According to a survey, many banks and savings banks have turned the fee screw in recent years.
According to the comparison portal Verivox, 40 percent of those surveyed reported fee increases for the current account since the beginning of 2018. Another 20 percent did not know whether their financial institution is charging more money for account management and other services.
"In the previous practice of tacit approval, many bank customers often did not notice any fee increases announced," explained Oliver Maier, Managing Director of Verivox Finanzvergleich.
Clarification by BGH
After a ruling from Karlsruhe, this is over. In proceedings involving Postbank, the German Federal Court of Justice ruled that banks must obtain the consent of their customers for changes to general terms and conditions, for example for fee increases. The required tacit consent would inappropriately disadvantage customers. According to Stiftung Warentest, many customers can now claim back part of the overpaid fees - retrospectively until January 1, 2018.
In the opinion of consumer advocates, the ruling gives rise to claims for customers of Postbank and other institutions.
The ball is now with banks and savings banks.
"We expect that you will immediately refund money wrongly received and reverse illegal changes to the contract," said Klaus Müller, chairman of the Federation of German Consumer Organizations.
According to Verivox, the vast majority of respondents (82 percent) would in principle have their institute reimbursed fees that were paid too much if they were entitled to them.
However, more than a third (36 percent) have so far not heard of the BGH decision.
Every third person wants to change bank
In the future, banks will need the active consent of their customers if they want to turn the fee screw. More than one in three (37 percent) would change institutes for increases of up to 20 euros per year. For a good quarter (26 percent), 21 to 40 euros more a year would be a reason to look for another financial institution. Taken together, around a quarter would also pull the rip cord for increases of 41 to 60 euros or over 60 euros.