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Originally Posted by Kpzonwheels
(Post 4982952)
How long did it take to get the account approved in the CSD website? |
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Originally Posted by dhanushmenon
(Post 4975051)
Thanks for the details. However, one doubt. What if the vehicle is not readily available? Can we not raise a PO for a vehicle which runs into waiting periods? |
| The following paragraphs are intended to narrate an incident happened with me with a hope that sharing of this would be beneficial to all CSD beneficiaries, in general and ex-servicemen in particular. I had purchased a bike (Royal Enfield Hunter 350) in October 2023, through AFD and the price shown inclusive of all taxes in AFD CSD portal was Rs.149264. At the time of payment with a credit card of ICICI bank, an additional Rs.5283 was reflected in the amount to be paid. This was never mentioned anywhere or anytime throughout the purchase procedure. When I queried by clicking at the (?) mark near the amount before payment, it displayed a text saying that it was charged by the CSD. And an amount of Rs.154547 was therefore paid by me. Later I found that this additional amount is not reflected anywhere, neither the CSD depot concerned nor the bank confirms the receipt of the amount. The URC issued a local supply order to me the next day, but was unable to give me a clarification for the overcharged amount even after discussions with the CSD depot at Kochi. Almost 3.5% of the total amount was additionally charged without any prior information by anyone involved and through misleading site information. As an ex-serviceman availing canteen facilities for tax exemption for the purchase of AFD items, I could not forego the incident and decided to find out what has gone wrong. I had confirmed from URC that additional charges are normally deducted during the transaction with every purchase through AFD, though the amount varies with the items purchased and the mode of payment. Based on the preliminary data collection and enquiries with bank and CSD authorities, it was confirmed that the amount has gone to the payment gateway (Razorpay) as a commission (3.5%+ GST, Total Rs 5283) for a purchase using credit card with EMI option. I was not convinced as no such display of break up (3% + GST) charged by the payment gateway was there in the final window for credit card payment. My doubts were… (1) Is a CSD AFD customer supposed to pay 3.5%+GST of the total transaction amount to the payment Gateway? For the purchase of a car worth 10 lakhs, the amount could be as high as Rs.41300. (2) Has the CSD or the concerned bank (ICICI) whose credit card was used, authorised Razorpay to collect 3% commission + GST for a purchase through AFD at CSD? (3) What service the payment gateway is giving to the customer for this extra amount? I wondered how the payment mode (credit card with EMI, debit card, net banking, etc.) is a concern for the payment Gateway, who simply transfers the amount to the merchant (in this case the CSD) from the Customer and the merchant is giving them payment for their services. And for all credit card transactions, the concerned bank is charging interest as usual. For clarifying the above doubts and to get the refund against this illegal payment, I have submitted my grievances to all the authorities possible, the AGM (AFD) CSD Head Office, RBI Ombudsman, Head Office ICICI bank, etc. The correspondence and queries through email and phone calls went on for more than three months since then. Though the initial response was sluggish, the matter fetched seriousness and process gathered momentum when NSDL (National Securities Depository Ltd) was alerted by the Head office CSD. After their enquiries and verifications, I am happy that I have finally received my refund on 28/02/2024. Let this be an eye-opener for everyone who ignore or fail to notice such unauthorised payments in the name of commission and convenience fee by hidden agencies involved in the process. Dr. K. Dileep Ex- Sergeant, IAF |
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