I received a call from Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and was asked if I was interested in a personal loan. I told them I was and all the details were provided. They said I was eligible for what I was looking for, but I needed to transfer my salary to them. They provided me with a account number, which as per SCB’s call centre now doesn’t exist in their system. My phone number or any other details are not in the SCB system either.

Previously, I had closed my Emirates NBD account, went for early settlement of all the installments from them to get a no-liability letter, asked my company for a salary transfer letter and finally all the things got resolved, and I submitted my documents to SCB. I received a call that my loan was rejected. Now my salary will go into a dummy account? Why were these approvals not obtained before? I asked for a reason and wondered if there was something that can be done, but the representative wasn’t aware of the reason.

I just want a no-liability letter as my company will not change my banking details without it. I have raised complaints and called them various times without any response. I need some help here or my salary process will get stuck. I have been calling them daily, and I am informed that someone from the complaints department will call me.

I don’t need a reverse of all those charges that I suffered because of them. I just need help to get a no-liability letter so I could transfer my salary to some other account.

From Mr Mohammad Raza, Dubai

The management of SCB responded: Upon receiving the complaint, Standard Chartered Customer Care Unit contacted Mr Raza and explained the policy, terms and conditions and eligibility relating to the personal loan. All considerations have now been satisfied and the customer has not raised any further issue thereafter.

Mr Raza responded: They finally gave me a no-liability letter after weeks of follow ups. But, please explain — they asked me to transfer my salary and obtain a salary transfer letter in the name of SCB and then rejected the loan. Why was a pre-approval not obtained? I had liabilities with Emirates NBD, which I settled all my installments early with to get a no-liability letter from as my salary could only be transferred to another bank after I had obtained the letter from my previous bank.

After suffering early settlement charges and the charges for the letter you transfer your salary to a bank’s dummy account to find out that they have rejected your loan. It is their money and their wish, but all I am saying is that they need to take a pre-approval so customers in the future don’t face these problems.

Further, they provided the letter after our company’s payroll cutoff date and SCB has asked me to prepare a salary transfer letter on a dummy account so my salary for the month of March will be returned.

The management of SCB responded: Upon receiving the complaint, Standard Chartered Customer Care Unit contacted Mr Raza and explained the policy, terms and conditions and eligibility relating to the personal loan. The issue is considered closed from our side.

(Process initiation: March 24. Response from organisation: March 26. Process completion: April 7.)