[Resolved]  Icici Lombard — Fraudulent Practices for Insurances

To,
Shri K V Kamath
Chairman
ICICI Bank

Subject; Fraudulent practices by ICICI-Lombard General Insurances

Dear Sir,

I am a Customer of ICICI bank since year 2003 and is very happy to say that I am more than satisfied with the services provided to me and other customers by ICICI Bank.

This particular note is just to inform, what is happening in ICICI-Lombard General Insurances Company. This could be an isolated case with me which would be explained in following paragraphs, but I feel that this must be brought to the notice of the highest officer of the company and other related with the Insurance business.

1. I got a call from Mumbai office of ICICI or ICICI-Lombard office asking if I am Vijay Kumar Taylor. I said yes.
2. The person on the line said that you are our privileged customer and we would like to gift you an Insurance policy. I said, I already have one from my company and I don’t need other policy.
3. The person on the line repeatedly requested and called me over my mobile saying that the Insurance policy would without any cost so there is no harm in having two policies.
4. I said that I don’t need. The person on line from ICICI again and again called and said that we have new tie up with Lombard and we need to show some business from our (ICICI) side that is why we are planning to gift few policies to our privileged customers. He continued to request me till I had to say ok lets hear about the policy.
5. The person on line explained that myself and my wife would be covered under the policy and the policy would be sent to my address directly.
6. I asked how it is possible to issue Insurance policies with out any charges (or gifted).
7. The person replied that sir, as we have JV with Lombard and we have to show some business from our (ICICI) side, the policy would be issued at some EMI which would be reflected in your Credit card. I said I don’t need to see any thing on my Credit as the same is kept under my Locker because I would never use the same. The person asked why?. I said I have bitter experience o[censored]sing the Credit cards and the present ICICI Credit card has been sent to while I shifted my account from Valsad to Indore.
8. The person said that sir there is no need to worry. The Charges in the Credit card statement would be reflected, but no need to pay the same.
9. I was not convinced with his argument but due to his repeated calls I said ok let me feel he experience of ICICI doing so. The person said that some body from Lombard would call you to confirm and record the acceptance of the policy on my credit card and I have to just say ok in respect of deduction of policy charges from my ICICI Credit number [protected]. He repeatedly said that no charges would actually be demanded from you by ICICI. I was smelling something wrong.. A call came immediately after some time saying that they are calling from ICICI Lombard to confirm some details. I tried to avoid and did not respond to the first call still fearing that probably something wrong what has been stated by your person from Mumbai. The came once again and requested once again regarding confirmation of some information’s. All this was happening to me in my office continuously on the same day. I got fed up and said ok please ask what you want. The person on the line was asking about the general information regarding address, my Credit number etc and finally asked do you accept the purchase of policy, which I replied as briefed by previous your person.
10. A policy bearing number 4034/FNP/02199966/00/000 wit cards was received by me just based on the telephonic conversation with your person from Mumbai in May 2007. I just kept the policy in the cupboard of my office.
11. Nothing of any sort about the Credit card and demand of money came to me till 1st week of December 2007. The Credit card statement for the month of November was received at my address showing a Total amount of Rs. 14974=34 due to be paid by me. I just did not bother as per the words of the person who initially called me from Mumbai.
12. I was not comfortable with the Credit card statement demanding me to pay the above mentioned amount. I felt some thing fishy about all this. I immediately called your person at Mumbai and asked to cancel all this privileged Insurance issue.
13. I got the policy cancellation letter from Mumbai office in 2nd week of December 2007. I felt relaxed.
14. But the Credit card statement sent to my address for the month of December 2007 showed a recovery of Rs. 4347=00 and still the amount due to be paid by me was shown as Rs. 11499=47. I thought that some process in installment is taking place of reversion of the amount shown in my Credit card.
15. But the Credit statement for the month of January 08, February 08 and March 08 kept on increasing. I just kept them all Credit card statement together to see what going to happen with the fish which was smelling since beginning.
16. One fine morning a call came on my mobile, asking me to deposit the dues of Rs. 14048=96 reflected in the statement of March 2008. I said what for I should pay the amount as I was told that it would just an statement to show Lombard (JV Partner with ICICI) that some EMI are being deducted. But the lady on the line started saying that nothing of this sort happen in ICICI . I really got a shock as well curious to know what’s all this about.
17. I said to the lady I am not going to pay the dues mentioned in the Credit card statement. I was shocked to see the response of the lady who said that the amount has to be paid by you otherwise their people would come to my place and recover the money.
18. I said to the lady that there is no need to come to my place and right now I am coming to your ICIC Bank. I visited the ICICC bank, AB Road Branch and desired to meet the concerned Manager of the Credit card section. I was satisfied with his response who sid that ICICI Credit card section and ICICI Lombard are separate identities and what ever is demanded as dues on Credit card is due to the purchase made by the Customer. I said that I have never used the Credit card sent by ICICI till date as the same is kept under locker.
19. The Manager Credit card section, ICICI Bank listened the whole episode and agreed that some thing of this sort is happening and he only informed me whatever you confirmed to the person calling from Mumbai, based on that your EMI has started reflecting in the statement . I said I already got the policy cancelled and reversion of amount started in December 2007. He Explained that if the three EMI are not paid as per the Credit card statement by the customer, the entire amount of the policies is charged in the Credit card by the ICICI-Lombard General Insurances Company. I was shocked to hear this as it was never told to me by any of the concerned person. Then I said that the Credit statements were not received by me till November 2007 (6 month after the issue of policy). The Manager Credit card section generated all the Credit card statement since June to October 2007.
20. I asked the Manager that when the policy is cancelled and policy charges reversed, then why are you continue to sent the statement. The Manager explained that probably the ICICI-Lombard reverted policies charges for some period and no further changes are reversed so ICICI Credit card can not do any thing about this and unable to send Zero balance statement. He advised me to visit ICICI-Lombard office at Indore and request for the reversal of entire policy charges.
21. I visited the ICICI-Lombard office and try to submit an application. The lady at the counter refused to acknowledge the receipt of my application. I said that at least listen to the content of the application which she listed but without any response. The Branch Manager ICICI-Lombard also came during the discussion but his response was not at all satisfactory except saying that they would act on the what has been written in the application and would informed me accordingly. I had mentioned my mobile number on the application.
22. Nothing happened/ no information sent to me on my application for 38 days. Then I had to visit the ICICI-Lombard office at Indore once again. The lady at counter checked and said that they have received the response. She told me to listen some recorded audio and based on that she said that I have accepted the policy. I said that its not the true what is being told to me and if she would like to know the facts, please listen to the conversation which had happened prior to the audio version made available to me. She flatly refused that only acceptance audio version is recorded and nothing committed before and after on phone is recorded so the same can not be made available to me.
23. I felt like an Englishman is cheating to a Indian villager. I was so angry from inside thinking that such type of things are still prevailing MOST PROBABLY DUE TO THE THINKING OF JV INSURANCE COMPANY PARTNER THAT INDIANS ARE STILL VILLAGERS AND .
24. I wrote one more application requesting to resolve the issue saying the cheating has been done by ICICI-Lombard by making false statement copy/audio version of which is not being made available to me. The lady at the counter once again flatly refused to receive my application leaving with no choice to loose temper. The lady at counter talked to Branch Manager and told me that Mr. Kartikesh Paliwal is coming to resolve the issue.
25. Mr. Kartikesh Paliwal came after 10 minutes during which period I was offered Cold Water and Coffee. One More lady Officer came in and started talking very sweetly. I had to explained everything from the beginning thinking that probably these officers would be able to or take interest in resolution of the issue.
26. After few minutes I understood that the Branch Manager and other lady officer are very much tuned to handle and well aware of the fraudulent practices going on in ICICI-Lombard General Insurances Company.
27. Still both the officer refused to acknowledged my application and stated that the application be sent by courier officially, however they accepted one Xerox copy stating the action would be initiated.
28. This date is[protected] and there is no response till date from ICICI-Lombard General Insurances Company, Indore or Mumbai.
29. One more strange thing, that till date since March 2008, I have not received any Credit card statement. I DON’T KNOW WHAT ALL IS GOING ON INTERNALLY BUT MY ISSUE STILL NOT RESPONDED. I AM NOT SURPRISED, IF I GET AND CREDIT CARD STATEMENT ASKING ME TO DEPOSIT Rs. 50000=00 AND A CALL ON ANY OTHER DAY OTHER WISE SOME PEOPOLE MIGHT COME TO MY PLACE TO RECOVER THE SAME FROM ME.
30. I am sending this detailed note for your review not with the interest that my problem is resolved, but with a sincere view that other are prevented from this type of fraudulent practices.
31. I do not know whether this note would reach to you or not, therefore requesting the all concerned who are in receipt of this note to please take up the issue or send this note at proper place in the interest of the common man