December 25
The President,
Delhi Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
Vikas Bhawan, Near C.R Building,
I.P Estate, New Delhi-110002
Sub: Wrong debits by ICICI Bank despite their customer care agreeing to waive off - consequent multiplying of undue charges, Credit Card No. 4477 XXXX XXXX 4009;
Dear Sir,
I have used above credit card since May paying all dues on time as per card statement received by me. The August Card statement did not reach me. Thereafter
a series of debits on a usurious pattern have been put on my card statement by Bank.
I have paid all usage charges regularly on time and there are no dues on my card on this account. The amounts being shown as due (above Rs. 50, 000.00) have arisen due to wrong charges initially agreed to be waived off by the authorized executives of the Bank but not waived in actual fact.
I therefore pray that these wrong and unjustified charges be cancelled and the Bank be directed to desist from indulging in usurious practices and unjustified threats to me and I be compensated adequately and exemplarily for the mental sufferings and insults heaped on me by the Bank for no fault of mine.
All my efforts to get this matter resolved through various levels of the bank have not succeeded. I am therefore approaching the Banking Ombudsman seeking justice and protection from the usurious and threatening practices of this large Bank as I find myself totally helpless despite the fact that I have done no wrong.
On October 31 I met a Bank representative based at Nehru Place who invited me to meet him at his office. After understanding and even agreeing that I have been wronged, he expressed his inability to settle this matter as the amount had grown to a level beyond his powers and suggested that I approach Banking Ombudsman for a satisfactory redressal of the issue, only then the Bank would agree for a waiver even though it is justified. Therefore I am approaching you.
Sequence of events are relater under and a comprehensive statement of all charges on my Credit Card, with details of payment and the unjustified additional debits which were agreed to be waived upon my contesting on each occasion, is attached.
Sequence of events
On or about October 9th while paying for another card statement I remembered that the card statement of ICICI Bank had not reached me for some time so I called up their Customer Care to find out what are my card dues as I have not received any card statement. Upon finding out the dues from them I paid all dues on Oct 10.
In the following month Oct Card Statement I discovered some late payment and interest charges. I called up their customer care objecting to the extra charges. The Customer care executive accepted my plea for late payment being due to non-delivery of card statement and agreed to waive the extra charges advising me to pay all usage charges and not pay the extra charges which he had waived off but would reflect in the following month’s statement. Accordingly I paid all usage charges within due date.
In the next month (Nov) card statement did not reflect any waiving off of the extra charges instead more additional charges as a consequence of the earlier extra charges were debited. I again contacted their Customer Care and they again agreed that there was an error and all extra charges would be waived off which would reflect in the following month’s card statement. Meanwhile they advised me to pay all the usage charges on time which I did within their due date (which is a matter of record).
To my extreme surprise despite confirmation and assurances waived extra charges were never removed and the card statement for Dec was sent to me with all extra charges in place and to add insult to injury more/additional charges were added. There after the Bank made it a pattern to go on adding/debiting more charges to me.
Written representations - I made several attempts to get this issue settled. I wrote to their Hyderabad office on 2 occasions and to their Mumbai office which is a matter of record but without any response from the Bank. (Copies of letters attached)
Personal Visits - I visited their offices at Rohini on 3 to 4 occasions after due appointment but the executives at that level expressed their inability to settle the issue.
Conciliation Proceedings - On October 07th I received a ‘CONCILIATION NOTICE’ from the Bank advising me to attend conciliation proceedings on September 26 but I also got a call from them on September 25th so I personally visited their offices at their VIDEOCON Tower office at 1.30 PM with full set of documents pertaining to the issue. To my surprise however only a chowkidar was present there who advised me that all the Babus have left for the day at 1.00 PM.
Serious objectionable calls from Bank Executives – Meanwhile, collection executives of the Bank stared calling me almost every day and at odd hours on my mobile phone in the evening or even on holidays. I strongly objected to these calls and explained to the callers that I have written in detail to the Bank and have personally visited their offices to settle the matter while I have paid all charges on account of usage of the card by me and they should first address the real issues and not bother me on phone specially when I am at important meetings or with my close relatives and friends on holidays.
Threats of dire consequences –if I did not pay what the Bank is showing as due, these executives threatened me of dire consequences and my credit standing would be spoiled damaging my credit rating for all times to come etc and that I am enjoying life with Banks money although my card was blocked by the Bank unilaterally without any notice to me.
An early action will be highly appreciated as it would save me from extreme mental sufferings, loss of face and loss of mental peace due to threats from Banks executives.
Thanking you,
Best regards
Uma Vaid
Enclosures: Comprehensive statement of payments.
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