April 2021 (Az. XI ZR 26/20). In it, the Federal Court of Justice stipulated that banks must obtain the explicit consent of customers if they want to carry out price increases. This also applies to other changes to the detriment of the customer. The BGH thus conceded the banking clauses for tacit approval.
In the future, it will no longer be sufficient if the customer simply does not contradict, according to the judges.
Customers have to agree directly, an amendment contract is necessary.
This makes price increases more difficult for banks, because which customer is happy to agree to these conditions?
One way out for the financial houses is now to terminate their accounts. If you don't agree, you'll be thrown away.
At least that's
what Bild
reports
.
Banks would not even have to give a reason for the termination.
But is it really that simple?
Account termination: These customers are targeted by banks
Those customers with whom banks do not earn money are particularly affected. Anyone who pays fees to the bank regularly is theoretically off the hook. The financial institution also earns punitive interest, for example for large deposits. In general, customers with regular incoming payments are welcome, because the bank can work with these amounts - and earn money with them.
For example, if you have a second account to which money does not regularly flow, you can avoid this by placing a standing order from the first account.
Ideally, the incoming payments are constant and regular.
Anyone who suddenly makes high deposits and then withdraws a lot again quickly attracts attention.
The manual individual check of a bank employee is time-consuming and expensive.
Anyone who triggers such a check does not necessarily win the banks' favor.
Everyone's account: Every customer has the right to a bank account
But there is also good news.
Even if a bank terminates the account, consumers are not left completely without bank details.
Because in Germany every citizen has a right to a bank account.
This has been stipulated by the Payment Accounts Act (ZKG) since 2016.
Those who do not have a bank account are excluded from important parts of economic life. Everyone who stays within the European Union therefore has the right to a basic account - regardless of where they live or work. The basic requirement is the management of the account in plus. Then the bank may not terminate the basic account for no reason. A termination is only permitted in individual cases, for example if consumers do not use the account or are long in arrears. Incidentally, the highest chance of such a basic account is with the public savings banks. You have to offer customers a credit-based account in almost all federal states.
