[Resolved]  SBI Cards — False Commitments & uncooperative attitude of employees and associates of SBI Cards

I am an SBI “International” Credit Card Holder, Card No: [protected] who would kindly like to seek your kind attention towards the following major grievances regarding SBI Cards:
1. False Commitments made by executives of SBI Cards!
2. Highly uncooperative and misleading responses of call centre executives of SBI Cards!
3. Lack of access to grievance readressal cells and officials of SBI Cards for existing account holders!
4. Lack of availability of pronounced guidelines regarding account closure for existing account holders!
5. Withdrawal of services to existing card holders without any intimation!
6. Discourteous behaviour of associates of SBI Cards!

In my account statement dated 4th of June 2008, the total outstanding balance was Rs 8, 281.74/- (Eight thousand two hundred eighty one rupees and seventy four paisa only). During my tenure o[censored]sage of the card, the service provider SBI Card has always remained a faceless organisation and I have always faced extreme difficultly in escalating any issue or concern to the appropriate authority through the ill trained and uncooperative call centre executives.

As a consequence I decided to close my account permanently by cancelling my credit card and making a full and final payment. I called up the call centre to inquire about the process but the only response which I got repeatedly was that: “You cannot close the card on your own will; it can only happen if certain criteria are met up”. On enquiring about the criteria no information was shared with me by the call centers executives.

In the end of June 2008, when an executive/ associate from SBI Card called me up inquiring about the payment status, I re-expressed my intention of closing the card. The call was made from [protected] and the executive after a series of discussions & negotiations intimated me if I pay a full and final settlement amount of Rs 5, 000.00 (Rupees Five Thousand only), the balance Rs 3, 281.74/- (Three thousand two hundred eighty one rupees and paisa seventy four only) would be waived off. On asking for a written confirmation of the same, he assured me that once the payment is realised the organisation would send me a written confirmation regarding the waiver and the adjustment in the balance would be effected within a period of 45 (forty five) days.

I subsequently made the payment of Rs 5, 000/- on an immediate basis on 2nd July 2008. Thereafter no monthly statements were couriered and no telephonic calls were made to me either, from SBI Card and I had completely stopped making any kind of transaction with the Card.

However to my enormous surprise and utter disgust I started receiving repeated calls again from associates of SBI Cards in the month of November 2008. The calls were made from [protected] and the executive informed me that my card is still active and no adjustments (waiver) has been made in the balance post my last payment of Rs. 5, 000/-.

He also informed that the current balance in my account as of 4th Nov 2008 was Rs. 6, 268.78/- (Six thousand two hundred sixty eight rupees and seventy eight paisa only) which needs to be paid. Based on the discourteous behaviour and the update provided by the executive, I called up the call centre to understand the reason as to why the false promises were made to me in the recent past BUT IN VAIN.

The current state of affairs is that on one hand, I am continuously calling up the call centre executives and sending feedback e-mails to understand the process of making a full and final settlement but nobody is providing me with any guidance at all. On the other hand, I am receiving dismayed calls enquiring about the payment of the outstanding balance.

My exercise of running from pillar to post is leading to loss of valuable time and unnecessary compounding of interest on my outstanding balance. If the acts of relying on the words of an executive of a world class organisation and working accordingly is REWARDED in this manner, then how would we as common people keep faith in the goodwill of SBI Cards and in particular in State Bank of India!

I however still am hopeful and expect justice from your end in the above-mentioned issues as to IMMEDIATE SETTLEMENT AND CLOSURE OF THE CARD.