After 20 years as a resident of Romania, I didn’t expect to be treated like a stranger by the very bank I’ve trusted with my money for years. And yet, BRD Groupe Société Générale — specifically their Carrefour Feeria agency — managed to do just that. Twice.
Let me start with what happened on 27/11/2025. I stopped by BRD Carrefour Feeria to update my personal data — something as basic and routine as showing my updated Permanent Residence Card for EU Citizens and getting my account info aligned with my new address. The young employee behind the counter looked at my card, frowned, and asked, “Where did you open your account? Because I see here you’re not a resident.”
I was stunned. The card literally says “Permanent Residence”. I pointed that out, assuming it was just a misunderstanding. Instead, he doubled down: “Yes, but you’re not a Romanian citizen. And since you opened your account at the Sincai agency, which is in a different region, you have to go there.”
Let’s unpack that. First, residency and citizenship are not the same thing — something a bank clerk should know. Second, the idea that BRD customers can only update their data at the specific branch where they opened their account is absurd. I’ve updated my data in multiple agencies across Bucharest over the past two decades. In fact, just one week earlier, my wife updated her information at that very same agency (Carrefour Feeria) without any issue. She showed her Temporary Residence Card for Family Members of EU Citizens. Her account is in the same so-called “region” as mine (Lujerului agency). No problem.
So why the double standard?
It felt personal. It felt discriminatory. And it definitely felt unprofessional. The way the employee handed my card back — abrupt, dismissive, and without a trace of courtesy — only confirmed it.
Sadly, this isn’t the first time I’ve been treated poorly by BRD. A month ago, another interaction with an employee at the same agency left me with the same bitter taste. One instance might be a mistake. Two start to look like a pattern.
Banks rely on trust. But that trust goes both ways. I expect the institutions I deal with — especially one that has handled my finances for years — to treat me with basic respect and competence. When they don’t, they lose more than just a customer. They lose credibility.
If BRD has internal policies that limit service based on agency, they should make those clear and apply them consistently. If not, then someone needs to explain why two customers with nearly identical circumstances were treated so differently.
Because from where I stand, it looks like bias — and bad service. And neither should be acceptable in 2025.
On 28/10/2025, I have sent a complaint to the BRD – Groupe Société Générale through their Complaint Form:
Subject: Discriminatory and Unprofessional Treatment During a Simple Data Update
To Whom It May Concern,
I am an EU citizen and have been a legal resident of Romania for more than twenty years. Recently, I experienced an episode at one of your agencies that I consider both humiliating and discriminatory.
Last week, my wife went to the BRD Carrefour Feeria Agency to update her personal data after we changed our residence. She presented her Temporary Residence Card for Family Members of EU Citizens, and the staff updated her details without any problem.
A few days later, I went to the same agency to do exactly the same thing — update my data after the address change. I presented my Permanent Residence Card for EU Citizens, issued by Romanian authorities, which clearly confirms my legal residence status.
To my surprise, the young employee who attended me looked at the card and asked:
“Where did you open your bank account? As I can see, you are not a resident.”
I calmly explained that, as stated on the card, I am indeed a permanent resident. He paused for a moment and replied that I am not a Romanian citizen and that, since my account was opened at another branch (“Sincai”), I should go there instead.
I told him that in twenty years of living in Romania I have updated my data in several different BRD branches across Bucharest, and that my wife — whose account belongs to the same “region” as mine — had updated hers at this very agency just one week before.
He simply handed my residence card back in a dismissive and impolite manner, saying he couldn’t help me.
I found this behavior unacceptable and offensive. Not only was the tone unprofessional, but invoking my citizenship as a reason for refusing service is discriminatory and contrary to both Romanian and European law.
Legal context
- According to Government Ordinance no. 137/2000 on the prevention and sanctioning of all forms of discrimination, any difference or restriction based on nationality, language, or citizenship, with the purpose or effect of restricting the exercise of equal rights, is prohibited.
- Under Article 18 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), any discrimination on grounds of nationality is forbidden within the scope of EU law.
- As an EU citizen holding a permanent residence permit in Romania, I have the same rights to access services, including banking, as any Romanian citizen.
My requests
- A written explanation from BRD regarding why I was denied a simple data update, specifying the legal or procedural justification for this refusal.
- Immediate correction of the situation and assurance that any BRD branch can update client data without discrimination.
- An internal note or training reminder to ensure that EU citizens residing in Romania are treated equally and respectfully.
- A formal apology for the inappropriate behavior of the employee at the Carrefour Feeria branch.
- If this situation is not resolved amicably within a reasonable timeframe, I reserve the right to escalate the matter to the National Council for Combating Discrimination (CNCD) and other relevant institutions.
Closing remarks
After two decades as a BRD customer, always fulfilling my obligations, I did not expect to be treated as a foreigner who doesn’t belong. It is deeply disappointing that a simple administrative task turned into an experience of exclusion and disrespect.
Banks are not just institutions managing money; they are part of the public face of a society. When equality and respect fail at this level, it reflects something much deeper about how we treat one another as people.
Sincerely,
A concerned EU resident in Romania
You can download the complaint in PDF format, here:
Epilogue: A Resolution, But Not Without a Fight
Yesterday, October 29th, I received an email from BRD with links to instructions on how to update my personal data using their YouBRD app. On the surface, that might seem helpful — until you realize the app only accepts Romanian citizens’ ID cards (Buletin). When I tried using it with my Permanent Residence Card, the app simply replied: “You can change your personal data only by going in person to a BRD branch.” In other words, useless advice — and a reminder that, 18 years after Romania joined the EU, apps and systems are still built only with Romanian citizens in mind.
Later that afternoon, I received a call from the same branch. A woman apologized for the incident and invited me back to complete the data update. I returned, and they finally did what should’ve been done the first time: treated me with respect and updated my information without fuss. I agreed to resolve the complaint amicably.
Still, the problem runs deeper than a single employee or one bad interaction.
In Romania — 27 years after the Revolution, and 18 years after joining the EU — stepping into a public or private office still feels like going to battle. Not with the law, but with personal opinions. Employees often act as gatekeepers of their own beliefs rather than representatives of the systems they’re paid to uphold. That’s the real frustration. Not just the delay, not just the inconvenience — but the sense that you must fight to be seen, heard, and treated fairly.