Unclaimed cash

I tried to withdraw Dh5,000 from an automated teller machine (ATM) in Sharjah. Although I received a receipt stating a debit of Dh5,000, I did not receive the money. I complained to my bank (The Royal Bank of Scotland) and they asked me to wait for 48 hours, and if the money was not credited to my account, they would send me a fax form which I would have to send back as a record of the dispute.

Earlier, somebody lost Dh1,000 the same way, but did not get the money back, even after six months. Why is there so much delay, when after all, it was the fault of the electronic machine?
From Mr Sasi Kumar Nair
Dubai

We have contacted the client regarding the case and note that the transaction was executed through an RBS Debit Card on the ATM machine of another bank.

In the case highlighted by Mr Nair, the money has not been posted back to his account by the other bank. Since the ATM machine on which the cash withdrawal was attempted does not belong to RBS, we have raised a formal Cash Transaction Dispute with the other bank on Mr Nair's behalf.

The dispute was filed by RBS on January 31, 2009, and our Quality Service Department confirmed the cash transaction dispute has now been resolved in our customer's favour. The funds were credited to Mr Nair's account on February 7, 2009 by the other bank involved in this case.

Shock and humiliated

Recently, a shocking incident occurred that I would like to bring to everyone's attention. My husband works at a high position with a television station and he got a loan of Dh80,000 from Standard Chartered Bank. Every month we pay the instalments. Usually my employees make the payments, since my husband is very busy. We have to pay on the eighth of every month and usually pay on time. Recently, I received a call from a bank employee who asked me for the payment.

I told her to speak to my husband. She informed me that since my husband was in Fujairah, he had asked her to speak to me. I explained to her that I was on my way to work and would make the payment within the next two hours. However, it was a hectic day and I was quite busy.

At that point, somebody called and asked to speak to me. When I asked who it was, the person on the line claimed to be from a delivery agency and had a parcel waiting for my husband.

When I attended the call, it was the bank employee who sounded quite upset and called me a liar. I was shocked. She added that she was sending somebody to my office.

Suddenly, two men arrived in my office and spoke in a rude manner. I was very angry and informed them that I had not taken the loan and they should speak to my husband instead. One of the men told me that I should pay the instalments or he would have to drag me out of the building.

As a woman, I am usually respected in the community. However, I am shocked at this reputable bank's attitude. They claim to take care of their customers. When I reached home I began crying, since I felt humiliated. I do not wish to speak to the bank, as they will apologise for the issue, but will not understand the seriousness of the matter.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request

Ms Heather McPhail, public relations manager, The Royal Bank of Scotland, responds: Shocked and humiliated Sam Gad, Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Bank, responds:

I am sure you will appreciate that we cannot comment on individual client accounts for confidentiality purposes.

Fortunate call

I would like to thank a driver of City Taxi in Sharjah for returning my mobile phone. I had lost my phone on a recent night out and realised it was missing the next morning. I tried calling my number and fortunately someone answered - the phone had been surrendered by the driver to the taxi company's office in Sharjah. May the Almighty bless such people. A heartfelt thank you to the taxi driver.
From Mr Jerry Severo
UAE

Built-in solution

This is with regard to the parking situation in the market area of Bur Dubai. Even though the situation has been quite bad for a long time now, it seems to be getting only worse by the day. The problem lies essentially with finding a good parking spot. Additionally, access to private parking is diminished by the construction of more buildings in the area. If the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) could provide a multi-storey building exclusively for parking it would help accommodate a lot more cars and offer relief to the people living and working in the area. There would be drastic reduction in traffic too as motorists would no longer have to wait and block roads in the process of finding suitable parking.
From Mr Suraj Kishore
UAE

Appreciating change

I have been witness to the many changes in Gulf News's letters to the editor section and really appreciate the newly launched Your Turn page. It's nice to see more reader participation in terms of reader pictures and interactivity. Today, the concept of citizen journalism is being taken up by newspapers all over the world. As a Gulf News reader, I am happy to see the newspaper's dramatic growth. Keep up the good work Gulf News.
From Mr K. Ragavan
Ajman

Not the reality

Director Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire is certainly not about the slums in India. I have visited slums in Mumbai and Bangalore for social service in my school and college days. Slums are kept clean and tidy and slum-dwellers are educated. They have television sets, gas burners and modern facilities. So the movie is just one produced and directed by some people looking to earn tonnes of money at the cost of Indian slums. Instead of making the film, they could have invested the money in improving of the slums if they were concerned about their condition.
From Mr Milind Tikhe
UAE

Limiting numbers

During the recent past, Abu Dhabi has witnessed a phenomenal growth in the vehicular population. The limited availability of space in the city has exerted pressure on the traffic movement and parking space. The number of new licences being issued and new vehicles purchased have further added to the pressure. It is high time more people were encouraged to use the public transport system and limit the number of cars per family. Purchase of more than one car per family needs to be regulated - sharing cars should start within the family first.
From Mr Yrugallu Shri Krishna
Abu Dhabi

Fashionably negative

US President Barack Obama's stimulus plan should work in restoring some health in the beleaguered American economy. However, sacking employees in large numbers is detrimental to any business. It is almost becoming fashionable to be pessimistic and sack staff. The most valuable assets of any company are its employees. The salary and wage component of any company ranges between 4 and 10 per cent of its sales, depending on the business. Termination of employees will not help resolve the problems. The talents and skills of employees should be used to diversify, expand, enter new markets and evolve new products.
From Mr Rajendra K. Aneja
Dubai

Never duped

I have been receiving such calls, e-mails and text messages for the past nine years and have never been duped ("UAE ministry warns against call scams offering big prizes", Gulf News, February 17). People who want to be rich with minimum effort will get trapped. In my opinion, both the scamsters as well as victims are criminals. These people never donate a penny for charity or any such activity, but they can pay thousands if someone is giving them fake chance to become a millionaire!
From Mr Abdul Jaleel M.V.
Dubai

Easy money

As long as there are people falling for scams, there will be scams. I am fascinated how easy it is for scamsters to make money worldwide.
From Mr Martin B.
Dubai

Recognising fraud

I received a text message on my mobile from a retailer in the UK, stating that I had won £500,000 (Dh2.65 million). An hour later, I got a call informing me that my cheque was ready and could be collected from the UK office. I informed him that I was in the UAE and that it wouldn't be possible to do so. I was then asked to pay the courier charges to have the cheque delivered. The next day, I received another call and was asked to transfer the amount via a money exchange, following which my cheque would be delivered within three days. This was followed by an e-mail from the courier service company stating that my cheque was ready but could not be delivered unless I transferred the required amount. I realised then that this was a fraud and did not reply.
From Mr M. Najeed Ahmad
Sharjah

Direct help

I had received calls on my mobile informing that I had won a prize. While talking to the person on the other end, I dialled 101 to seek etisalat's help in tracking the call. However, the procedure was time consuming and by the time I reached the operator to record the call, the actual call got dropped. I request the authorities and etisalat to provide or announce a direct emergency number, where people can call to lodge such complaints.
From Mr Rizwan Ali
Dubai

Embarrassed

It's a shame in a place called 'Greens' the plants are artificial ("Residents of The Greens see red over 'upgrade'", Gulf News, February 17). It's an embarrassment to invite guests over. This is a very disrespectful and inconsiderate move.
From Mr Ahmad
Dubai

Career success aid

I love reading newspapers and magazines, because it is my ideal source of learning. As a cashier who often communicates with people from many different nationalities every day, I have adopted some of these new languages, traditions and cultures. Through the help of Gulf News and various magazines, I have gained a lot. I would like to thank Gulf News for all its services. It has helped me immensely.
From Ms Edna Guerra
Abu Dhabi

Curing arrogance

With reference to Gulf News's report on rehabilitation centres, I think errant drivers in the UAE need to be involved in community service programmes as part of their penalty, so that they become more patient and start valuing other people's lives ("Rehabilitation institute set up to reform errant drivers", Gulf News, February 15). A lot of motorists lack patience and are very selfish when on the road. Many impatient drivers cut abruptly across in front of others. The authorities should conduct regular checks and penalise drivers on the spot. The remedy for drivers' impatience is to keep them in the police station for 24 hours. It is reasonable to conclude that such initiatives will make a difference to driving behaviour in the UAE. Strict laws can cure anyone's arrogance.
From Mr John J.C.
UAE