[Resolved]  ICICI Bank / Credit Card — Seeking Compensation

Dear Sir,

I am ICICI Bank Credit card holder (no. - [protected]). In Jan 2007, there was an online transaction of Rs. 4000 with this card. (That time I was not even aware how to do online transaction). As soon as I knew this, I called customer care & the Manager told to submit application. I submitted application at Empire mill Complex, Mumbai (Request no. SR[protected] as per the guidance.

After few months, a collection boy visited my place & I spoke to the manager on phone. He appreciated my PAYMENT RECORDS & told to give a copy of Application already submitted.

After that, they sent me couple of new cards. I was getting the statement having mention about payments for Disputed transaction. (I decided not to use Card till the issue is resolved). I received calls couple of times regarding it, and I told every time that I have submitted the application & customer care dept would terminate the call with a good note & apologizing.

So it is obvious that I, as a customer, would understand that my request has been heard & trusted that these charges will be waived off.

Even Bank stopped sending me statements from Jul or Aug 2008.

On 13-Nov, I came to know that there is negative balance. On, 15-Nov, I called customer care & they informed me that due to non-payments of credit card, A/c has been blocked & I’ll have to meet collection officer (& I got the letter for the same 6-7 days late i.e. on 19 – Nov). I met Mr. Shiv Kumar who assured me that he will zero-ise my dues & henceforth A/C won’t be blocked. (& that was done).

The A/C started as normal. So I issued cheques from this A/C & on 27-Dec, I came to know that again my A/C had been blocked. My cheques had been dishonored & the bank charged me for that. I was not having any cash that time & ICICI Bank deliberately delayed the case & removed lein on 23rd Feb. Due to this I had to suffer FINANCIAL LOSSES (the details of the same will be provided in front of BO Official) Apart from the monetary losses, my family life had been disturbed & everyone in my family is worried about this. My mother was very much tensed & remained depressed.

So considering the long time relationship with bank, I had asked for the compensation of only Rs. 2000 (the details of the same will be provided) from the ICICI bank however the bank refused to pay.

All these have been done towards the non-payment of credit card as claimed by ICICI Bank. But the same case was resolved in my favor in 15-Mar-2007 & the amount of Rs. 4000/- was to be removed. However they claim that the Amount accumulated (Rs. 9600) was the interest charged on Non-payment of Rs. 4000.
The bank says that I should have informed about the reversal of these charges. However they never sent any letter mentioning that the disputed transaction (Rs. 4000) has been resolved in my favor. How would I know that they are charging interest (on the non-existing Rs. 4000)? Please let me know if it is possible in India, to calculate interest on the amount which you don’t have to pay.
This sounds very idiotic.

Now I ask for the compensation of Indian Rs. 5, 00, 000/-.

I would have initiated the case immediately but my mother passed away on 17-Mar-2009. She had been under tension when my Bank A/C was blocked. So now I will not let bank go Scot free come what may!

It is the duty of the ICICI bank to disseminate the information & the Bank should have voluntarily cancelled all the charges.

Consider the following:

**Had I gone for settlement, I would have been at loss.
**If I had not fought & paid the whole amount, I would have never come to know that I am paying interest on the amount, the case of which had been resolved in my favor (i.e. the amount ceases to be existing). I would have been at loss.
**The Bank disclosed about resolution of case after I fought & submitted the complaint to RBI. It’s a cheating to hold back such information.

Had I not fought, the Bank would have kept the resolution hidden. (This is what the ethical banking practice is?)

I would have been at loss for the Bank’s mistakes such as lack of co-ordination amongst their departments, not disseminating information, misuse of their authority by blocking the accounts & harassing the customers (LIKE GOONS).

Above all, the Bank registered my name in CIBIL showing my profile negative. I wonder how CIBIL can accept such claims from the banks. Isn’t CIBIL doing any inquiry on its own? I would request CIBIL to go deep into the matters, because the baseless & wrong information can ruin the credibility of an individual (one who believes in Indian Laws, pays dues regularly at any cost, & wants to live peacefully.)

To earn meager profit, bank misused its authority. Now that they had caused great trouble for my family. So I have decided to initiate case against ICICI & I claim Indian Rs. 500000 towards all these harassment. I have to pay 4 installments of Rs 4953 towards my personal loan. However right now I will hold the payment till I do not get the compensation. I repeat, I will hold the payment & this doesn’t mean that I will not pay.

All the rules & laws have to be observed by the common people whereas the institutions act as per their whims, misusing their rights, harassing genuine customers to recover the losses made from bad loans. However when they commit mistake, they go Scot free.

There has to be some limit to all these.

I seek help from Banking Ombudsman officials to act as an intermediary to resolve the case and give justice to me. Now I do not trust ICICI Bank at all.

Also, I have decided to hold on to the installments of PL to ICICI till I am not being compensated for my losses. I have paid 33 installments of Rs. 4953 & 3 are left. I will pay the installments later however there should not be any interest or charges claimed because due to the bank's mistake I had to suffer.

Note: I have paid all my installments to ICICI Bank whether it’s credit card, demat A/C or savings A/C. You can check records. Still the bank has acted in very unethical way.