While performing a routine check on my credit card statement from Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) on December 19, 2016, I discovered that my credit card had been used by a hacker to shop for the amount of $170 (Dh624) on October 20, 2016. I immediately called the bank, whereupon the customer service representative said she had blocked both the main and supplementary cards, and the bank would follow up on this, and let me know.

On December 28, when I called them, I was informed that there was no note in the system about my complaint! The representative said that this time he had sent an email to the concerned department to look into the fraud and reverse the charge.

On March 4, 2017, when I called the bank again, the customer support staff started trying to pass the buck, saying the dispute is now more than 120 days old, so they cannot raise the issue with the merchant! I told him I had raised the issue with the bank a long time ago. Finally, he registered the complaint, and asked me to send an email to customerservice@adib.ae. Why did the bank not register a formal complaint about the fraud on December 19 itself?

On March 13, customer support sent me a Dispute Resolution Form. When I selected, “I did not authorise the above transaction and the card was in my possession all the time”, the employee refused to accept the form, and asked me to change the reason to “Customer wants to know more details”, otherwise he would not be able to reverse the charge.

I sent him the revised form. Finally, on May 21, with no end in sight to the telephonic back and forth, I visited the Emaar Square branch, where I gave the customer service officer copies of the account statement, Dispute Resolution Form and all prior emails, and was assured of a quick resolution.

In June, after dragging their feet for over six months, the bank called to inform me that I would have to take up the issue with the merchant! This is the limit of poor customer service, hence I decided to write to Gulf News.

I hope that with the intervention of the newspaper, this matter will be escalated to the appropriate level within ADIB, and the fraudulent charge will be reversed.

From Ms Manju Pavri

Dubai

The management of ADIB responds:

We have contacted the customer and she was disputing a transaction carried out on her card in December 2016. The bank has exceptionally approved to refund the customer with the amount and arranged to cancel the card since the customer hasn’t been using it.

Customer has been informed accordingly and the issue is now closed.

(Process initiation: July 24. Response from organisation: July 27. Process completion: August 10.)

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