Postbank branch cuts: head of consumer advice center criticizes Deutsche Bank

Postbank branch cuts: head of consumer advice center criticizes Deutsche Bank

The planned branch reductions at Postbank have met with sharp criticism from Ramona Pop, head of the Federal Association of Consumer Advice Centers. The announcement that up to 250 of the 550 Postbank branches will be closed over the next two years is viewed by Pop as a “sheer mockery” for customers. In her opinion, especially given the ongoing problems with online banking, it is more important to improve customer service rather than weaken it by closing branches.

The difficulties associated with the IT migration to Deutsche Bank have caused dissatisfaction among Postbank customers. Around twelve million Postbank customers were affected by the switch to Deutsche Bank's IT systems, which led to restrictions in account access and difficulty in reaching customer service. Despite reports of ongoing complaints from affected customers, Ramona Pop is calling for Deutsche Bank to resolve the problems quickly and provide unbureaucratic compensation for injured customers.

The Federal Association of Consumer Organizations has recorded around 1,700 complaints from Postbank and DSL Bank customers since the beginning of the year, which is almost three times as many complaints as in the entire previous year. In the third quarter alone, more than 1,100 complaints were registered about the two banks. These figures show the extent of dissatisfaction and highlight the need to quickly resolve existing issues in order to regain customer trust.