BGH ruling: Sparkasse customers can now reclaim fees!

BGH ruling: Sparkasse customers can now reclaim fees!

A recent ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) brings a breath of fresh air for savings bank customers who have felt disadvantaged due to unlawful account fees in recent years. On June 3, 2025, the court made a decision allowing affected customers to reclaim account fees. But be careful – those affected must take action by December 31, 2025 at the latest if they want their money back. This represents a significant opportunity, particularly for 2022 charges and final quarter 2021 charges, which should be targeted now. The statute of limitations begins when the account statements are approved and can extend up to six weeks after they are created, says Ruhr24.

It becomes particularly exciting when you consider that many of the affected fees, such as account management fees, fees for deposits and withdrawals and fees for account statements, were often levied in a non-transparent manner. Customers should urgently review their documents and check for invalid clauses that may have been the basis for the fee increase. Anyone who has not actively agreed to the increased fees has a good chance of demanding their money back. The BGH has given clear guidelines here: Banks are not allowed to simply increase prices in silence, as was established in the ruling of May 20, 2025, which declared a clause on early repayment penalty to be ineffective Lawyer.de reported.

Steps for recovery

The consumer protection centers recommend a structured approach to reclaiming the fees paid. Here are the four steps every customer should follow:

• Prüfen Sie Ihre Unterlagen auf unwirksame Klauseln.
• Dokumentieren Sie alle Vertragsänderungen seit 2021.
• Berechnen Sie die zu Unrecht gezahlten Beträge.
• Nehmen Sie Kontakt zu Ihrer Bank auf und verwenden Sie unseren Musterbrief für die Rückforderung.

Customers also have the option of requesting a detailed statement of fees from their bank. This makes tracing and asserting claims much easier. But be careful: Some banks have responded to refund requests by terminating their accounts, which is legally permissible, so that the refund remains unaffected.

Keep an eye on the statute of limitations

For all claims from 2022, they expire on December 31, 2025. So anyone who has paid unlawfully high fees in the last year should not hesitate. The BGH has also made it clear that the limitation period does not begin when the fees are debited, but rather when the balances are approved - and this regularly happens at the end of each quarter. If you take action in time, you have the chance to get your money back without getting caught up in the statute of limitations vortex. The new requirement for the consent clause also strengthens the rights of customers, as banks must now provide clear and understandable information about price changes, as the consumer advice center describes in its analysis verivox.de.