Uralfinprombank’s customers have been reporting recently that they are unable to cash in their bank deposits before the end of the deposit period. According to one of the depositors, the bank has been refusing them the money for two months already, claiming that this is happening because of the financial crisis and the circumstances beyond their control.

‘When I came into the office, I heard the tellers rejecting everyone’s requests for money. They suggested writing an application and stating the reason why they needed the money after all. In case the bank decided to accept this application, a customer could withdraw 50,000 RUR and transfer the remainder of the sum into another deposit. As it happens, it takes the bank at least two months to accept or reject the application, and I haven’t heard from the bank regarding my claim yet, even though I placed the first application with them as early as October 20, 2008,’ the unhappy customer says via on of the local online forums.

The customer also says he intends to sue the bank; remarkably, he was advised to take the case to court by the bank’s Vice President Andrei Kundashkin himself, who stated the customer would not get any money without a court hearing.