A piggy bank (illustration). – FRANCK LODI / SIPA
La Banque Postale is in the sights of UFC-Que Choisir. The consumer defense association announced on Wednesday that it had taken legal action against the bank. The UFC accuses him of illegally forcing its customers with a Housing Savings Plan (PEL) to open a current account.
“For several months now, La Banque Postale has been forcing its customers with [PEL] to open a paying current account under penalty of closing their PEL. The UFC-Que Choisir, considers this practice as illegal and is now assigning the Banque Postale to the Paris court, ”confirms the association in a press release.
“13.20 euros minimum per year”
“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 nearly 100 euros”, details the UFC – What to choose, 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 ELP closed, ”continues the association.
Faced with “numerous consumer reports”, the UFC 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 association therefore decided to put the bank through the justice system.
The bank will “examine individual situations”
The Postal Bank asked the customers concerned “to regularize their situation by giving them a period of 2 months”, reacts for its part the banking establishment. 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.
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”.