No deficit
I have held a credit card from Dubai First since the past three years. I have always been paying my bills, which are usually over Dh10,000 per month. I generally pay my bills three or four days before the due date.
On July 18, I had a credit card bill for Dh13,599 to be settled by August 12. I had cash back due to me as per the statement of Dh511. On July 20, I called the customer service and requested for credit of this cash back. The Bank told me they would credit the dues after the approval, as per their process, which would happen within seven working days.
On August 10, I paid Dh13,500 (although the due date was August 12, it was more of an inadvertence that I had assumed the bill to be Dh13,499, that I had a shortfall of Dh99). When I received the next statement on August 18, I was surprised to see that the Bank had charged me Dh449.34 as late payment fee.
I called the Bank and asked them about the credit of cash back of Dh511, which should have come well before August 12, my due date. They said there is an internal checking process and they had to reverse some Dh52 from the cash back. They had no response when I asked why they did not credit the balance amount due to me after adjusting Dh52. They took my request for reversal of late payment charges, as the shortfall was only Dh99. Furthermore, this was my first short payment, which was also quite unintended as I expected the cash back credit to come well before my due date.
Most grateful if you could take this up with the Bank. Many readers who would have similar complaints will also be benefited. I trust the Bank would consider the case and would not like to unfairly penalise customers like us who always pay on time.
From Mr Harish Prabhu
Dubai
The management of Dubai First responds:
At the time of placing the request for Cash Back redemption, the customer was advised by our Contact Centre Specialist to check after seven working days if the request was approved, which in this case the customer hasn’t done. He has been rightfully charged with Dh459 Interest Fee (not Late Payment Fee) for not making 100 per cent payment. However, due to good credit record and as a goodwill gesture, we have reversed the Interest Fee of Dh459 to customer’s satisfaction.
Mr Prabhu responds:
It was extremely helpful. Dubai First promptly reversed the charges. Thanks a ton Gulf News for your intervention and support.
(Process initiation: September 19. Response from organisation: September 24. Reader confirmation: September 25.)
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.
