Unnecessary charges
In December 2012, we opened an account for our offshore company with Mashreq bank. A senior officer of Mashreq visited our office and personally helped us complete all formalities. All relevant documents were presented to her, including the original articles of incorporation. She found them all in order and the copies she took were endorsed by her accordingly.
Everything was fine until October 2013 when we discovered that starting August 2013, we were being charged what looked like a fine, every month. On enquiry we were told that our documentation was not up to date. In normal circumstances, all companies have to present a copy of their renewed trade license within a month of the expiry of the old one. Failing that, a late fee of sorts is levied. Our company was incorporated on November 8, and hence our renewal document - a “certificate of good standing” - was not due to be presented to the bank till December 7, 2013. However the bank started charging us the “late fee” from August 2013 onwards. The bank refuses to either accept its mistake or reverse the charges. We would like to put on record that my then-relationship manager told us that as per his information, our company was formed in June and as we had not submitted the license renewal documents by July 2013, they had started fining us from August.
No evidence of any kind was put forth to support this erroneous assumption. I had asked him to give me the reasons for the fine in writing, but he refused. We asked them to reverse the charges. At first, they agreed to do it but later changed their mind. I spoke to his supervisor. She was helpful at first but later stopped accepting my calls. When we had asked the relationship manager what attempt he had made to contact me in June 2013 to ask for the “certificate of good standing,” he said that as per normal practice, they had sent us a letter by ordinary post.
As this cannot be verified in any way, it is a very convenient way for the bank to avoid accountability. When I asked him: “You have my email and my mobile phone on record, why did you not contact me directly?”, he had no answer. We find it strange that for a bank that charges such hefty fines to its clients for allegedly not meeting an obligation on time, it does not bother to make a simple phone call or send an email to get in touch with its clients. Is that not the primary job of the relationship manager?
In spite of our resubmitting copies of all relevant documents once again in October 2013, the fines continued. Even after submitting the “certificate of good standing” for the year 2013-2014 by the due date of December 7, 2013, Mashreq charged us Dh500 in January 2014. The charges stopped only after we threatened legal action, but the bank is stubbornly refusing to accept its mistake, apologise and return our money.
We would like Gulf News to take this up with the bank and get us an apology and our money back.
From Mr Pankaj Shah
Dubai
The management of Mashreq responds:
Thank you for sharing Mr Shah’s letter. Our investigation revealed that Mr Shah was aware about the trade license charges as he has signed the account opening form on which the information was given about the trade license charges. Moreover, we have sent the trade license renewal letter to the customer’s registered post office box on May 20, 2013, and two SMS were sent to the customer on June 26 and July 26, 2013, for the trade license expiry, however, the customer did not submit the renewed trade license on time due to which, charges were accumulated on customer’s account. We confirm that there was no delay from our end in updating the trade license and also, communication was sent to the customer in advance to update the renewed trade license.
As a service gesture, we are reversing the trade license expiry charges. We have communicated the same to Mr Shah and he was satisfied with this. Thank you for seeking clarification.
Mr Shah responds:
Thank you Gulf News for your help in getting the charges reversed. However, I am surprised at Mashreq’s reply. I was fully aware of the rules and never denied signing up for them. What I still maintain is that Mashreq should never have charged me as the license renewal letter was not due till December 8, 2013. Mashreq have also not explained why they charged me on January 1, 2014 when I had in fact handed in the renewal letter by December 7, 2013. Perhaps Mashreq needs to take on board the lesson that letters by ordinary post and SMS notifications can go astray. A simple email would be more effective.
The management of Mashreq responds:
We have clearly explained to our customer all the charges. Mr Shah has not provided the renewal of Certificate of Good Standing, which is given to all offshore companies by the Freezone. While Mr Shah’s certificate ended on June 19, 2013, he renewed it in November 2013, therefore charges were levied. Moreover, there were charges for the expiration of the trade license, which are accumulated post the 60-day grace period. We confirm that all charges were reversed as a goodwill gesture. Thank you for seeking clarification.
(Process initiation: August 20. Response from organisation: August 25. Process completion: August 27.)
Poor voice quality
This is about poor voice quality and random Pakistani mobile numbers showing up at the receiver’s end when I call from my etisalat mobile number. This started after etisalat introduced cheaper calls to Subcontinent countries, some time ago.
When I checked with the mobile operators in Pakistan, they said that etisalat is using new technology to divert calls to make them cheaper, similar to virtual private network (VPN) based routing where UAE calls get diverted to local Pakistan numbers, and are then forwarded to the actual recipient in Pakistan.
Due to this, we cannot do business properly in Pakistan, as people don’t answer when they see random phone numbers as incoming calls on their Call Level Interface (CLI). The voice quality sounds like you are using Skype or internet calls. I don’t want cheap calls. I am willing to pay full rates if I get proper standard calls that I can make to any international number, such as in New Zealand, Qatar, UK, US.
I have explained the issue in detail to etisalat’s call centre agent, who took 30 minutes to understand this issue. The agent registered this complaint on May 22.
I recorded the calls, and confirmed from the receivers in Pakistan, using my postpaid etisalat mobile number. I made three calls on July 1, and the CLI on the receiver’s mobile showed a different number instead of my number. All the three calls had poor quality and a lot of delay both ways... even Skype calls are better than this. This is proof enough of the VPN etisalat seems to be using for redirecting cheaper calls.
I would like Gulf News to highlight this issue, as I am not getting any reply from etisalat.
From Mr Agha Salman Zulfikar
Dubai
Editor’s note:
The complaint was forwarded to etisalat for comments. However, its management did not respond.
(Process initiation: August 2. Process completion: August 10.)
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.