[Resolved]  HDFC Bank — Refused to reverse the charges wrongly debited and insulted me as well.

Address:

West Delhi, Delhi

I, Rahul Bagga an account holder of HDFC Bank having an account number [protected] am continuously facing a problem from the past 4 months with the Bank. This account was opened as a saving A/c in 2004 with sec-9, Rohini Branch.

Currently I am working in Indiabulls Securities at Gurgaon who is having a tie up with HDFC Bank and the personnel’s of HDFC Bank frequently use to visit our office for solving the small issues. In the month of August 2010 I had a talk with Mr. Nitin Kapoor who is working in Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon Branch for converting my saving a/c to salary a/c at my office premises. He suggested that if the Bank receives a request from Indiabulls HR team then HDFC Bank can convert my saving a/c to salary a/c.

So our HR department made a request to HDFC Bank on my behalf for converting my saving a/c to salary a/c. On 27th Aug.2010 I got a revert on my office mail from HDFC Bank that my a/c successfully got converted into salary a/c. I have a proof of that on my office mail till now. But in order to get 100% assurance I specially call a phone banking executive for confirming whether my account got converted into salary a/c or not and the executive also said that my account status was a salary account.

Now as per the rules as my account is a salary account I need not require to maintain any AQB in the future. One day they deducted Rs.50 from my account as Phone Banking charges. When I called the Phone Banking executive for asking about that charges the executive told me that “you are not maintaining an AQB and you used Phone Banking during that period that is why the Bank charged such amount”. On listening to this I clearly told that my account is a salary account then there is no question arises of maintaining an AQB. Then they told me that “you will get a call from your Branch in two days.”

I waited for the next two days but I didn’t receive any call from my Branch then I again called the Phone Banking they again ensured me that “you will definitely get a call from your Branch in two days” and it goes on and on. After a long struggle I made a complaint against my Branch but no action was taken against the Branch.

Now what happened is when I called the phone banking for sorting out my earlier phone banking charges issues they again charged Rs.50 thrice for that calls made for sorting out earlier charges as well and again gave a same reason that you are not maintaining an AQB. Inspite of accepting their mistake and giving my money back they charged even for calls made for sorting out phone banking charges issue.
I atleast made 150-200 calls of around Rs.1500. Each and every time I got to know something different. After creating a lot of issues I got a call from my Branch and a person named Mr. Sumit Soni clearly states that “your account is a saving a/c and you will not get a refund”. On listening to this I talked on a high volume and he disconnected the phone. Atlast they compelled me to visit the Branch on 4th December 2010. There I met that person Mr. Sumit Soni. He again told me the same and told me that “who so ever had converted your account I will complaint against that person”. Instead of accepting the mistake Mr. Soni was blaming on the person who converted my saving a/c to salary a/c and also talked to me rudely and said “GET LOST” in front of the whole Branch.

I again called phone banking for refunding my charges and logged a complaint against Mr. Sumit Soni. After a week I got a call back from my Branch and again a lady named Ms. Shilpa told me that it is a saving a/c and refused to refund my money and suggested me to close that a/c and open a fresh salary a/c otherwise the Bank will deduct the charges again and again.
On 13th Dec 2010 I specially approached the person Mr. Nitin Kapoor in Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon HDFC Branch for clarifying the things. Unfortunately he was not available in the Branch at that time. So in order to have a proof of my presence in Branch I wrote a complaint in complaint book and I have a receipt of that. Before leaving from the Bank premises I specially asked another staff person to tell me whether my a/c is a salary account or saving a/c they said my account is a salary a/c.
It is very shameful that my Sec-9, Rohini Branch is saying that my account is saving a/c whereas phone banking executive and gurgaon branch says that my account is a salary a/c. I don’t know whether the bank didn’t train their staff properly or my branch intentionally creates a problem for me.
Now I have a proof against HDFC. Earlier I made a request to refund my charges for 4 months that the Bank wrongly debited but now as the Bank staff misbehaved with me and didn’t take my complaint seriously and suggested me to close my 6 yrs old account. I need a compensation of all the calls that I made after August month and the 2 leaves that I had specially taken to approach the Bank. The amount wrongly debited from my account as well for the words that Mr. Sumit Soni had used “GET LOST” in front of the whole Branch and insulted me.
I have been mentally tortured by the Bank from the past 6 months and they are unable to solve such a small issue. I don’t think the Bank is having any intention of paying the wrongly debited amount.

I notified this issue even to RBI ombudsman (Complaint redressal) 22 Dec. 2010 with an exceptation that the RBI will sort out this issue and penalize the Bank but I have not received any response yet. Such ignorance of HDFC and RBI is strengthening the Private Banks in India to impose their unethical rules as Bank services are the basic necessity today.

It is my humble request from you to please penalize the Bank heavily so that it can never be happen with any customer in the future and notify it to RBI to take a customer complaint seriously in future.