Protection of the rights of consumers of banking services

Modern life is hard to imagine without banking services. We issue cards, open deposits, take loans, use online banking – and all these actions make us consumers of banking services.

Unfortunately, cooperation with banks does not always go smoothly. Sometimes situations arise when our rights are violated. Knowing your rights and being able to protect them is the basis of every person’s financial security.

Basic rights of the consumer of banking services

The legislation of Ukraine clearly guarantees consumers of banking services a number of important rights:

• The bank is obliged to provide you with clear and accessible information about all conditions of service provision, tariffs, commissions, risks, etc.
• All terms of the contract must be clearly stated and understood, without ambiguous interpretations and “small print”.
• The bank is obliged to take measures to ensure the safety of your funds in the accounts and to protect them from fraud.
• The bank has no right to disclose information about your accounts, transactions and personal data to third parties.

If you believe that your rights have been violated, you have the right to appeal the bank’s actions in accordance with the established procedure.

The most frequent cases of violation of the rights of consumers of banking services

According to our practice and the data of the National Bank of Ukraine, the most common violations of the rights of consumers of banking services include:

Failure to provide or provision of incomplete information:

• Banks do not disclose or do not disclose information to consumers about the terms of cooperation and their services in a timely manner.
• Providing information in an incomprehensible language, using complex legal terms without explanation.
• Spreading false or misleading information about banking products and services.

Imposition of additional services:

• Inclusion of mandatory insurance in credit agreements in certain companies.
• Provision of premium service packages that do not meet the needs of the consumer.
• Connecting paid services to accounts without the consumer’s consent.

Illegal withdrawal of funds:

• Debiting funds from accounts without the consumer’s knowledge and consent.
• Collection of commissions and fines that are not provided for in the contract.
• Double withdrawal of funds for one operation.

Illegal blocking of accounts:

• Blocking accounts without legal grounds (for example, without a court order).
• Refusal to unblock the account after eliminating the reasons that led to its blocking.
• Blocking access to funds on the account necessary to meet the consumer’s basic needs.

Improper maintenance:

• Low qualification and incompetence of bank employees.
• Rudeness, rudeness on the part of the bank staff.
• Improper service conditions (dirty premises, lack of air conditioning, etc.).

Provision of low-quality services:

• Improper functioning of banking products and services (for example, Internet banking, mobile banking).
• Refusal to provide information on account status.
• Spreading false information about the account status.
• Late payments.

Violation of confidentiality of information:

• Disclosure to third parties of information about accounts, transactions and personal data of the consumer.
• Using the consumer’s personal data for marketing purposes without his consent.

How to achieve justice: seek the support of our lawyer

If you have become a victim of a violation of the rights of a consumer of banking services, do not give up. You have the right to protect your interests. We will help you at every step of this important matter:

Understanding the violation:

• Our lawyers will analyze your situation in detail to clearly determine which of your rights as a consumer of banking services have been violated.
• We will carefully study the contract with the bank, other documents related to the case, and also explain all legal aspects to you.

Collection of documents and evidence:

• We will collect all the necessary documents and evidence that confirm the violation of your rights.
• This may include bank statements, online banking screenshots, letters from the bank, records of conversations with bank representatives, etc.
• If necessary, we will help you to correctly issue and submit requests to the bank to receive the necessary documents.

Making a complaint:

• We will professionally file a complaint to the bank, in which we will clearly outline the essence of the violation, your demands and justify their legality.
• We will formulate the complaint in an understandable language, with reference to the legal norms confirming your position.
• We will ensure compliance with all formalities and requirements for filing a complaint.

Defense in court:

• If your rights were not successfully resolved in the pre-trial procedure, we will represent your interests in court.
• We will develop a legal position on the case, prepare all the necessary procedural documents.
• We will defend your rights and interests at all stages of the court proceedings.
• We will do everything possible to achieve a fair court decision in your favor.

We have extensive experience in the field of protection of the rights of consumers of banking services and have successfully resolved many similar disputes.

If you need advice or if you want to know the price of protecting the rights of consumers of banking services – fill out the form below.