Some banks charge abusive fees, which exceed the amounts set by the authorities.
Many customers are unaware that some banks charge abusive fees, as these costs are often hidden in unclear lines on bank statements. Establishments sometimes use technical terms that complicate understanding of the costs applied. Also, this information is often drowned under the general conditions, long documents and rarely read in detail by customers. For lack of vigilance or time, the latter do not notice these samples or consider them normal, without knowing that they could challenge them.
Because yes, invoice abusive bank charges, which exceed the amounts fixed by the authorities, is strictly prohibited. Customers are therefore in their right if they want to obtain compensation. Indeed, as Maître Anthony Bem explains, specializing in litigation, in a tiktok video, @maitrebem, available at the top of this article: “The legislator fixes maximum amounts that banks cannot exceed. (…) In the absence, banks must reimburse their customers the costs they have abused.”
Concretely, this concerns different types of costs. In the event of an overcoming overdraft, according to article R312-4-1 of the Monetary and Financial Code, a bank cannot invoice more than 8 euros per operation and more than 80 euros per month. In the same way, in the event of rejection of a check for defect or insufficient provision, article D131-25 specifies that the costs cannot exceed 30 euros if the check is less than 50 euros. Beyond 50 euros for a check, the costs are capped at 50 euros. And that’s not all … for the rejection of a levy or a transfer, article D133-6 stipulates that the amount of the applied banking costs cannot exceed 20 euros.
Maître Anthony BEM thus advises all customers to properly check their bank statements in order to identify possible excessive costs taken. If you are concerned, the Association of Consumers UFC Que Choisir recommends first contact your banking agency. If this does not solve the problem, send a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, explaining your request and joining evidence. As a last resort, you can enter a banking mediator.
