- My online banking is blocked for no reason
- There is no way for me to access my account but to visit a bank
- Three years of pending bank issues got resolved within a week with Gulf News intervention
I have a salary account in ‘Priority Banking’ in Emirates Islamic Bank (EIB) since 2012, which has given me the worst banking service.
In April 2016, my online banking got blocked for no reason. The Priority Banking Helpline directed me to visit a Bank branch, who in turn told me to fill up a form and to contact my Relationship Manager (RM). I contacted my RM many times on phone and e-mails, visited the main branch in Dubai, all the way from Umm Al Quwain where I live, to deposit all the required documents asked by him, but to no use. My online banking is still blocked to this date.
On June 4, 2016, I had requested for ‘Reversal of Casa charges’ being wrongly charged to my account in 2013-2014, but those were never reverted.
I had deposited a security cheque of Dh11,000 to EIB in 2012 for the credit card, which I stopped using in 2014. I requested for return of this cheque but never got it back.
Despite repeated visits to EIB branches in Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah and calls to ‘Priority Banking Helpline’, not one of my issues was resolved.
Frustrated with EIB services, I opened an account in another bank and since then I am transferring my salary in the other bank, which is giving me a good service.
There is no way for me to access my account but to visit a bank
A new RM took charge last year, he promised to resolve my issues, but never did. Later he left EIB and joined another bank. Since then I have no RM.
Few years back, my EIB accounts were changed and this year the main branch in Dubai has been closed, but we were never informed.
Our debit cards expired in February 2019, but never got replaced. The Banking Helpline, curtly informed me that joint account holders cannot keep a debit card.
With online banking blocked for the past three years, no RM, no debit card, there is no way for me to access my account but to visit a bank branch each time. This is the sorry state of affairs of ‘Priority Banking’ of EIB.
From Mr Azam Yusuf
Umm Al Quwain
The management of EIB responds: Thank you for bringing Mr Azam Yusuf’s concerns to our attention. Emirates Islamic’s Customer Experience team has been in touch with him, and we are happy to report that the issue has been resolved to his satisfaction. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that Emirates Islamic is committed to providing a best in-class customer experience.
Mr Yusuf responds: Almost all the issues with EIB pending for the past three years have been resolved on the fast track within a week, thanks to Gulf News after my letter to ‘Your complaints’ section. Thank you so much.
(Process initiation: July 22, 2019. Response from organisation: July 31, 2019. Reader confirmation: August 6, 2019.)
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.
