I would like to highlight the inconvenience I faced with First Gulf Bank (FGB).
Recently, I got my Platinum credit card from the bank. The customer care representative was not truthful at all. He told me that there will be no annual fees or maintenance fees on the card whatsoever, so I got the card and had it activated. Then, while I was going through the welcome kit, I found that the card is actually not free. I called the same customer care representative and stated the charges. He tried convincing me to keep the card, saying that if I would just use the card for six months, upon its completion, I could inform him and he would make it free for the year.
Despite many follow-ups over the next few months, I didn’t get any update on the status of the card and whether it had been made free. I called the bank to check and they said there was no request as such (to make the card free), when in fact the customer service representative I was in touch with had previously promised that he had sent my papers through and that the change was in process.
When I called the bank to check, a customer service executive asked me to avail of some facilities such as easy cash or balance transfer facility or an easy monthly instalment (EMI) plan so that he could put through a request to make my card free for life. I told the executive that I didn’t need any of these facilities as I am not interested. So she said in that case, I would end up paying Dh500 as annual fee charges.
After a month, I got a call from an FGB staff member, stating my outstanding and asking me whether I would like to go ahead with an EMI plan. I agreed, and asked them to make it for six months.
After a week, I logged a complaint against the false promises made to me by the first customer service representative. They noted my complaint and gave me a complaint number.
Then, after a week, the bank contacted me saying that the representative has left the company and they cannot do anything about my complaint. They again asked me to avail of a cash or balance transfer facility or an EMI plan. I replied stating that I had already converted my outstanding amount to an EMI plan. They said they could see this fact in the system, but it was not possible to make my card free against this EMI option and that I would have to avail of an easy cash or balance transfer facility - only then could they make the card free for life.
I now feel like I have been cheated by not just the representative, but the bank as well, due to which, I have to pay an unnecessary Dh500 as annual charges plus EMI charges that I didn’t really want in the first place. The only reason I took up EMI was so that I could get the card free. Now I will end up paying interest, which is thrice the amount of the annual charge.
From Mr Siby Paul, Dubai
The management of First Gulf Bank responds: FGB is committed to providing the best possible service to its customers and listening to their feedback is a top priority for the bank. The bank has contacted Mr Paul to discuss the matter and the annual charges on his credit card have been reversed. Mr Paul’s credit card is ‘free for life’ and he will not receive any annual charges going forward.
Mr Paul responds: I am really thankful to Gulf News’ team for helping me and resolving this matter with prime importance given to my case.
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
