Dmitriy Loevskiy, who has a deposit at Sverdlovsk Gubernskiy Bank, placed his claims against the bank with the court and the public prosecution authorities on October 23, 2008. He has already sent official letters of complaint regarding the bank’s policy to the Bank of Russia and Rospotrebnadzor (the state consumer rights watchdog) earlier this week. The customer is thus trying to protect his legally supported right to using his own money he keeps in the deposit.

Loevskiy placed 3,000,000 RUR onto the bank’s deposit and was planning to use the money to buy an apartment. On October 13, 2008, he informed the bank that he would like to get the money on October 16, 2008. However, because of the 20% commission the bank imposed on October 14, 2008 on the customers who wanted to cash their deposits before the end of the deposit period, he was asked to pay 600,000 RUR as a commission.

The customer felt this was a violation of his right to his own money as well as of Articles 834 and 837 of the Civil Code and insisted on getting the sum in full.

‘I tried explaining the case to the bank’s management first, but this was not a successful attempt. Then I decided to use all the legal means and take the case to court. I hope this will be effective and the bank will either do its duty voluntarily or will be made to do so by the court and the authorities,’ Loevskiy explains.