[Resolved]  ICICI Bank — Account Freezes for no proper reason

Re: To WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

This is Uma Maheswari and I have an Account (**** ***** 6034) with ICICI Bank for the past 4 years and its was a salary account, and i maintained Rs.86 as my balance for the past one year. Suddenly in received too many intimations through letter stating that my account has to be re-operated by paying a minimal balance of Rs.5000 or it shall be closed. Immeidatedly i deposited a amount of 1, 50, 000 in Jawahar Nagar, Kolathur Branch, Chennai. At that time the bank staff accepted the deposits with sheer happiness. Since i was married before six months and i wanted to also change my initial in my name, i was asked to submit several proofs such as marriage certificate, address proofs and ID proofs. and I had submitted the same 3 times, in the same branch as the bank staff told me that they have misplaced the proofs i have submitted earlier. All this happened in the month of July 2008.


Now to my surprise when i operated my account on 18th Feb, 2009, the bank person told me that my account has been freezed just because it was a salary account and i had made no transactions. even in the month of January, 2009 i had deposited a cheque of 6000. when this was told to the bank staff, he casually told that "ICICI BANK CAN ACCEPT ONLY DEPOSITS BUT NOT WITHDRAWALS".

And to all of your notice the SELAIYUR branch Operations Manager "LALITHA" STARTED SHOUTING at me when the reason was asked. She told tht the bank requires ID PROOFS AND ADDRESS PROOFS, and only if i submit these two docs i can go ahead and access my account so tht they would unfreeze within 3 -4 working days. Is the Operations Manager operating in Selaiyur Branch, Chennai is o[censored]nsound mind? When i clearly told her that the docs have already been submitted, she said "SUBMITTING DOCS IN ANOTHER BRANCH IS IN NO WAY RELATED TO THE BRANCH IN WHICH SHE IS BEEN OPERATING". Does ICICI bank think that i need to submit my proofs in as much BRANCHES you guys are operating?

And i then told her that i am going ahead and closing my account. She said "'fine only if you unfreeze your account, i will close it". And the next day, when i went to submit the docs such as my Passport and driving licence, Lalitha, she directed me to another staff. I dont know what her name was, but she had a confusion, and started calling all her colleagues to clarify her doubts in my case. and i was made to wait for 45 mins. and finally she told that my passport cANNOT be accepted as proof as my surname indicated my husband's name. So she asked me to submit my MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE so tht then she can go ahead with the process. When i explained to her that all my documents including my MC has already been submitted, she then rang up few of her other colleagues and by the time she was ringing me, i got very badly frustrated and told her that i am not ready to unfreeze the account but close the account. She immediatedly told tht for account closure there is no no neccesity to unfreeze the account and thth it can be done immediately. Are ICICI bank staffs sleeping all the way and wake up only when they see a customer in their counter??????????

The staffs are really unknowledgeable. Every time they ring up somebody or go stand in an irated place discuss for 15 mins and then answer us. Moreover when you guys appoint a Operation's Manager, "LALITHA OF SELAIYUR BRANCH, CHENNAI" dont you guys teach them how they should behave to CUSTOMERS.

Firstly please make sure that you appoint someone who knows the bank's procedures as Operations Managers. Your service is very bad, very pathetic. Had an idea of opening an NRI account, but fortunately since the service in the HDFC Bnk, Selaiyur Branch was damn good i have opened a new account there. Initially, the freezing of my account was not intimated to me and now the closure was also not intimated. REAL BAD SERVICE.

i will further have no transactions with your bank and also advice my friends and family members not to have account in your bank.