Missed fortune
In 2012, I opened a Kunooz bank account with Dubai Bank. As per the instructions by Dubai Bank, I deposited Dh5,000 in the account and every month, my account number was included in their monthly and weekly draws. Later on, Dubai Bank and Emirates Islamic bank merged.
For the complete year of 2013, I would look for my account number daily in the winners’ list of the Kunooz bank account draw but my account number would not appear on the list, so I would think, perhaps next time I’d win.
In 2014, when I visited Emirates Islamic bank branch in Bur Dubai, from where I wanted to withdraw the complete amount of Dh5,000, I get to know that my account was in ‘inactive status’ for no reason, since a very long time. Due to its inactive status, it was not included in the draws in 2013 and because of this, I missed out on the chance to win. At the time, a branch executive changed the status of my account to active so I could withdraw the money. When I complained about the issue to the executive, asking why my account was showing ‘inactive’ in the system, he answered that it was because of a system glitch, due to the migration of Dubai Bank customers to Emirates Islamic. He confirmed that he would get back to me on this issue, which he has still not done. I revisited the branch for the same but received no help.
No one called from the bank to inform me that my account was inactive, so how would a customer get to know what the status of his account is in the bank’s system?
From Mr Kapil Neema
Sharjah
The management of Emirates Islamic responds:
Thank you for bringing Mr Neema’s concerns to our attention.
On behalf of Emirates Islamic, I would like to inform you that the bank has communicated directly with the customer on several occasions, to clarify this matter. Once again, we would like to reiterate that the eligibility for entry into the Kunooz Draw is based on customer average balances.
To enter for a weekly draw, an average balance of Dh1,000 a week is required.
To enter for the Grand draws, an average balance of Dh5,000 a quarter is required.
The status of a Kunooz Savings Account (active or otherwise) does not in any way affect its inclusion into the Kunooz draws.
Customers who maintain the required balances are automatically enrolled into the draws with the chance to win weekly cash prizes of Dh25,000, and Grand draws that offer a cash prize of Dh1 million, a studio apartment or a luxury automobile, every quarter. The draws are conducted in an entirely transparent and scientific manner, and the lucky numbers are drawn in a completely random fashion via a computer-generated programme.
Although Mr Neema’s Kunooz Savings Account had become ‘inactive’ due to not making any transactions on the account for more than six months, it continued to be included in the weekly and quarterly draws. While the bank sympathises with the customer’s keen desire to be a millionaire, we can only reiterate that the draws have been conducted in a principled manner.
We wish Mr Neema the very best of luck and hope he will be a lucky winner in one of the upcoming draws.
(Process initiation: July 24. Response from organisation: August 18.)
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