Russian banks continue to force advertising on customers despite bans from the central bank and court decisions. The practice has been detected in a number of the largest banks, Izvestia reports. The problem is systemic in nature, and clauses on consent to mailings are initially included in standard document forms, activated by automatic check boxes in digital channels, or technically block the release of a product when the customer tries to un-check it. The Central Bank and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service state that pre-checked boxes and the imposition of marketing mailings are unfair labor practices. Consent to publication must be formal only in a separate document, be voluntary and not affect in any way the terms of delivery of the main financial product. But credit institutions also use similar methods to implement payment options. According to the data of the Ombudsman Service, about 40% of the citizens' requests are related to the imposition of additional services - insurance, car assistance and consultations. Their cost for car loans can reach 20% of the loan amount. Current fines for violating the law "On Advertising" amount to 1.6 million rubles, and the practical amount of the fines is 200-800 thousand rubles. It is not comparable to the marketing budgets of the banks in millions of dollars. The benefits from cheap customer acquisition and cross-selling of partner products completely cover regulatory risks.

Russian banks continue to force advertising on customers despite bans from the central bank and court decisions. The practice has been detected in a number of the largest banks, Izvestia reports. The problem is systemic in nature, and clauses on consent to mailings are initially included in standard document forms, activated by automatic check boxes in digital channels, or technically block the release of a product when the customer tries to un-check it. The Central Bank and the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service state that pre-checked boxes and the imposition of marketing mailings are unfair labor practices. Consent to publication must be formal only in a separate document, be voluntary and not affect in any way the terms of delivery of the main financial product. But credit institutions also use similar methods to implement payment options. According to the data of the Ombudsman Service, about 40% of the citizens' requests are related to the imposition of additional services - insurance, car assistance and consultations. Their cost for car loans can reach 20% of the loan amount. Current fines for violating the law "On Advertising" amount to 1.6 million rubles, and the practical amount of the fines is 200-800 thousand rubles. It is not comparable to the marketing budgets of the banks in millions of dollars. The benefits from cheap customer acquisition and cross-selling of partner products completely cover regulatory risks.