Unnecessary charges
I have been stuck with a reversal of charges issue since two or three months now. In April, I got a call for a one-month promotion of etisalat’s eLife Family package. I was reluctant, but after much persuasion, the promoter confirmed that if I was not happy with the package, a monthly charge of Dh58 would not be applied to me and that I could view it and see. I said okay to this, and before the month’s deadline date, which was on May 6, I promptly got it cancelled.
I checked with 101 for confirmation and the agent said it was charged for April and May on a pro rata basis and would be reversed by the Billing department. But so far, my current bills still carry those arrears. How does the system work without wasting the customer’s time? Why does Billing charge you before the month of service - that is, August month’s bill to be paid in July?
I am confident that through this platform, I will get back the due amount of unnecessary charges from etisalat, as Gulf News helps reach out to many people. Also, this will serve as awareness to many readers to be careful when accepting promotional offers.
From Ms Jennifer Noel Mascarenhas, Dubai
The management of etisalat responds:
Kindly note that the customer’s issue was resolved.
Ms Mascarenhas responds: Thank you for the intervention. The unreasonable charges have been reversed. I have requested etisalat to levy any promotional charges after the service provided rather than before the month of usage. Only a few people like me find time to fight such cases. It would give customers peace of mind and also be less tedious for their Billing department.
Over billing
I have two National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) credit cards (Gems Titanium and Visa Platinum) and a supplementary card for my wife (Gems Titanium).
My July statement states that the amounts payable by July 30 against both credit cards are Dh8,027.38 and Dh419.46 respectively. Against these, I paid only Dh402 and Dh100. My August statement mentions interest charges levied on me for not paying the amount mentioned above as Dh399.97 and Dh22.07.
On getting the statement, I thought that the interest charges have been wrongly calculated and levied on me and hence I called NBAD’s call centre number on August 13. The representative who attended my call promised to forward my complaint to the necessary department and assured me that someone would call me soon. I did not hear from anyone since. Also, I sent two mails through the internet banking system of NBAD but am yet to get a response from them.
Later, I visited their Buhaira Corniche branch, Sharjah, and spoke to some officials. The agent agreed that there had been an error and I should make a formal complaint in writing. I did the same. This was on August 30 and I received no response from them for the entire week.
Then I checked my internet banking account and saw a reply from them. I fail to understand why I should be penalised wrongfully for not paying the amount in full for one month, and why they are charging me interest for all preceding months (for which I was never a defaulter). All my previous payments were in order and there was never a short payment or late payment for either credit card.
I seek Gulf News’ help to resolve this issue. This is grossly unjust and irregular.
From Mr Rajanandam S., Sharjah
The management of National Bank of Abu Dhabi responds:
Thank you for your constant cooperation and communication with us in the endeavour to best serve our customers and resolve their issues.
We have contacted Mr Rajanandam and explained to him how the credit card charges were calculated. We also apologised to him for the delay in responding to his inquiry made at the Contact Centre and the branch. As a most valued customer, we have made a service gesture in reversing the interest charges levied on the card in August 2014 statement. All his concerns now stand positively resolved.
Mr Rajanandam responds:
On September 11, I received a call from NBAD, Abu Dhabi, and the representative wanted to hear my side of the story. Later, he called and confirmed that the reversal had been approved by senior management, considering my past history of prompt payments, and also informed me that the entries would be reversed on September 14. I checked my online statements and have found the necessary credit has been applied. I thank him for his efforts and thank NBAD for this kind gesture. The matter has now been resolved.
Also, I thank Gulf News in taking up this issue and helping me in this respect.
Early settlement
I had a loan at Emirates Islamic bank (EIB) and opted for an early settlement with the bank. I paid the loan amount. The amount that I paid was more than my loan amount, so the staff told me that the extra amount would be debited in my account, but it has been four months and I still haven’t got my money back. This issue has not been resolved yet. I request Gulf News to solve my problem with the bank.
From Mr Abdul Wahid Asmat Ali
Dubai
The management of Emirates Islamic Bank responds:
Thank you for bringing Mr Ali’s concerns to our attention. Please note that the additional funds paid by the customer are now available for him to withdraw from his account. Our customer care unit has been trying to contact the customer, but his mobile phone has been switched off. We have sent him an email to update him with the resolution.
Mr Ali responds:
Thank you so much. My issue has been resolved.
Editor’s note: Do you have similar issues that you would like to raise with us? You can write to us at readers@gulfnews.com
