Where have the letters from your bank gone?
29/09/2020
One day, when you return home from work, you stop to open your letterbox and realise you no longer receive any letters from your bank. And then you remember they asked you at your branch: Would you like to receive information by post or through our online banking platform?
Choosing to have your bank correspond with you online is a good decision. However, going paperless requires you to actively get involved: you must regularly access your bank’s website or check their app.
The bank also has to fulfil certain obligations to be able to replace the letters it used to send you with online correspondence. The customer’s signed acceptance is not enough.
The website through which the bank corresponds with you must allow you to store all the information you have been sent, so that you can access and copy it for an appropriate period of time, without being able to make any changes to the content.
Likewise, for correspondence that is not regular but contains important information — such as details of the contract, changes in its terms and conditions or even the response of the bank’s customer service to a complaint or claim — it is considered good banking practice for the bank to send you an email or SMS alerting you that this information is available.
If you are going to receive notifications online, remember:
- You must regularly check your inbox, as there may be messages regarding changes in contractual terms that have a deadline.
- If you want to continue receiving letters or wish to go back to paper correspondence, your bank may charge you for this service.
In any case, act responsibly and check your online mailbox regularly. There may be important information for you that you are not aware of.
