Bollywood is very popular for portraying the angry young men (and sometimes women). Various actors have played the part but Big B is the one who began it all.
Here are 4 stories of angry credit card customers and how they should handle the disputes.
Dispute 1: Oops! Got the wrong bill
Ravi bought grocery using his card on 15th May, but his credit card statement says that he had lunch at Le Meridian. If that ever happens to you, don’t panic.
Getting a wrong bill or being charged for an amount that you have not incurred is one of the commonest credit card disputes in India. This happens either due to errors at dealer points or because your card’s security has been compromised.
What to do: Give a ring to the bank and state the facts. Also ask for an explanation. Send them a written communication with a copy of the bill immediately. The bank officials have to get back to you within a span of 60 days.
Dispute 2: Not enough time in hand
Amit got his credit card statement on 1st May and the due date was on 5th May and was pressed for time. That’s not fair for sure. It is your right to get at least 14 days for making the payment. But postal delay may not always be the fault of the bank.
There are many disputes in the consumer court, where customers have filed complaints against banks for charging them interest on late payment. Here the customer has received the bill late and doesn’t want to pay the dues until the dispute is settled. In such cases, the bank often wins and the customer ends up paying the accumulated interest in case all the bill payments have been withheld by the customer in lieu of getting a favourable settlement.
What to do: No bank can levy new charges that were not mentioned earlier. But banks cannot be blamed for postal delays. In this digital era, one should opt for bills through e-mails. Or, know your bill cycle well and follow up with the bank if you have not received your bill on time.
Dispute 3: Tiff between merchant and customer
Rohit ordered a table online but it arrived with a broken leg. The online seller insists that the table was sent in a perfect condition and is not ready to budge.
Many consumers send payment reversal requests to card companies without knowing the right procedure. The card company will refuse to reverse a transaction that has already been authenticated.
What to do: The actual dispute is due to the customer contesting the transaction itself. It is the merchant’s duty (who is the receiver of payment) to reverse the payment here. Many ignorant Indian consumers follow the wrong steps and end up in disputes with the banks.
Dispute 4: Dues on a long closed card!
Rachana kept receiving calls and emails from the bank about outstanding dues on a card she’d cancelled a long time ago and she wasn’t pleased.
There are many instances of cases filed where customers have been contacted by banks on dues on cards already closed by them. This often happens because of technical problems that upgrade the renewal/cancellation status at the bank’s end. When the renewal fees aren’t paid, the bank levies overdue charges on the customer.
What to do: It is always good to keep documentary evidences with you, even for closed cards. Banks issue No Due Certificates (NDC) on the closure of cards. You can keep this as a proof. If you haven’t received any written communication from the bank that the card stands closed, follow up with them for one.
What’s the recourse platform?
- Approach your bank first. They have to find a solution within 60 days
- If you aren’t satisfied with the solution, you can forward the complaint to banking ombudsman appointed by the RBI
- If the dispute is still not settled as per your liking, you can file an appeal before the appellate authority within another 30 days
How to avoid further trouble?
- Pay credit dues on time even if the dispute is going on. This would protect you from paying more if the decision is against you
- Read terms and conditions of the card carefully
- Have a good understanding of your billing cycle
- Keeps alerts turned on mobile for every card transactions and carefully archive every bill
- Know your rights as a customer
If you follow all the above steps, you can enjoy Amitabh Bachchan on screen and without feeling like stealing his lines. Just saying.