Unknown debits: Offenbacher demands justice from HUK Coburg!

Unknown debits: Offenbacher demands justice from HUK Coburg!

An unfortunate incident caused a stir in Offenbach: Luise Hornbach discovered five unauthorized debits of around 2,000 euros from HUK Coburg on her account. Despite her non-customer relationship with the insurance company, she became agitated when she noticed the illegitimate transactions on her bank statements. HUK Coburg, as one of the big players in the insurance industry, caused an unexpected error in its payment processes. op-online.de reports that Hornbach tried in vain to clarify the inconsistencies by telephone and ultimately only received an answer through written inquiries.

The HUK finally admitted that it was an “obvious incorrect booking” caused by an entry error in the IBAN. Parts of Hornbach's IBAN matched that of a real HUK customer. As a result, the incorrectly debited money was refunded down to the cent, but without interest or other monetary compensation, which only increased Hornbach's anger. As a small apology, she was given a drinking bottle with HUK advertising on it, which she was not happy about. A HUK spokesman also revealed that a written declaration of consent was requested from Hornbach before commenting on the case, which did not make things any easier.

Legal aspects of incorrect bookings

The case not only raises questions about internal controls at HUK, but also about the legal framework for debits. Versicherungswirtschaft-heute.de added that HUK Coburg is liable for the incorrect debit in accordance with the current legal situation. According to the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), no name check is currently necessary for SEPA direct debits; the IBAN alone is sufficient for debits. However, the legal situation will change from October 9, 2025, when the IBAN check will also include the name of the account holder. This could prevent similar incidents in the future.

In an effort to create transparency, HUK Coburg Hornbach also reimbursed 50 euros for possible interest losses, even though it had not asserted any claims for interest itself. If the damage incurred is higher, the insurance company will offer to pay the difference.

Customer service and error culture

As can be seen from the incident, the question also arises about customer communication and service at HUK. Luise Hornbach was initially disappointed by the poor availability of customer service. A telephone attempt to clarify the incident initially went unanswered. Large companies in particular should maintain a certain level of accessibility and customer focus to avoid misunderstandings and inconveniences.

It remains to be seen whether HUK will adapt its processes in the future to avoid such errors. The remarkable combination of technical booking errors and inadequate communication channels casts a bad light on a company that operates at the heart of Germany's insurance market. A look at the legal basis shows how important precise processes are when participating in the SEPA direct debit system in order to prevent similar incidents.

Hornbach can now hope that such breakdowns will not remain the rule, but rather an exception. It seems like her incident not only helped her get her own money back, but also shed some light on the need for good communication and error-free processes in the insurance industry.