Many other in same boat

I have got email from my colleagues in IITK, have been told verbally by them about almost same experience with ABN-AMRO. So, three faculty members have told me about similar experience, where they have dropped the cheque in ABN-AMRO drop box, the cheques are lost or debited from bank accounts, but never credited to the credit card account. Thus, resulting in heavy penalty and interest. All of these colleauges are still wasting their time writing to ABN-AMRO for solutions. Probably, I was luckiest of them.

What happened finally? More problems.

Ultimately, after lot of persuasion and sending the certificate from my bank, ABN AMRO agreed that they have indeed received the amount of Rs.1063.00. They also canceled the card. I took a sigh of relief that my adventure with ABN AMRO credit cards is over.

But to my surprise, I have got another statement charging annual membership fee. It mentioned now another card number. And best of it is that I do not have the card. So ABN AMRO now issues fictitious cards and also charges the so called customers for these fictitous cards. What a nice way of making money.

So, I now leave it to readers to decide what to do? For the time being, pray for me.

ABN AMRO problem

I ultimately decided to send the certificate that the cheque has been paid by my bank. I got the statement prepared on SBI letter head and sent the scanned copy to ABN AMRO head credit card services.

The credit card person are still adament that they have not received the payment. I got a phone call that the cheque was returned to me. But the cheque was presented by the ABN AMRO credit cards to my bank and it was debited from account on 16 March 2007. It was amazing to see the statements getting changed from the people who are calling me from ABN AMRO bank.

MY SINCERE ADVICE TO ALL OF YOU READING THIS blog - DO NOT TAKE ABN AMRO CREDIT CARD. If you are having one, it is advised, surrender it immediately. They cannot even run their banking system properly and are always asking to provide all the information. Compratively a Govt bank like SBI works much better.

Worst yet to come.

I thought after the email from head of ABN AMRO that things are settled. But the worst was to come. I got a phone call and then email on 10 April 2007, telling me that payment has not been made. But the cheque deposited with ABN AMRO credit card has already been debited from my back account on 16th March 2007. The communication from ABN AMRO bank is now stating that I have to prove to credit card company that I have paid the amount. Even after I have sent the bank statement, the ABN AMRO credit cards have asked me get in writing from my bank that the cheque has been credited to ABN AMRO credit cards.

There seems to be some serious problem with ABN AMRO cards. God save me.

ABN-AMRO bank experience (contd.)

I tried to get my voice heard finally by sending an email to head ABN-AMRO cards. Yes, I got the response. The penalty was taken back. All the consequential charges were taken back. But, this should have been done by customer care persons itself. But I have now decided not to use this card untill they provide a drop box in my locality. ABN-AMRO still need to improve their customer care. They should also write clearly on website, that cheques should not be sent by post and should only be dropped in drop boxes.

ABN-AMRO card experience (contd.)

At last the next bill arrived on 16 March 2007. I was penalised and interest charged at 35% per annum. To my amazement, the cheque sent by me, was also debited to my bank account on 16th March 2007. I cannot digest that a cheque might have taken 20 days to reach Delhi from Kanpur and that to a post bag no. in GPO. It seems ABN-AMRO bank does it intentionally to charge penalty and interest. Upon calling the customer care, the reply from call center executive is, "You have to pay the amount in full." So, I will send the cheque again, and it will again get delayed and so on....

So, you are in vicious circle for no fault of yours. The bank inefficiency need to be paid by customers. Good business sense. I pray for all ABN-AMRO customers.

Misadventure with ABN AMRO credit card

I happen to see for the first time, how rude and indifferent a credit card company can be, to their customers? I happen to have a credit card from ABN AMRO bank in India, since august 2006. I used it for first time in January of this year. I was very happy to see the way SMSs appeared on my mobile, thanking me for using the card. I got my credit card statement also on 15th Feb 2007, with technical sophestication of encrypted email. I was also prompt to find on ABN-AMRO website http://www.abnamro.co.in/ , the mechanism to pay the dues. I immediately sent a cheque to the postal address given on their website (ABN AMRO does not have drop box in the vicinity of campus of IIT Kanpur, where I live.)

To my dismay, even after 22 days, I have not received confirmation of receipt of cheque. I enquired with their call enter, they told - why I had sent the cheque by post?, it should have been put in drop box. I understood that one should not believe on, what the bank's website says. It is probably made for dumb people like me.

After that I sent three emails to the email id as given on ABN AMRO website. Alas! It happened the way you can guess - There is no response. I do not know, what to do now? I am now waiting for next statement and will do the final settlement as per the suggestion of girl at call center - by dropping the cheque in a drop box some twenty kilometers away. I have now decided not to use the card.

I guess - silently keeping the sent cheque is good idea for the bank to retrieve the heavy interest and penalty from the card users. I pray for other ABN-AMRO card holders in India.