Thousands of customers are reclaiming their money from Sparkasse!
The Federal Court of Justice in Germany (Bundesgerichtshof) has issued a new ruling granting thousands of Sparkasse customers and other banks the opportunity to recover bank fees charged without their explicit consent. However, action must be taken before the deadline on December 31, 2025.
According to the ruling issued on June 3, customers who have paid higher fees since 2022 without giving their explicit consent are entitled to claim a refund of these funds. The court clarified that the statute of limitations begins six weeks after the issuance of the statement, not from the date the customer becomes aware of the illegality of the fees.
The ruling is not limited to Sparkasse only, but also includes Volksbanken and other banks, as these institutions have relied for years on illegal terms, assuming that the customer automatically agrees to increases unless they explicitly object. All customers who did not give their explicit consent – whether online or in writing – to fee changes can claim a refund of what they paid, provided that those fees were imposed after 2021 and have not expired.
Refundable fees include: Account management fees Deposit and withdrawal costs Account statement fees SMS service fees (SMS-TAN) Any other fees imposed based on illegal terms
To claim a refund, "Verbraucherzentrale" advises customers to follow specific steps: Review personal documents for illegal terms Track all contract changes since 2021 Calculate amounts paid without justification Contact the bank using an official complaint form If complete documents are not available, a detailed fee statement can be requested from the bank, as the law requires banks to provide this information. It is important to act before the end of 2025, as claims after this date will be barred by limitation and will not be accepted. It is noted that some banks have responded to refund requests by closing bank accounts, which is a legal action that does not affect the customer's right to recover their money.