[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by dadu

...Usually it is resolved within 2 weeks and they might re-issue you a new card after it.

Thanks Dadu, will do that if nothing happens today.

[HappyWheels]

Got an response from RD a hour back thru mail:

content is : -----------------

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your subscription to the Reader’s Digest.

Due to a technical glitch you seem to have been debited Rs 379.00 twice against your subscription order on 28th August’08 and 4th September’08.

Whilst this duplication is being investigated, we assure you that we are making arrangements with the bank to reverse the excess transaction at the earliest.

Any inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted.

Thanks and regards

For Reader’s Digest

P.Rai

Asst Manager – Customer Service
-----------------

Well atleast they responded for the mail. Trying the number given by the guy at Bangalore (022 66522518) and the web site number was completely useless. The phone just rings till it finally gets disconnected!

[mmmjgm]

Here's for those who thought the worst is over,

News from the biggies within the banking & investing circles in the US and the global economy,

The credit card debt meltdown is going to take down more banks than you think is healthy.

There is a lot of debt, i have dont want to get into the numbers of each bank cos that's classified, however dealing on a daily basis with americans using cards to fund their lives, its not going to be easy on the banks either.

The American economy churns out people as unemployed its going to hit the banks, with the outstandings of these people. Chapter 11 & 13 are going to run up and up.

This is the next watchword in the global banking and economic circles.

A good credit history in the times of duress will help you in the future.

[V-16]

Well why talk about abroad.

I have 2 HSBC Gold cards and turned up a charge for 25K odd Rs. in one of them. I never make part payment, always full payment.
I issued a cheque with the card number on the face, within the appropriate time limit and paid the amount.

The next statement i receive, its outstanding.

I called them and told them that even the cheque had been cleared but no avail.
The amount today has become 55K plus in a year with numerous letters and emails going unanswered,not to mention the 1000's of calls made with false assurances.
I also submitted them with my bank statements, twice, showing the cheque was cleared.
Just out of curiosity, I requested my bank to give me a copy of the cheque.
To my surprise I find that the courier guy who collects for them has conveniently put the number of my other card (which i dont use at all, hence i didn't check that statement at all) on the back of the cheque.

I check the statement of the other card and sure enough I have a credit balance there.
To add insult to injury i have been charged annual fees (which have never been charged to me in 10 years since i have this card) and have been deducting that from my 25K credit balance that too from a life time free card.

I was furious but wrote a very poilte email to their chief Mr. Dhiraj Dixit, briefing him of the situation, who has not bothered to even reply to my mail.

In the meanwhile I receive a letter asking me to cut my card and that my credit history will be reported. For what for a mistake by the bank itself and their carelessness. If i have written the number of a card on the face of the cheque, how can they deposit it to the credit of the other card?? even if their moronic collection boy makes the mistake? His name is also written behind the cheque.
Meanwhile collection centre idiots are calling me rudely asking when i will pay my outstanding.

I feel like taking them to court and informing the Ombudsman and informing the press. I need to be compensated.

Advice from anyone who may know about these things?

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

I feel like taking them to court and informing the Ombudsman and informing the press. I need to be compensated.

You have answered your own question. Just one more last letter to them. Send it by registered post with acknowledgement due.

[Zappo]

I will be damned! I do not think you should talk to them henceforth. Since you now have got the cheque back from your bank that will stand as a huge proof against the HSBC. Just go to the ombudsman first with your case and all the proof.

Ask, amongst other things, for a reimbursement for the agony and time loss caused by the bank. I am not entirely sure whether the ombudsman can do this but I hope he can. If not he will suggest you the appropriate remedy. But he will ensure that justice is done quick and prompt. Make sure to press home the point that the bank has been so obstinate as to not respond to your complains time and again but keep harassing you.

Also, make sure that the ombudsman asks the bank to take the notings off your credit rating that they made under your credit history. This is very very important for you.

I believe an alternate option available for you is to complain to RBI with a copy of all the documents and make sure to mention that it is a fraudulent behavior on the part of the bank.

I am curious to know that when you mentioned a card account number on your cheque how could the money have gone to a different account? I mean your bank will only issue the amount on the cheque to the account that is mentioned on the face of this cheque. I do not see where the courier guy comes into the picture from and more than that how a courier guy can know your other card's number. Sounds like a conundrum to me.

[dadu]

I closed many years of my relationship with HSBC cards last year due to payment related problems. Involved their customer relatioship manager after banging my head with their call centre.

I fought for nearly 4-5 months before sorting it out and each communication was in written and by fax.

Got most of the charges reversed and now I have a closed card with some 400 odd rupees pending as CR with them.

[HappyWheels]

@V-16: time you acted as suggested by BCD Y Zappo. Some interesting questions asked by Zappo:
1. How did the bank credit the other account number when you had written the card number on the face of the cheque?
2. How did the courier (or what ever) boy got to know your other number?

You have a strong case of them goofing up and to add to that, harassing you. How I wish we have the 'mental agony' thing here as in US. Would get us a lot of money!

[jassi]

Dear All,

A few months back (may 2008), a friend of mine in US decide to return some money she owed me.
As I had some amount due to my ICICI credit card, I told her to make the payment to my credit card. A few days later (26th may 2008) her brother made the payment to my ICICI credit card, by dropping an SBI bank cheque in ICICI drop box (near share market, Fort branch) in bombay. The cheque clearly mentioned "credit card payment :visa XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX for <my full name>" and also mentioned the card number and my name on the back. A few days later (10th June 2008) he sent me a statement saying the amount has been deducted from his SBI account by ICICI. However this payment never got realised in my ICICI credit card statements online.

I immediately contacted ICICI via web from my online login, post which they asked me the SBI cheque number and other details. After this, I got no response for practically 1.5 months. After a few reminder emails, they apologized and finally on 27th July 2008, asked me to send the statement to customer.care@icicibank.com. I did the necessary and an service request (SR) was opened, indicating that it will be processed by 6th Aug 2008.

On 18th Aug 2008, I sent another email to remind them, and they initiated another SR this time, which would supposedly get resolved in 8 working days. The reason for the new SR, that they wanted the SBI statement again!! I was a little irritated now with their lame excuses, resent the statement and asked them to escalate this for a speedy resolution. Got no response for next 4 days.
Then someone from ICICI hyd called me and asked me to send the statement again to them and this time by fax I blasted them and told them I have emailed it 2 times already and don't expect such poor resolution times from ICICI. The phone got cut as I was travelling in a low signal area and the ICICI lady on the other end never called me back.

I sent a few follow up replies to the ICICI customer care email thread, but got no responses so far.
The amount involved here is a few thousands and I could just forget the hassle, however after being an ICICI customer (bank and cc) for 7 years with a good track record, I just wanted to see to it that this gets resolved.

Its been 4 months now. Any inputs on how I should proceed further with these 2 SRs I have on the same issue, any email IDs for escalations or regional managers I can talk to. Haven't tried calling customer support again, as I get the same lame answers on resolution within next 8 working days. I don't want to be , if there is a more efficient way of getting this done.

[Ali]

Why do you want to let go of it? Might be few thousands,but would they spare you the same?

Send an Email to headservicequality@icicibank.com. They might help you out on this.

[mohit]

Don't know about ICICI but banks in general can hook you up with the right people (ABN Amro did for someone when I was in the branch for a similar query). Try visiting a branch. Maybe a face to face talk would resolve it faster.

[deep_bang]

I have'nt personally been in such a situation, but the first thing i suggest is to note down the reference number and quote it everytime. Also, make sure the second and third time you call, the same case is updated instead of new cases being created. This ensures that one person who is in charge of that particular case ID knows the whole story.

Since, this is a check transaction, it should definitely be possible to track this down and ICICI is supposed to resolve this for you. I would say do not leave the money even if it is a small amount (a few thousands may be small for you, but it still may get you a good set of speakers or some other accessories )

[lancer_rit]

for you sake, I hope that you get credited with your money. But ICICI bank is one of the worst in the country - I wouldn't put it past them to many any kind of mistake (let's just say I have done a lot of my banking with them for past 10+ years)
In any case, keep following regularly and good luck

[raajks]

From what I have searched on the internet you could try these two e-mail addresses. Feel free to express your frustration. Be very clear and precise in your e-mail conversations. keep a record of the same.

headservicequality@icicibank.com
kamath.kv@icicibank.com - MD of ICICI

Refer the the link for more details
'India's growth may go on for 25 years'

Hope this helps

Thanks,
Raaj K S

[spadival]

Complain to the Banking ombudsman. I think they have an online form to do that.