[Resolved]  IDBI Bank — Fraudulent Practice Adopted By Bank to Levy Charges for Issuing Pay Orders

Address:

Mumbai City, Maharashtra

Dear Sir/Madam I am a customer of IDBI Bank for more than 10 years. Me and my family members have many accounts with the Bank I have on few occasions availed of Pay Order Issuance from the bank from my various accounts. I was never charged any Commission towards issuance of these Pay Orders in last 3-5 years. On 28th of August 2014, I had submitted an application for issue of Pay Orders of value of Rs. 7, 03, 500/- and Rs. 51, 500/- respectively, from my Saving Bank Account, For this purpose, I had filled up pre-printed Request Slips (Application Forms) (one for each Pay Order) issued to me by the Bank at its Thakur Complex Kandivali East Mumbai Branch. In this form I had submitted all the information as necessary and as asked by the Bank. I had filled the amount of the Pay Orders in Numerical and in Word. In the column for Commission, I had put value of Zero (0). And in the Final Column of Total, I had filled the Exact Amount of Pay Orders (Rs. 7, 03, 500/- and Rs. 51, 500/- respectively in 2 different Pay Order Request Slips). No charges were agreed or consented to be paid towards payment of Commission for issue of Pay Order. I had authorized the Bank to debit my the said Savings Bank Account only for and up to the extent of the said respective amounts of Rs. 7, 03, 500/- and Rs. 51, 500/- towards Pay Order Charges in my Request Slip. I had neither neither agreed to, nor sanctioned nor authorized the Bank to charge any amount of Commission towards Pay Order Charges. At the time of submission of my request, I was neither informed about levying of the commission charges nor informed about the quantum (amount) of the charges. I had not given any blanket permission to the bank at the time of submission of the Request Slips, to deduct or levy any commission for issue of the Pay Order from my Account. In the past 2-3 years I had got few Pay Orders issued from my various Bank Accounts of IDBI Bank. I was never charged any commission for the same. The Pay Orders were issued to me on my specific requests, and on my specific authorization, on 28th of August 2014 by the Bank at its Thakur Complex (656) Kandivali East Branch, without any mention of Commission Charges or any other charges. My Savings Account was debited Rs. 7, 03, 500/- and Rs. 51, 500/- on 28th of August 2014 towards the Pay Order Charges. I was NOT DENIED issuance of Pay Orders, on the ground that I had not agreed to pay or authorize or sanction any commission towards issue of Pay Orders to the Bank in my Request Forms, or I had violated any restrictions of any nature with regards to my account. In Spite of Putting 0 (Zero) value in the Commission Column, (and putting only an amount equal to Pay Order Charges in TOTAL column of the request form) and authorizing the Bank to Deduct only Actual Amount of Pay Orders in the Total Column, the Bank had issued me the Pay Orders. The Bank, therefore was very well made aware that I did NOT intend to pay the commission charges. The Bank DID NOT seek my permission to deduct commission charges from my account at the time of accepting request and at the time of issue of the Pay Orders to me. It also did not inform me that a commission is payable. Nor was I informed the amount / quantum of the charges. The Bank also did not inform me that I am not complying with their norms of services associated with my account. On 29th August 2014, the Bank debited an amount of Rs. 2265/- towards Pay Order Charges. The amount was neither debited on the day of Accepting Request nor on the day of issuance of Pay Order. But a day later. This clearly indicates that the Bank kept these charges hidden from me and did not disclose it to me at the time of accepting the request or at the time of issuance of the Pay Orders. This is a Fraudulent and Malafide (in bad faith; with intent to deceive) practice adopted by the bank. This is a blatant Cheating by the Bank. This is against norms of Fair and Transparent Business of the Bank with its Customers. I am very much shocked, anguished and mentally traumatized by this act of the Bank. If I would have been informed about 1) Levying of Charges and 2) of Quantum of Charges, I would have opted for RTGS or would have got the Pay Orders issued from other Accounts. The bank has a duty and obligation towards its customers to inform at the time of Request or availing of services about the consequences (monetary or otherwise) or charges that the particular service / facility may entail. The bank can not and should not, unilaterally and without prior informed consent of its customer, levy charges as AFTER THOUGHT. This is like hitting a person from back, unawares (Back Stabbing). Please Note that : 1) I have not objected to right of the Bank to levy charges. 2) I have not objected to the Rate at which the charges are levied. My objection is as follow 1) I have objected to the WAY these charges have been or are being levied. Even if it is Bank’s policy, then this policy is wrong and fraudulent as it is not transparent and open. 2) A customer has a right to know and has a right to be informed of the charges AT THE TIME OF AVAILING A FACILITY. 3) It is Bank’s DUTY and a COMPULSORILY ONE to inform each and every customer the charges that will be levied for availing a particular facility. This has to be done Each and Every time, with each and every customer. 4) Merely sending an SMS or hosting the charges on the website DOES NOT absolve Bank its duties and obligations to inform its customer the charges at the time he/she avails a facility. 5) A customer is not expected to visit Bank’s website and look for various charges. 6) A customer fills up a form for availing a facility. At that time the customer has to be told of the charges. He/She should be given a liberty of Right to accept or deny the service. 7) In my case, I had not accepted to pay any commission to the bank to issue the Pay Orders. 8) If the Bank felt that the charges are to be compulsorily levied, then it should have denied to issue me Pay Orders, unless and untill I agree to pay the commission. 9) As the Pay Orders were issued even when I had declined to pay any commission, then the Bank can not and should not charge me the Commission Charges for issuing the Pay Orders. I was made to understand that the charges will not be levied, because the Pay Orders were issued to me even when I had declined to pay and charges/commission for their issuance. 10) Even if the Bank argues that these charges are made by "SYSTEM", then this "SYSTEM" of Bank has to be corrected. At its cost and expense. Not Mine. 11) I hereby again insist that the charges as levied by Bank should be immediately returned to me / credited back into my account. Samir Gandhi [protected]@hotmail.com