In a recent development in Nanjing, Ms. Li (alias) has taken China Bank’s Nanjing Taiping South Road branch to court. Her parents had visited the branch last year to conduct an overseas remittance, but the transaction took nearly two hours to complete. During the process, Ms. Li’s father suddenly collapsed and passed away two days later. Ms. Li believes that her father was excessively troubled by the bank staff for a prolonged period and that the bank failed to fulfill its duty of guidance, ultimately leading to the tragic outcome. This incident has sparked intense public discussion and has become a hot topic on social media.
The lawsuit was heard in the Qinhuai District Court in Nanjing on February 12 but has not been decided yet.
According to a report by Red Star News, inquiries made to China Bank’s Nanjing Taiping South Road branch regarding the matter remained unanswered as of the evening of February 19.
In October last year, Ms. Li’s parents visited the bank together to transfer money overseas to Ms. Li, who resides abroad. Mr. Li, who was listed as customer number 001, entered the bank at 9 a.m. At 10:42 a.m., during a video call with Ms. Li, it was evident that the transaction had not been completed. Shortly after, Mr. Li collapsed at the table, and later fell. Two days later, Ms. Li’s 74-year-old father passed away due to brain herniation.
Evidence provided by Ms. Li showed that her father received a number ticket at 9 a.m. on October 22, with the number “C001” and zero people waiting in line, and the service windows were marked 1 and 2.
Upon reviewing the bank’s surveillance footage, Ms. Li discovered that her father had only engaged in business at the counter for the first few minutes. For the following two hours, the staff led her father to operate machines or online banking on his phone and the transaction remained incomplete even when her father exhibited signs of distress.
In the lawsuit, Ms. Li argued that as a professional financial institution, the bank failed to provide a suitable method of conducting the transaction based on her father’s actual age and physical condition. She claimed that the bank did not fulfill its duty of guidance in assisting her father with online transactions, leading to his death.
Footage provided by Ms. Li showed that her parents entered the bank on the morning of October 22, 2024. Mr. Li initially went to the counter area but left shortly after and did not return to the counter area for the rest of the time.
The video footage revealed that Mr. Li had undertaken various activities inside the bank, such as going to the ATM area with staff, using machines and mobile phones in the lobby as instructed by bank employees. About half an hour later, Mr. Li sat in a waiting area while his mother was dealing with a staff member on the phone to complete the transaction. At 9:53 a.m., they entered another consultation room where the mother operated Mr. Li’s phone to assist with the transaction. After around 30 minutes, Mr. Li began showing signs of distress, including tremors, drooling, a crooked mouth, and frequent yawning. The staff tried to assist by contacting emergency services when he collapsed at 10:53 a.m.
Ms. Li questioned the bank’s transaction process, noting that her father spent close to 40 minutes in the lobby without completing the transaction. She expressed concerns about the prolonged and futile attempts to activate mobile banking, stating that the incentive for this continuous delay was not intentional but resulted in her father’s inability to complete the transaction after two hours.
In her complaint, Ms. Li mentioned that when she visited other branches for similar transactions after the incident, it only took an hour to complete the process at the counter. She consulted with bank staff at different branches on how elderly people should handle such transactions. One bank employee mentioned that if the elderly person was familiar with mobile banking, they should use it for a quicker process; otherwise, they should go to the counter for assistance.
This incident has sparked widespread debate on social media and has garnered attention on the trending pages.
“Lingjinxi”: “Last time it took over two hours to reset the password for a child’s card. Imagine waiting in line – it must have been urgent.”
“Wangmu1002”: “I waited for two hours at the bank to deposit money a few days ago, and many elderly people were queuing too. I, a young person, found the wait frustrating; let alone the elderly. Banks should optimize their counter services.”
“Xiaqiuyang”: “Indeed, if transactions can be completed at the counter, there is no need to make the elderly try new methods. Their capacity to adapt is weaker, inevitably causing delays.”
“Wumei651”: “This lawsuit is not just about individual rights but also reflects the lack of elderly-friendly services in the digital age wave.”