[Resolved]  ICICI Bank — Change of Address

Mr. Kamath,

I wish I did not have to write to you as the Managing Director and CEO of any institution, let alone ICICI Bank Limited, is not the responsible person for issues as trivial as Change of Address. However, it is the inefficiency, high handedness and unprofessional attitude of your Customer Service Managers at NRI-MUM that compelled me to write this note to you.

Since Nov 10, 2008, I had the most unpleasant of experiences to deal with Mihir Vyas, Jitendra Sharma, Manish Bhatia, Sangita Kuril, and Unnati K, with Sangita Kuril sending the exact same cut-and-paste email three times in four days: first on Nov 13, then again on Nov 15, and finally on Nov 17. In order to mark the emails in the inbox replied promptly, your Customer Service Managers simply cut-and-paste the standard responses available on your internal server, but they do not give a damn to what customer is actually asking for. Their behavior is 100% autocratic and totalitarian.

I have also got issues with your process of Change of Address as well. They will only advance ICICI bank into a bureaucratic organization. I have dealt with the torture and red tapism of your people for past one month to have my address changed. My specific concerns are

• I have an NRE account. Of course, I do not reside in India. How do you expect me to have an address in India?
• It is my account. As soon as I furnish my identity (e.g., passport) I should get my address changed promptly to whatever address I want. There should be no other documents requirements.
• For banks you want to compete with, e.g., Chase, HSBC, and Citi, I get my address changed online – whenever, wherever! Why cannot ICICI be like that?
• ICICI bank has a novel concept of mandate holder. He is fully authorized to operate my account. He can write checks and he can withdraw money, but why cannot you accept his address as my address? In writing I have requested you to have his address as my communication address and I have also furnished his address proof.
• Mihir Vyas dictates “For care off address NOC and relationship proof required(original).”
• Jitendra Sharma writes “You can also use as Ration Card issued by Government of India relationship proof.” How does he expect me to have a Ration Card in India when I reside in some other country?
• Manish Bhatia threats “We request you to provide us the Court Affidavit. We will be unable to process your request without relationship proof.” If one person lives inside India and other person resides outside India, how does he expect me to execute the Court Affidavit?
• Sangita Kuril says “We really understand our concern however please note that we do not want a scan copy send by you to us in the e-mail however we require physical documents and as your have mentioned that you have sent it than please confirm to track your status of it.” What’s the difference between a photocopy and a scan copy? Or, did you expect me to send you the original passport of my brother to you?
• Unnati K delivers the final judgement “With reference to SR86740771, we have rechecked the request, you have provided the NOC along with the request but the signature of blood relative is not original signature(photocopy) and you have not provided brother's passport with request .”
• For God’s sake, why so much bureaucracy, red tapism and dictatorship?
• This is not the right path for ICICI bank to be an International Bank, which you strive for.
• With the advent true international banks, like Citi and HSBC, and growth of other homegrown private sector banks like HDFC, people do have options now. Gone are the days ICICI used to be the only professional bank in India. ICICI bank is no longer professional these days. It’s more like SBI now.
• I had account with ICICI bank for over six years now, but it is no longer pleasant to bank with ICICI bank these days.
• Of course, I will do whatever it takes to salvage my money in the SBNRE account, but as a well-wisher of ICICI bank I do expect it to mend its ways.

Best wishes,
Pradeep

P.S.: A photocopy of my brother’s passport and another NOC with original signatures are on its way to ICICI Bank Limited, NRI Services Centre (CPC-NRI), 2nd Floor, Trade World, B-Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013, India.