No option
I applied for a RAK Bank Amal credit card in August 2013. I then purchased a flight ticket online through the credit card, so that my family could travel to our home country. I paid the exact amount back to the bank through Al Ansari Exchange before travelling and well ahead of the due date. When I returned, I received an e-mail from the bank regarding an outstanding amount of Dh300 in the month of December 2013. I just ignored it, knowing I had already paid back the entire amount.
I got an another e-mail the next month, quoting an outstanding amount due to be paid. I contacted the representative of bank and came to know that I was supposed to pay an extra Dh3, because I had paid through an exchange centre. I was neither informed about this by the bank nor had I heard of this before.
I told them I was not aware of this policy and that I had just paid the entire due amount. They told me to pay Dh3 (actually Dh6 in total because I was paying through the exchange centre) and they would forward a reversal request. But unfortunately, in the next month, I received an e-mail claiming an outstanding amount of Dh747.
I contacted the representative of the bank again and narrated the entire story. They said this time, they cannot forward a reversal request unless I pay a late charge of Dh300. I had no option other than to go ahead. I paid the amount and requested for the reversal.
It has been more than a week since then and I have got no response from the bank. I called the bank one evening recently, and they said the request is still pending. They suggested that I pay the entire amount, otherwise I might be charged a late fee for the current month if the issue is not settled before the due date.
Although the amount I am supposed to pay is not huge, it has been a great inconvenience for me. I am quite hopeful that Gulf News will provide me a way out of this situation.
From Mr Parveez Ahmad Zarger
Dubai
The management of RAK Bank responds:
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to justify our stance on the issues faced by Mr Parveez Zarger, RAK Bank customer, before you decide whether to proceed with publication.
Mr Zarger repaid his credit card outstanding through an exchange house in January 2014 and was charged a fee of Dh3 as published in our Service and Price Guide. Subsequently, due to non-payment of his January 2014 card statement outstanding in full, the monthly fee was charged in the February 2014 credit card statement.
Mr Zarger later requested the bank for reversal of charges after repaying the outstanding and the reversal was processed as a service gesture. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to Mr Zarger due to the delay in reversing the charges.
(Process initiation: April 3. Response from organisation: April 7. Reader confirmation: April 7.)
Unauthorised insurance
I own a First Gulf Bank (FGB) credit card. On December 2, 2013, at around 6pm, I received a call on my mobile phone. The caller introduced himself as a customer care representative from FGB. He started the telephonic conversation showering praise on me for maintaining good relations with the bank by paying the due amount in time and for not having made any default on payments. Then he told me that as a token of appreciation for this, the bank had decided to present my spouse with a gift and asked for my wife’s name and other personal information, which I divulged, for I did not smell a rat in the entire conversation.
The moment I hung up the phone, I received a message on my mobile phone: “Your request (with so and so reference number) is under process.” I felt something was fishy. I called the customer care the next day and asked them about the nature of the pending request. Only then did I realise that I had already been enrolled for an insurance plan and Dh300 had been debited.
I explained to the gentleman how I had been duped by his colleague and told him that in fact I had not made any request for insurance. He assured me of his assistance and probably might have forwarded the complaint to the insurance agency. After a few days, I received a call from the insurance agency. I repeated the entire episode to that representative, who assured me that the amount would be reversed and the next monthly statement would not show the insurance charge. I felt relieved and thanked the customer care agent for her excellent service.
The next monthly statement capsized all my hopes. The charges glared at me in bold black letters. I called the customer care line again. An agent told me he would contact the insurance agency and someone from there would contact me within two to three days. I also got a message that my service request had been registered. About four days passed and no one called. I called again. Same response, same message on my mobile phone. Since then I have made numerous calls in this regard, but to no avail.
From Mr Shanavas Mohammad Sali
Abu Dhabi
A spokesperson from First Gulf Bank responds:
In line with FGB’s continuous efforts to provide the best services to its clients, the bank has been in touch with Mr Shanavas Mohammad Sali. FGB will be applying a reversal for the premium charged to the card account. The customer has been informed of the credit and has accepted the proposed resolution.
Mr Sali responds:
Thank you Gulf News for pursuing the case. Though I received a call from FGB intimating that the insurance amount would be reversed, it has not yet been done. They promised me it would be done before February 5.
A spokesperson from First Gulf Bank responds:
FGB has confirmed that the insurance amount has been reversed.
(Process initiation: January 19. Response from organisation: February 2. Reader confirmation: February 25).
Stalled service
I am continuing to receive messages to pay my eLife bill (Dh465 each month), which is frustrating as I don’t have a service since the past three months.
I have been told there is no eLife coverage in my area as the fibre optic cabling project work is ongoing and we are told it might finish in June. When we call, etisalat keeps saying someone will come by to fix the situation within the ‘next two days’.
There is a twist to this story however, as my neighbour said he has already received an eLife connection, which includes television and internet, along with a telephone line.
Additionally, I received an SMS from etisalat saying my issue has been resolved and I should pay Dh1,000 to proceed. However, I still do not have the data package open and I can still make calls.
Regarding this issue, it’s the same case as I read in Gulf News a few days ago. As soon as I start my new mobile phone, which I purchased from etisalat, it sends me an SMS. In the first SMS, Dh48 disappeared due to data usage. The second SMS deducted Dh500 within five minutes and the third SMS deducted Dh1,000 in another five minutes, also citing data usage.
I hope my issues get resolved amicably.
From Mr Hassan Shaukat
Al Ain
The management of etisalat responds:
Kindly note that the customer’s issue was resolved.
Mr Shaukat responds:
Thank you for your intervention. My eLife connection is now working perfectly well. I am extremely obliged to have the connection and would like to appreciate Gulf News’ efforts.
(Process initiation: March 20. Response from organisation: March 23. Response from reader: April 6.)
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
