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Sparkasse customers angry - overdue repayments are still a long time coming

2021-11-08T14:25:49.650Z


A number of Sparkasse customers are annoyed: After the BGH ruling on fee increases, they are actually entitled to repayments. But many savings banks hold off their customers.


A number of Sparkasse customers are annoyed: After the BGH ruling on fee increases, they are actually entitled to repayments.

But many savings banks hold off their customers.

Berlin - The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has ruled that banks and savings banks cannot simply increase their fees.

The consent of the customer is required for this.

The ruling also applies retrospectively to past increases, which means that customers can now reclaim the wrongly levied fees.

While Deutsche Bank and Postbank

repaid the money without being asked by customers,

according to the

picture

, several savings banks are still standing across the board despite clear requests - to the annoyance of customers and consumer advocates.

Sparkasse: consumer advocates start model declaratory action

A model declaratory action is now intended to remedy the situation.

The Federation of German Consumer Organizations (VZBV) would like to take legal action against Sparkasse Köln-Bonn and Berliner Sparkasse.

"The two savings banks had most of the cases, probably also because they are among the largest in Germany," says Ronny Jahn, VZBV lawyer for the

Süddeutsche Zeitung

.

But why do some banks and savings banks refuse to repay the money? In their letters of rejection to customers, the two aforementioned savings banks refer to a ruling by the BGH from 2016. The ruling explains that customers have three years to object to a price increase. After that, an objection is no longer possible. Thus, only the additional fees for increases in the past three years would be eligible for repayment.

But there is a catch: In this case, the judgment related to long-term energy supply contracts.

There was no mention of banks and savings banks, which is why the VZBV is now also taking legal action.

A court should then examine whether the BGH ruling from 2016 is also applicable to banks and savings banks.

Then it will finally show whether numerous customers get their money back.

Sparkasse: Affected people should absolutely demand money

At the consumer advice center, those affected can create a sample letter requesting the bank to repay.

Even if customers already know that the claims will be rejected by their own savings bank, as is the case with the Cologne-Bonn and Berlin savings banks, they should send the letter.

Christian Urban from the consumer advice center in North Rhine-Westphalia explains to

Bild

: "The rejection of the institute is the basis for further legal action." An attempt is extremely important.

The Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has already reprimanded the relevant credit institutions.

Bafin boss Mark Branson called for "quick, unbureaucratic, transparent implementation." Otherwise, BaFin will examine "supervisory measures".

(ph)

List of rubric lists: © Julian Stratenschulte / picture alliance / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-11-08

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