This is a rather long post guys, sorry about that. Had to vent it out. This is re transaction M2A07828087 through money2India. Both me and the remitter have been trying all means possible to get the money credited to my sb a/c without any success. The transfer was initiated on the 18th of November. Money has been taken out of her account on the 21st of November but is yet to be credited to my account. Since it didn’t get credited to my account like it usually does, I called up customer care after 10 days and they said the funds were in RCU (risk containment unit) and told me that they will get back to her with instructions on how to go ahead with this. So I was wondering if the funds were in RCU and suppose I hadn’t made that call, maybe they will keep this funds forever???
When I wrote [email protected] asking them on the status, on December 1st I replied a reply under 48 hours – see this email I got from them:
“Dear Mr. Ellis,
We thank you for writing to us.
Kindly note that for security reason, we will be unable to process the information as you have written from the unregistered mail ID.
If you are a registered user and the query is regarding transaction or any other alternate query we request you to please write to us from the below mentioned channels:
Through your registered Money2India email id
Your registered email id mentioned in our records is (*****.com). Please write to [email protected] from your registered email id to serve your request further OR
Login to Money2India website www.money2india.com
Enter your your user id and password
Under tools please click on Customer care and fill in your query details and submit.
We look forward for more opportunities to be of service to you.
Sincerely,
Bhavna R Gala
Customer Service Officer
ICICI Bank Limited”
Following that, I advised my client that something had gone wrong with the transaction and they want her to write them. She has written [email protected] several times, starting December 5th, twice on the 8th, twice on 11th, and twice on November 12th. Today is the 13th of December and the remitter is yet to receive any kind of reply from [email protected]
I will paste some of her emails here:
First one penned on December 5th:
“To Whom It May Concern:
I am VERY displeased with the services you have offered me, despite me being a longstanding customer. Why has the receiver still not been issued the money I sent weeks ago??? Your website said it takes 5 business days. You have FAR exceeded that. I have written multiple times, even submitted a request for you to call me and still I have not received a call nor has the recipient received his due monies. Yet my bank shows you have the money and have had it for some time.
PLEASE RELEASE MY MONEY TO THE RECEIVER OR REFUND IT TO MY ACCOUNT IMMEDIATELY!!! ”
There was no response from [email protected] as usual, so I called and asked and the customer care officer said the remitter has to send in a printscreen of her debit statement showing a proof that the money has been debited from her account. So now this next e-mail from her.
December 8th:
“Here is the screen shot you requested in order to approve release of money to the receiver as per my transaction number M2A07828087 (E Transfer) initiated 18-Nov for USD 302 INR 15442.”
Again no response from icici, so I call them AGAIN and now they tell me it has to be in JPEG format and that my money will be released as soon as they get this, at max 24-48 hours. So she sends in this email next. And another funny thing is she got a promotional mail from [email protected] about their wonderful services. So she writes them again.
December 9th:
You have asked that I send this again. Here it is. This time, would you PLEASE have the common courtesy to acknowledge that you have received it. I personally am SICK OF DEALING WITH YOU PEOPLE. You are the most unprofessional incompetent individuals I have ever had to deal with on a professional level. It has been nearly a MONTH and you have YET to get MY MONEY to the recipient I have named. You have failed to call me when I have requested a call. You have failed to return communications when I have communicated with you via email. And then you have the NERVE to send me an advertisement email tonight telling me what wonderful services you offer? I have been using your services for YEARS and I have never encountered anything like this. I am a VERY dissatisfied customer right now.
No response, so she writes them again with her phone number mentioned in the email which I have deleted.
December 11th:
Please call me IMMEDIATELY or refund my money IMMEDIATELY. I have tolerated this long enough.
Again no response. So she writes them again.
December 12th:
I sent this email this morning and did not get a call. Why?
Can you confirm if you received the email?
Can you confirm if you receive THIS email?
If not, can you kindly refund my money as this has gone on long enough.
I am printing this to take to my attorney’s office in the morning and will also be sending a copy to my bank through their website so they are aware.
Thank you,
****
cc: ***, Attorney at Law
cc: First State Bank
The last email she has sent them on December 12th.
“I am still waiting for a phone call or email acknowledgement that you have received my correspondence. I have written you nearly daily and you do not reply. I have requested a phone call and specified when I would like you to call me and you do not call.
I would like a call this morning at ***-***-**** (it does not matter what time – I have a cell phone with me at all times).
If I do not receive a call from you by this morning, I am going to my attorney’s office to find out about what recourse I have for you not either releasing the money to the receiver or returning it to me.
Never in my life have I ever dealt with such incompetency from a business, and definitely not a banking service.
RELEASE MY MONEY NOW!!! ”
Okay, meanwhile, I file a LEVEL 2 complaint with one Mr. Krishnan Govindan through icicibank.com – and lo! I get a reply within 48 hours – but sadly with the same cock and bull story.
“Dear Mr. Sreenath,
This is with reference to your e-mail dated December 7 to Mr. Krishnan Govindan regarding Money2India transaction not processed.
We apologize for the delay in response to your mail.
We request you to write to us at [email protected] through your registered Money2India e-mail ID confirming the tracking number of Money2India, to enable us to assist you.
Sincerely,
Preshetha Unmesh
Office of Head Customer Service
ICICI Bank Limited”
How come they respond to me promptly and haven’t responded to emails from the remitter from as back as December 5th. Your website promises a response within 24-48 hours. So basically they deliberately ignored the emails of the remitter.
They can be termed as a moral hazard since they have taken someone’s money and not had any kind of accountability for it. I have been doing THEIR job keeping the remitter posted on how to deal with this. None of them have replied so far to one single email the remitter has sent. Totally unprofessional approach by [email protected]
Now the remitter is approaching her attorney and see what recourse is there. Also, she is going to instruct her bank on this issue and not to entertain further transactions by ICICI. I tell you, I don't want to be dragged into a lawsuit just because your customer care sucks. That is the least I expect for recommending your service. She is upset over all this that she wants to approach the banking regulatory authority in Tennessee and see what can be done. On myself speaking with customer care, I get all kinds of false promises.
Once a customer care official told me that once they receive the printscreen of the remittance debit, I would get the money in 24-48 hours. Another day, a customer officer took down my number and told me he will check nad get back to me before the end of the day. A customer care officer told me that they are going to escalate the process and get in touch with the remitter before the end of Monday. This morning, another customer care officer told me that the email of the remitter will be replied to within 12 noon. NONE OF THESE WERE MET.
Twice when I told them I need to speak to their manager, they said once he is in a meeting, second time around he has yet to report to work.
I think this might be a way that ICICI uses to siphon off funds. Even if everything gets okay and if I get the funds, is it going to be at the current exchange rate or is it at the exchange rate on the date of initiation. I don’t’ trust you guys anymore.
I advise strongly to all NRI customers to find an alternative bank. If you are using/planning to use ICICI money2india, it might hit you all of a sudden, especially if you are transferring funds to someone back home for an emergency. I am so drained over all this and so frustrated over this and I hope someone will take them to task. I am finding an alternate way to send money to India.
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