HDFC Bank — ATM discrepancy

Address:

Delhi

I have been harassed by HDFC bank for the last one month. My ordeal began on the night of Dec 10, 2012 when I visited an Axis bank ATM near my home on Gangaram Road, New Delhi.

I inserted my HDFC card into the machine and tried to withdraw Rs. 10,000. However, the machine flashed a message "Not enough cash" and the transaction failed. But surprisingly, the amount was deducted from my account which I realized later when I got a message from the bank.

As I did not got any cash I walked to another nearby HDFC ATM and tried to withdraw Rs. 4,000, but again the same thing happened. The machine flashed the same message without giving me any cash.

Minutes later, another text from the bank informs me that I have successful withdrawn Rs. 4,000.

My mother visited the bank’s branch in Old Rajendra Nagar on Dec 12 and submitted the complaint on my behalf. Firstly, she was never received properly by your discourteous staff and instead of helping her they questioned why I was not there when in fact she had the ATM card its PIN number and all the other details.

My mother had to literally shout to get the attention of the staff. Finally, the branch manager came and asked her to submit a complaint on phone banking. But that was of no help and finally after 12 days we were asked to e-mail the complaint on grievance.[protected]@hdfcbank.com which I did on Dec 24.

I was told that sometimes it takes time for the machine to put out the cash but I stayed at both the ATMs for at least ten minutes after the transactions were declined, but nothing came out.

Further, we were told that the transaction amounting to Rs.10,000 will take some time as it involves an Axis bank ATM but the second transaction of Rs. 4,000 took place at an HDFC bank ATM and it will be “resolved at the earliest.”

When I visited the branch manager again on Dec 26 to enquire about the status of my complaint related to Rs. 4,000, surprisingly the lady told me that the request for Rs. 2,000 had been sent for consideration. Rs 2,000? Who made her the manager of the bank when she can’t even note down a figure properly.

So, in my e-mail to grievance.[protected]@hdfcbank.com, written on Dec 24, I demanded the CCTV footage of that night. On Dec 29 I got a call from one of their executives, Saransh and he informed me that as the CCTV footage was not clear they can’t make out if someone other than me took away my cash.

So, is it my fault that HDFC ATM’s do not have proper CCTV’s installed? Should I have not opened an account with the bank? Or Should I have not used the ATM?

Going by the excuses given by the executives and branch officers, I can safely say that they wanted to tell me that nothing was wrong on their part and maybe I should forget my Rs. 14,000.

P.S. I am a ‘Classic Customer’ of HDFC Bank and have also provided with a personal banker. So, if a ‘Classic Customer’ is treated this way, I wonder what the regular ones have to go through.