This is for the information for all BEING ME Account holders at IDBI Bank across India –
I want to bring to your kind notice that there are thousands of customers who have been cheated and fooled by IDBI by offering this Life time free debit card but charging them annually
Information
You might be aware that, as initially launched, promised and offered, the ‘Being Me’ ATM cum Debit card was a Life time free debit card to the BEING ME Account holders.
But soon after, IDBI bank started charging an annual fee of Rs 110 on the same card.
After a long ( almost a year ) of legal, technical and administrative follow-up , complaints and escalation ( till OMBUDSMAN and R.B.I )they have revert back the charges being levied and also decided to continue offering it as Life time free debit card for those accounts which have been opened before May 30, 2012.
As per RBI authority order
“We, therefore, advise that the old customers should be exempt from any stipulation of annual charges and they all should be intimated in this regard.”
Action for Existing/Effected Customers
– Give a request to your IDBI bank Branch for reversing the annual charges of Rs.110/- to your account. If you have been charged more than once till now, please asked accordingly the refund amount i.e for two years ask for Rs 220. You can check your account statement or call the customer care if you are not sure how many times till now you have been charged for that. Simply write an application for refund to your branch manager giving your account details (account number and date of opening the account). If you are not sure of date of opening of account any bank branch should be able to help you or else you can simply mention that it has been opened before May 30, 2012.
– Make sure that you will not be charged for debit card annual fee again in future.
Though the amount looks small but you should ask for it because –
1) Such action will stop them following wrong, socially unlawful and unethical activities in future.
2) If refund is not asked it would mean that any bank can take any arbitrary decision and defeat the very objective of customer service.
3) Will avoid any biased, incorrect and designed offers which unfairly favour the Bank and disfavour the customers.
4) Will Stop them from giving misleading advertisements and press releases.
5) Finally it is your hard earned money. Did you ever heard that the Bank has left customers on any default by just giving warnings? Customers are always penalized for any default like for single day delay in payment of an EMI, credit card bill, not maintaining minimum balance etc etc.
Let me know if you need any help.