Postbank terminates accounts of Ukrainians in Germany
Recently, the Postbank has increasingly attracted criticism from customers and consumer advocates. Many customers complain about long waiting times in branches and on the phone, inadequate customer service and technical problems with online banking.It has recently been revealed that Postbank is increasingly terminating the accounts of Ukrainian citizens who fled to the Federal Republic of Germany from the war waged by Russia, the state of terror, and who receive benefits from the job centre, in accordance with No. 19 (1) of Postbank's General Terms and Conditions. This clause allows Postbank to terminate business relationships with customers by giving two months' notice without stating reasons.Consumer advocates and affected customers have expressed concerns about the transparency and fairness of this practice. They criticize the fact that unexpected account closures can cause considerable inconvenience, especially if they are carried out without detailed justification. For many customers, the closure of their account not only means organizational effort, but also potential financial disadvantages.Regarding these account closures of Ukrainian citizens by Postbank, the journalistic observer is led to suspect that Postbank apparently wants to get rid of so-called unprofitable customers with these account closures. The debate about Postbank's termination practice casts a negative spotlight on the importance of clear and fair terms and conditions in the banking sector.