[Resolved]  ICICI Credit Card And ICICI Prudential — Premium Payment Facility

I am a policyholder of ICICI Prudential. Of the various options given by ICICI Prudential, I chose the Auto -Debit facility through ICICI Credit Card around October 2007. I was told that this mode was without any charge. Thereafter:

1. Once in late 2008 I was informed by ICICI Prudential that my premium payment was refused by the ICICI Credit Card. Being surprised to hear this as I never defaulted in payment of Credit Card Bill, I immediately contacted ICICI Bank on which they told me that ICICI Prudential did not present the bill and hence no payment was made. Finding the version of both the companies contradictory, I had to make numerous calls. After a lot of follow up this facility was restored.

2. However, again in February 2009 I faced same problem and replies of both the companies were same. Again I had to make a lot of follow up but that same was of no avail and I received a message from ICICI Prudential that if my payment was not paid my policy would lapsed. Then at last I had to visit the office of ICICI Prudential and make the payment through cash.


3. It may be mentioned that in the begining of this year i.e. 2009 ( i cant remember the month exactly) I received a call from ICICI bank that I had registered for premium payment through Bill Junction to which I replied in negative. That time I was not able to understand why this call was made but now it is very clear.

4. In March 2009, I received a call from ICICI Bank saying that I had registerd for bill payment vide my request made on August 15, 2008, which was a false statement from ICICI Bank. I asked the representative that what was purpose of making this call and whether she can give me proof of my such request, to which she had no answer.


5. Then on April 12, 2009 I received an SMS from ICICI bank that my autodebit facilty has been deleted at my request, which in fact was never made by me. Then I visited the site of ICICI Prudential and by logging in I made the payment through same credit card. One day after I received a call from ICICI Bank representative that why dont I get registered for bill payment then I informed her that on one day the facility is withdrawn and next day facility is offered. Then she told me that I could gain get registered and I would have to pay Rs. 100/ per year.

In fact this last line made the entire picture claer and I understood why this entire things had happened. All this was to collect the new charge which otherwise I was not liable to pay under auto debit facility. But as I was not willing to opt out of that facility it was done by ICICI unilaterally and then falsely stating that the same was done at my request.

There I would like to say that such practice folowed by ICICI bank is quite unfair. First they attract the customer and therafter to charge them adopts various means. In this process they unnecessarily harass the customers and waste their valuable time.


Regards

Alok Chandra Singh