Inconvenient process
I recently got my Smart Saver credit card and a Grand Cinema entertainment card from Mashreq. The representative was not truthful at all. He told me that the cards were free and that there were no annual fees or maintenance fees whatsoever, so I activated both cards. Then, I found out from friends who also have these cards that the Grand Cinema card has an annual fee of Dh300. They knew this because they had researched it — the agent didn’t tell them that either. I felt like I was cheated. I tried calling the bank many times, but I was either transferred, had to wait in queue or face an automated system that did not accept my 16-digit card number. Most of the customer service representatives I spoke with did not help me at all and my minutes on the phone almost ran out! They should have a toll free number because the minimum time taken to get through to them is 30 minutes. I now regret that I ever got a credit card from Mashreq — it gave me a great deal of inconvenience.
From Ms Geraldine Jamora
Al Ain
The management of Mashreq responds:
Our investigation revealed that our sales representatives explained all fees and charges of the credit card and our customer has signed an application which clearly mentions the annual fees of the product. We have communicated with Ms Jamora and clarified the situation for her. Thank you for seeking clarification.
Ms Jamora responds:
My issue has now been resolved. Mashreq has cancelled my Grand Cinema entertainment card. I just don’t agree that the representative explained all the fees and charges of the credit card to me, as he clearly did not. That’s why I activated both credit cards. My only suggestion is that representatives are trained more thoroughly, to ensure they are transparent and straightforward. I thank Gulf News for looking into this matter.
The management of Mashreq responds:
Once again, we confirm that our sales representative has explained all charges of the card to our customer. Thank you for seeking clarification.
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
