Billing issue

On October 31, 2014, I went to pay my eLife bill at a hypermarket. The machine warned me that there would be no print-out. I thought that was okay. I followed all the steps and everything was accurate. I paid Dh200 and finally a message appeared on the machine’s screen: “your transaction has been done successfully”, and then a transaction number appeared on the screen.

Unfortunately, I didn’t note down the number. I noted the time, though — it was 5.22pm.

After one week, I received an SMS that my bill was overdue. I called the 101 helpline and was told that I had made the last payment on September 30. I was shocked and went to the etisalat office the next day and gave all the details on the location, machine number and time. They promised to look into the issue.

After one week, I received an SMS that my complaint has been closed due to insufficient evidence. Once again, I went to etisalat’s main office in Sharjah. This time, I approached someone in a higher position. They assured me that they would reinvestigate the issue, but after one week, I got the same reply — that my case has been closed due to insufficient evidence. After checking my billing details, I noticed that one more bill was missing. Since I have no solid evidence for that, I can’t claim it.

I would be thankful if Gulf News could help me resolve this issue.

From Mr Iftikhar Ahmad Ali
Dubai

The management of etisalat responds:

The case is resolved and closed.

The complaint in brief: The customer requested the payment amount of Dh200, which was paid to the account at the supermarket in Sharjah, and then complained when no action was taken.

The final outcome was that the customer made an incorrect payment and all the information that was provided was inaccurate. The date, time and accounts were wrong. Dh200 has been paid to the customer’s account. The customer has been contacted and updated.

Mr Ali responds:

Thanks Gulf News! I really appreciate the role the newspaper played in this issue. Yes, etisalat told me that this issue had been settled. Since this issue has been resolved, it’s useless to prove who was wrong and who was right. Anyone can make a mistake. At the same time, the machine I used proved that I paid the due amount. I would like to thank etisalat as well for solving this issue.

(Process initiation: December 30, 2014. Response from organisation: January 6, 2015. Response from reader: January 6, 2015.)

Reverse charges

I am writing to share a bad experience with First Gulf Bank (FGB). My story started when they charged me an insurance fee in September 2013. I was pushed to pay for the insurance, called Harres, because of my good reputation, as I pay the complete amount on the due date. I contacted the bank immediately to ask for a reversal of this payment. Since then, every time I call their office, they keep on saying the amount will soon be reversed.

I was surprised when again, I received my statement of account in September 2014, charging me for this same FGB Harres insurance charge.

I have been waiting for a year to get back the Dh300 that I paid in 2013, which I have complained about since the day I paid, but to my dismay, they did not return it.

How can the bank allow charging the same charges, and not take proper action against the complaint? Until when must I wait for the reversal of my payment?

From Ms Meshel Almonte
Dubai

The management of First Gulf Bank responds:

FGB is grateful for all customer feedback to which we give careful consideration as we strive to consistently deliver the highest standards of service. FGB has been in contact with Ms Almonte, and the matter has been resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

Ms Almonte responds:

I am delighted to receive this reply. FGB contacted me and promised to reverse the said amount on my next statement.

Marianna Wright, Reader Interactivity Journalist

Articles from the author

Payment problems resolved