Thursday, February 08, 2007

the one with the ATM machine.

there are some things which are from the word go jinxed. recently someone got access to my card details and for the first time in my life i was involved in credit card fraud. i contacted my bank and the places where the person made their purchases, hallmark and gas stations. probably around christmas time. im thinking a kind hearted thief who wanted to buy gifts for everyone. ok, lets not get benevolent. ive had a good patka thanks to him/her. anyway so even after blocking my card, the person still managed to make transactions and obviously the people who faced my anger and frustration were the banking employees. that why what how, can it be possible. the bank apologized profusely, and sent me a new card and an affidavit where i can claim back the money. so far not so bad but no so good either.
over the past two days i have been trying to use my card at regular ATM machines here in dubai. luckily, they have been those swipe kind of ATMs and not the ones where you have to put the card in. and for some reason it didnt work, i contacted the bank again this time ready to blast them again. but th elady was like listen you need to first activate it to work. my assertion evaporated and all i could say was an "oh". so activation done, i tried again but this time as luck would have it, in an ATM machine where you have to insert the card. and as my luck is, it got retained. i know its partially my fault, i shouldnt have taken the risk. i never listen to my gut feeling. and then i land into a fix.
so anyway, i go inside the nearby exchange house which is supposedly responsible for the ATM. the customer service totally ignores me, its probably a competition between the staff whoever looks up has to deal with me. so for two mins no one looks up. finally some sucker does. and coz now that dubai is going the red tape way, they cant solve my problem in one shot. they ask me to contact the bank. some dude who is overhearing the conversation is like let me see and he goes out to the ATM machine and get this actually bangs it with his fist. for a split second i had this omigod-did-u-just-do-that look. its a ATM machine not a vending machine. haha. ok one shouldn be kicking vending machines either. alrite fine its allowed if no one is around. haha. anyway im sure, they have CCTV those camera type things. at least i hope they do. but i really hope they dont think im with that guy. =) i have enough problems on my plate. ok so im dissing the good samaritan. at least someone who was kind enough to help.im mean. so anyway,the customer service in dubai does what they do best. give me the number for the bank and ask me to call them. yea, pass the buck on.
so i called the local bank and they put me on hold for half an hour and then hang up. not once, not twice but thrice. theres a limit to my patience too. finally after calling again and again, i got one lady and she took my details and said she would call me back. in a desperate attempt im like what, when will u call me. shes like i call you in 10 mins. i was like i can hold for 10 mins. i can hold for more even. (seriously one becomes patient after a while) shes like no maam i will call you. finally grudgingly i hang up. its been 6 hours and she hasnt called me back. i finally caleld back again and they tell me it will take 5 days to get it. and they cant speed up the process. atrocious.
10 years ago, i would have gotten my card within hours. i dont know if its coz there is a sudden increase in population in dubai. but there are so many banks also mushrooming left, right and center. why is this such a long process. i dont get it. this isnt my story alone. recently some lady travelling to morroco had her card retained and the bank didnt do a single thing to help her out. imagine being in a foreign country having no money and no friends to help you out. in sharp contrast, ive heard of stories of people with a lot of money and immediately the next day the card was expresssed to them. probably people who dont badly need it and have other cards that they can use. why is eveyrthing becoming so hard, shouldnt you service those who badly need it first. or is just that money talks. this really does suck. i really really miss my old dubai.

5 comments:

Sharique 10:30 PM  

Your bank is in NY right? One bank here adopts a nice strategy to attract customers, they go to all the final year students and tell them that they are giving away free credit cards. We take it but no card comes for many many months. Actually they ask us to fill the form just to take our contact details so that when we pass out they can give us the card!! (i mean when we start earning they will give the card)thats ICICI btw if you have heard

heenad 11:22 PM  

yep my bank is in NY. Perhaps they expect you to transfer your salary to their bank and then only they would send you the card? I thought it was a good bank. ICICI bank has opened a branch in dubai. And I know more than a handful of people who used to work there but dont stick around for more than a year or two.

heenad 11:22 PM  

yep my bank is in NY. Perhaps they expect you to transfer your salary to their bank and then only they would send you the card? I thought it was a good bank. ICICI bank has opened a branch in dubai. And I know more than a handful of people who used to work there but dont stick around for more than a year or two.

As If 1:31 AM  

And I thought this happened only in Bombay!!

heenad 8:58 AM  

asif: banks universally suck

  © Blogger templates Psi by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP