Waiting for answers
I want to bring to Gulf News’ notice a grievance I am pursuing with Standard Chartered Bank, Dubai. I sincerely solicit your help in resolving this issue.
I have a Standard Chartered Platinum Card, and have taken a supplementary card for my wife. On February 11, I got a call from Standard Chartered asking me whether I was conducting a high value transaction on the supplementary card. The transaction originated in Italy and was for 7,300 euros (Dh36,613). I informed the bank that the transaction was not initiated by me, and was advised to call the customer care number of the bank and lodge a dispute.
On calling the customer care team, I was asked to wait till the transaction reflected in my card transactions, and only then file a dispute. In the meantime, the bank blocked the card, and issued a new supplementary card. On February 15, the transaction reflected in my online transaction history, and I immediately called the bank and filed a dispute. I was given a reference number, and was told that I would be contacted by someone from the disputes team within a week. Unfortunately, no one from the disputes team has called me till date.
Once the dispute was lodged, I have been following up repeatedly for an update on the status of the dispute, but the standard reply I get is that the bank will take between 90 and 180 days to resolve the same.
On the March 22, I sent an e-mail to the bank through my internet banking account. The bank has not replied to my email yet.
During one of my conversations with the customer care team, I complained to the bank that even though I was not making any transactions on the card, the bank was sending me a reminder to make a minimum payment of around Dh3,500 every month, due to the disputed transaction. The only transaction happening on my card was a monthly auto debit of Dh1,054 towards repayment of a loan on my credit card. I offered to submit post dated cheques to the bank so that these repayments could be debited to my savings account with the bank, but I was told that since this was a loan on my credit card, it could be repaid only from my credit card.
Further, the customer care executive responded that I can ignore the reminder for minimum payments, and that I didn’t have to keep making the minimum payments due. I only needed to pay the Dh1,054 that was being auto debited towards the card loan repayment. I was informed that once the dispute was resolved, all the interest and charges levied by the bank would be automatically reversed.
On the April 9, the bank made an auto debit of Dh639 to my account. On inquiry they informed me that the amount was automatically debited since I had not made the minimum payments due on the card. I explained the entire history of the disputed transaction to the bank, and was assured that the auto payments would not happen anymore.
On the April 22, I called the bank again requesting an update. When I inquired about the status of the dispute, I was informed that as per the bank’s policies, they have to give me an update in 65 days. I was told that as per bank records, the 65th day fell on May 13. Since I had lodged the complaint on the February 15, 2014, I corrected the customer care executive and told her that the 65th day falls on April 28. I was informed that the dispute was logged in the bank’s system only on the March 9. I raised another complaint, and was promised a revert in 24 hours.
One of the bank’s officers called me back on April 22 and assured me once again that I only need to keep making the payments of Dh1,054 that was being charged to my card towards the loan repayment. She repeated that all interest and charges would be reversed once the dispute was resolved. She also informed me that there was a delay from the bank’s side in lodging my initial complaint, due to which the complaint was lodged in the bank’s system 23 days after I lodged the complaint. I was promised a call back from the complaints team, and I was also promised that the entire disputed amount along with the accrued interest and charges would be kept in a separate temporary limit until the dispute is resolved. This was being done so that I could continue to use my card normally. However, I have not heard back from the complaints team till date. The temporary limit that the bank spoke about has also not happened till date.
Once again, on May 20, my savings account was auto debited for Dh1,957 towards minimum balance due on my card. I called the customer care again, and I was informed that this time it was the collections team that had debited my account. I was given a complaint reference number and promised a call back within 48 hours. I have not heard from the bank till date. I also lodged another complaint with the bank that the dispute is now almost 100 days old and I haven’t heard from the bank even once. I was given another complaint number, and was promised a call back in 48 hours.
Unfortunately, no one from the bank has called me till date.
Though the customer care executives are very helpful and courteous, unfortunately my dispute with the bank has not been resolved for more than three months. Secondly, the bank is continuing to auto debit my account to recover the minimum amount due. I have written an email to the head of the customer care on the May 20, but haven’t heard till date.
I request Gulf News to kindly help me resolve this dispute with Standard Chartered Bank.
From Mr R. Vijaya Raghavan
Dubai
The management of Standard Chartered Bank responds:
Upon receiving the complaint, Standard Chartered Customer Care unit contacted the customer and the dispute has now been resolved.
Mr Raghavan responds:
Your intervention is what led to the complaint being resolved. Otherwise, it was lying unattended for the last four months! Gulf News has really been a great help in resolving this issue.
Standard Chartered has reversed the disputed amount. They have promised to reverse all associated fees and charges.
Please accept my sincere thanks in helping resolve my complaint in record time.
(Process initiation: June 2. Response from organisation: June 5. Reader confirmation: June 5.)
