[Resolved]  HDFC Bank — hdfc bank changed salary account to saving account without my consent and charge for not maintaining minimum balance

Address:

Raigad, Maharashtra, 410210

Pranita M-
Contact Number- [protected]

My salary account (In hdfc bank) was created during my job with a company in 2016, with below t&c
This refers to the corporate salary account held with us. As a holder of this account you are entitled to many exclusive benefits such as:
1. Zero balance account
2. Free international debit card
3. Free demand drafts on hdfc bank locations
The terms and conditions of your hdfc bank corporate salary account, amongst others, requires that your salary proceeds are credited to this account on a regular basis.

So once i left the company and joined somewhere else in new city. I had to open another salary account as new company was customer with some other bank. Now my salary account in hdfc bank has been converted to savings account (Without my consent and without informing me).
After that i never used my account through any mode. Since after few months i started receiving message from hdfc bank that i have charge with 600rs/month for not maintaining min balance and i could not visit your branch to close my account. I gave a missed call on your toll free number (As i was receiving msgs mentioning the same) to check what is going on, i see that i have INR Rs. -5, 600 in my account.

As per rbi regulations, banks are not allowed to make any customer's balance go in negative solely on charges levied for non-maintaining minimum balance. You may check this link:

https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/notification/PDFs/MBLRDC201114.PDF
https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=1022&Mode=0
https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx?prid=30911

According to the rbi notification, banks should not take undue advantage of customer difficulty or inattention. Instead of levying penal charges for non-maintenance of minimum balance in ordinary savings bank accounts, banks should limit services available on such accounts to those available to basic savings bank deposit accounts and restore the services when the balances improve to the minimum required level.

Banks should not levy penal charges for non-maintenance of minimum balances in any inoperative account. Banks should also limit the liability of customers in electronic banking transactions in cases where banks are not able to prove customer negligence, the rbi said.