The dispute between consumer centres and banks over interest rates for premium savings contracts is a very protracted affair. It was therefore eagerly awaited on both sides whether the Federal Court of Justice will finally provide clarity.
Even an attempt by the banking supervisory authority Bafin to clarify the matter in the meantime simply with a so-called general order had failed because the banks objected: They argued that it could not be the task of an authority to create fait accompli here, as long as a fundamental decision was still being fought before the BGH.
Now the basic decision is there, this argument is omitted. At least to a large extent, it has failed in favour of the consumer centre.
Hope for clarity premature
But the hiccup is by no means over. Although the court has determined that interest rates were probably not calculated correctly in the past. But how exactly the correct calculation would have to be, that is again the lower court, the Higher Regional Court in Dresden, decide. Only then you know as a bank customer bindingly, how much money you can now reclaim from his bank or savings bank.
But until this is decided, some time should pass again. The hope of some that the dispute over premium savings contracts would now be a thing of the past was premature.
