Banco de Portugal’s intervention forced banks to return 8.3 million euros to customers last year due to unjustifiably charged fees and interest. This figure is indicated in the behavioral surveillance report published this Wednesday by the institution headed by Mario Centeno, which also shows that the number of complaints increased by 24%, reaching approximately 27 thousand in 2023.
The return of more than eight million euros to bank clients, which is more than twice the amount of the previous year, is associated with the unlawful collection of fees for the revision of the loan agreement (prohibited from January 1, 2022), for issuing installment plans and commissions. with a higher cost than provided in the bank price lists.
Regarding complaints, the regulator guarantees that it has received “a significant number of complaints (about 27 thousand complaints), which is approximately 24% more than in 2022.”
According to the Bank of Portugal, this increase was closely related to problems regarding support schemes for mortgage borrowers, as well as to the renegotiation of contracts that institutions carried out on a very broad basis. On average, complaints were closed within 55 days.
In the area of housing loans, the largest number of complaints came from Banco CTT, while in the area of demand deposits, the largest number of complaints were directed against Banco de Negócios Internacional (BNI). In the consumer lending industry, CA Auto Bank received the most complaints, the report found.
Author: Raquel Oliveira
Source: CM Jornal
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