Fined over and above
I would like to ask Gulf News for assistance regarding Mashreq Bank’s credit card.
I missed my payment date by just four days in January and made the settlement payment after requesting the bank to waive off the fees. However, in February, I was charged a late payment fee of Dh250. After being fined, I approached the bank and met an agent in the Salam Street branch of the bank, who assured me that they would check and revert. But I didn’t get any replies and more fines were added. Later, I approached another representative in the Salam Street branch in March and was asked to pay Dh150 as the minimum payment to avoid further fines, which I promptly did.
However, I am still being charged the fines and even after not using this card since January, I have accumulated fines totalling Dh1,550.
From Ms Aisha Lakdawala
Abu Dhabi
The management of Mashreq Bank responds:
Thank you for sharing Ms Lakdawala’s concern with us.
We have done a thorough investigation and found that Ms Lakdawala delayed the payment for her Credit Card charges for December 2014, which was due on January 11, 2015. As per the process, she was correctly charged late payment fees in the next month’s bill. When she approached the branch, she was again correctly advised to pay the minimum due to avoid any further charges accumulation.
We have got in touch with Ms Lakdawala and resolved her issue, by reversing the accumulated late payments charges as a service gesture. She is currently out of country, but she has been informed that the reversals will be visible in her next card statement.
I take this opportunity to thank Gulf News once again for bringing a customer issue to our notice.
Ms Lakdawala responds:
Thank you for your support.
I received a call from the bank when I was in India, and was informed that all the charges have been dropped, and my credit card is cancelled. As I had paid Dh150, so as to generate the complaint, I asked for the refund, and was promised to be paid in shopping vouchers. I will soon be approaching the bank to check the status of the card, if it has actually been closed or not. Thank you once again.
(Process initiation: August 24. Response from organisation: August 25. Reader confirmation: September 1.)
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.
