[Resolved]  Barclays Credit Card — Late Payment fees

Dear Sir / Madam,

I wish to bring to your attention my greivance against Barclay Bank whose credit card I had taken last year. I had purchased goods worth Rs. 1099/- in January 2009 on my Barclaycard Credit Card. My payment due date was 28th Feb. 2009.

I stay in the suburbs and would have preferred to make a cash deposit at the Bank's branches to make it an instant payment.

Although, I wanted to make a cash payment for the outstanding amount, I had to drop a cheque in the bank's dropbox as Barclay Bank does not have branches across Mumbai except for one at Worli which is very far for me. However, as per Barclaycard records, the payment was realized 2-3 days late, and they have shown a payment received date as 4th March, 2009, in the statement dated dated 07/03/2009.

In the same statement, Barclay Card charged me a late payment fees of Rs. 600/-, along with a service tax of Rs. 74.16, debit interest of Rs. 62.72 and a service tax on this of Rs. 7.75, thereby making my total late payment fee of Rs. 744.63 as per their statement dated 07/03/2009 for the month of March.

The above stated amount is a flat payment structure that the bank follows and in my case it amounts to a whopping 70% of the total amount that was spent. As per the bank's records, my payment was received by them only 3 days late on which they have levied such high charges. This is gross injustice to be paying such high late payment fees for 3 days. Even the domestic and international money markets do not charge such interest rates for 3 days loans. The overnight call money market rates are also lower than this on a loan of a small amount of Rs. 1099/-. I believe the above said amounts are much higher than the RBI Guidelines.

I am shocked by the statements with such high charges that have been coming to me in the months after March 2009 till date. My Barclaycard statement for the month of April 2009, has debited another Rs. 600 + 61.80 + 26.68 + 2.75, making my total outstanding for the month of April 2009 Rs.1, 422.21. For the month for May 2009 also the bank has sent me a similar statement with such high charges and same for June 2009.

The bank is charging me month after month and I am requesting them for reversals which they are declining after assurance from the call center executive that someone will look into the matter. I have requested the bank for a reversal on three different occasions which was declined all three times. The credit card company is now sending me a new statement every month and this amount is increasing by Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500 every time. They have even suspended my card account but are debiting my card account for charges on a compounded basis, while I am still fighting for the first late payment fee reversals. My total outstanding as on today is Rs. 2, 875.65/- which has accumulated due to the compounded late payment fees levied by Barclaycard and not a single penny has been spent by me. These charges are extremely high and unheard of in India.

The bank representatives are calling me up at odd hours and mentally harassing me for payment. They are rudely asking me for the payment and are also sending me multiple smses to make payment.

I request you to help me in this regard. Please Help and take cognizance of this regard and have my late payment fees reversed which were charged in the first place only due to a delay of 3 days as per the credit card company records. I sincerely request you to help me have all these charges reversed !!!

Thanks & Regards,

Anuj Agarwal