Still waiting
I was promised a free credit card at First Gulf Bank (FGB) with a maximum limit of twice my monthly salary. Once I received the card, I discovered it was a Titanium card with an annual charge of Dh500 and a credit limit that was less than my salary.
I contacted the sales executive who took my details for the card, but he stopped attending my calls. I then contacted the customer care centre and informed them of the same and that I want to cancel the card.
They contacted me and convinced me to continue with my card, promising that the annual fees can be waived off with a request and the limit can be increased if I provide a revised salary certificate. I informed the representative that I will not activate my card until I have a solution.
After six months, I made another request and was informed that the annual fee was waived off. However, my limit was not increased as I didn’t submit my revised salary certificate. I was waiting for my increment in order to provide the revised salary certificate.
However, by then, a statement came asking me to pay Dh500 as annual charge. I was on vacation when the statement came and when I returned to Dubai on February 21, I contacted the customer care centre and requested assistance on this issue.
I waited till February 27 and when I called customer care again, they informed me that I missed their call. So, I requested for another callback the same day and asked them to mark it as urgent as I had to go to Oman on February 29. Despite my request, I didn’t receive any call.
Finally, my colleague received a call on February 31 and they closed the request, with no resolution. On returning to Dubai on April 2, I made a request again and I am still waiting. My repayment date was on the 5th of the month and I don’t know why they are not concerned about customers’ requests. My card is inactive till date.
From Mr Bibin Salim
Dubai
The management of First Gulf Bank responds:
FGB values its customers and is always keen to receive their feedback to ensure we consistently deliver the highest standards of customer service. The bank resolved Mr Salim’s complaint in April, having agreed to reverse the charges. The customer is satisfied with the resolution.
Mr Salim responds:
The complaint was resolved and they have agreed to waive the annual fee this year.
(Process initiation: April 7. Response from organisation: May 13. Reader confirmation: June 3.)
No proper response
I would like to share the problems I have faced recently, with etisalat.
I took an etisalat connection on December 18, 2013 and activated their social networking package at a daily rental of Dh2. Later on, I felt the need to access email and internet on my mobile phone, so I decided to change my plan and took a 1GB data plan at Dh99 per month. As advised by an etisalat customer service representative, I sent a text message to 1010 for cancellation of my social networking package.
After 15 to 20 days, I realised that there were some deductions happening in my balance. On enquiring with customer care, they told me the deduction was for the social networking package. Because of their technical problem, they charged me Dh66 excessively and when I called up the customer care centre to raise a complaint, they said that they do not have the authority to manage the complaint and advised me to go to an etisalat business centre to raise my complaint.
There, they made me sit for two and a half hours. After that, they took down the complaint, but I guess they didn’t submit it as I didn’t get any reversal. As the amount was small, I kept quiet about it.
Last month, I migrated my number from prepaid to postpaid and this time, etisalat went to new heights. I had taken a 1GB add-on and 200 local minutes were added to my mobile phone number. I went to etisalat’s business centre to activate the add-on and after getting a confirmation message that the add-ons has been activated, I started using the services.
Here comes the shocking part. I just used the services for one day. The very next day, an outstanding of Dh400 was showing on my mobile phone bill. The day was a Friday, so I went to etisalat’s businesses centre on Saturday. On that day, my number was showing an outstanding of Dh514.
When I enquired about it, the same representative who upgraded my number said the billed amount was for data consumption. I replied stating, I haven’t used that much data. She then dialed a number from my mobile phone to check data usuage and it was showing zero consumption. Even she was surprised and enquired with her colleagues. One representative said to her that I have wrongly been charged — instead of data, they had charged me for general packet radio service (GPRS) and he advised her to raise a complaint about the technical error and demand a reversal of charges. She then raised the complaint for me.
Since that day onwards, I’m not using data, although I am paying a rental of Dh50 for it. After a week, they closed the request without reversing the amount, and when I called 101, there was no proper response. No one had any update for me.
I visited the same business centre once again to check on the issue. After waiting for two and a half hours, my turn came and I raised a fresh complaint. One of etisalat’s employees told me that the number belongs to Dubai so I would have to go Dubai to get a resolution. It’s ridiculous! Every time I go to etisalat’s office, I waste at least two hours just to hear a nonsensical reply. Dh570 is not a small amount for me, so I request Gulf News to please help me out.
From Mr Mohammad Shoeb Ali Khan
Abu Dhabi
The management of etisalat responds:
Kindly note that the customer’s issue was solved.
Mr Khan responds:
I really appreciate Gulf News’ help. I received a call from etisalat and they said they would reverse the charges within three working days. Thank you very much for the assistance and follow up.
(Process initiation: April 21. Response from organisation: April 23. Reader confirmation: April 23.)
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
