THE CRAPBOOK

Entries categorized as ‘bank’

“I am calling from xx Bank”

September 24, 2008 · 25 Comments

I applied for another credit card. This is because they were offering me 5k worth vouchers and I was like

‘wow, I could use it and then cut the credit card into four and send it back’

And then came the calls. 

Sir calling from XX bank for verfication your name, your address, your phone number”

I answered all the questions.

How long have you been staying at the rented house?”

one year”

Sir, please say 2 years”

what?”

Sir they wouldn’t agree if you haven’t stayed at the house for at least 2 years”

But I have been in Bangalore for only one year”

That doesnt matter sir, just say 2 years”

oh? Aint you from the same bank?”

Yes sir, but please say 2. So how long have you been staying at the rented house”

“Err ……. “

“Please say TWO sir. Thanks for verifying your details sir. You would be receiving another verification call soon. Please say 2”

click

Then I got a call yesterday when I was at work.

Lady “Which company are you working sir” “Whats your designation?” “Whats your employee id” “Whats your office number and extn”

I answered each and gave her my direct number.

Five minutes later I got a call to my work phone.

Same lady “Is this YY company”

Me “Yes”

Lady “Does xy work there?”

Me “Yes”

Lady “ What is his designation, how long has he been working there?”

I answered.

Lady “Who are you?”

Me “Who are you?”

Lady “Thank you for your time”

click

So the lady got the details from me, called me for verification and then reverified it again by calling me !!!!

Although the details I have provided is accurate, I wonder if the verification done by banks is of such kind no wonder the fraudsters have an easy time with them.

So much for verification these days.

Categories: bank
Tagged: , ,

Western Union’

May 12, 2008 · 16 Comments

The ‘Western Union Money Transfer’ boasts instant money transfer to any part of the world. The idea is simple but the convenience is huge, especially for the people in kerala who have at least one person in their family in the Gulf.

Now my uncle (in the gulf) wanted to transfer 20k to his family here. Now that I am around, he asked me to collect it.  I went to the nearest Western Union branch with my PAN card as identity when they said that they have already closed their counter. It was 4:15PM.

 

I hurried to the next one. They were open but then they did not have that kinda money.

I ran to the next one. They did not have enough money to give me.

Exhausted and irritated, I went home empty handed.

 

The next day I tried a few other branches. I was surprised at the number of branches at the small town like kottayam. But they did not have either.

 

Finally I approached another branch swearing that this will be the last one I am going to visit. I went in asking “DO YOU HAVE MONEY?”

They were like “??? uh?”

 

They had money. At last.

 

If Western Union folks are reading this. Please… please ask your branches to store some money with them. Else the purpose of sending money is void when there is no money at your branches.

All said, I am still surprised at the number of branches in Kerala.

 

Categories: General · bank · kerala
Tagged: , ,

I am sick of electronic money.

February 4, 2008 · 21 Comments

I am sick of electronic money.

Last time I was charged twice when I swiped my card at a retail shop in Kochi. I got just one slip as reference for my transaction but I was charged twice.Then it’s a game of tennis between the merchant and the bank, and I would be the ball.  The bank told me that my money is with VISA. The merchant told me that the he didn’t get any.I got my money after 45 working days (more than 2 months) with no interest paid. 

Once I booked two tickets with KF Airlines, they charged me thrice; however they didn’t claim it and the bank treated the transactions as void after I made 12 calls and sent 5 emails to the customer care.

 credit-card.jpg

Recently I booked a ticket with IRCTC, they charged me thrice (Two times after the payment, the IRCTC site went down saying ‘Service Unavailable’). IRCTC refunded the money back to my credit card. But the bank is not returning the service charge they levied from me.They say the transaction was successful for them and there is a charge for it. I am sorry, I didn’t get that. I did a transaction online which is void, which even the back accepts yet I will be charged for it? 

Now this is like I will be taxed even if I don’t get a car. Look at this hypothetical situation. I book a car and they cancel my order because of obvious reasons say, I am brown. But I still have to pay the tax applicable. 

What????And they say customer is king. A king who has to pay taxes and service charges? 

I am sick of electronic money.

Categories: Customer · Information Technology · Internet · What the ???? · bank
Tagged: , , , ,

The ‘Customer Care’less

January 3, 2008 · 15 Comments

Today my wife received a credit card (which she has not applied for) from The Bank. I suggested calling up the Customer ‘care’ to sort out the issue.

10:00 AM

Automated voice “ Thanks for calling us. Happy new year to you and your family and …………….”

10:04 AM

Automated voice  “Dial 1 for…dial 2 for…. dial 3…. Dial 49………”

Beep (1)

10:05 AM

Automated voice “Dial 1 for… dial 2 for… dial 3 for”

Beep (2)

10:06AM

Automated voice “Dial your 10 digit Account number or ATM debit card number or Credit card number”

Beep Beep Beep Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

10:07 AM

Automated voice “Please Dial your TPIN”

Beep Beep beep beep

10:08 AM

Automated voice “Your balance is Rs X, last salary credit is Rs X. Your withdrawal balance is Rs Y”

Wife “ How do I get to the customer care”

Me : “Try 9”

Beep (9)

Automated voice “Sorry that input cannot be recognized. Dial1 for… Dial 2 for…..”

Beep (1)

Wife “Arrgh”

Automated voice “Dial 1 for dial 2 for dial 3 for……”

Beep (9)

10:10 AM

Automated voice “Please wait while I transfer your call to our customer service executive”

(it took 10 mins and 100 years of patience to connect )

Automated voice “All our executives are busy. Your call is important to us ( yeah right)”

10:12 AM

Customer care (CC) : “Good morning How may I help you”

Wife : “See I dint apply for a credit card and how come you sent me one”

CC : “Surely I can help you with that. Happy new year”

Wife :”Could you please let me know whether this card is charged?”

CC : “surely I can help you with that. I need to confirm a few things”

Wife : “But I typed the TPIN right? Why do you need to ask me the security questions?”

CC : “Well its out security policy…………………blah blah”

<after verifying questions>

10:16 AM

CC : “Thank you for verifying the security check”

Wife “Okay. Now could you pleeeease tell me why you sent me this card? Should I open the packet?”

CC : “NO. Please don’t open it”

Wife “Okay”

CC : “Please tell me the card number”

Wife “How do I know the card number?”

CC “Its on the card ma’am”

Wife “So I can open the package?”

CC “ hmm Oh okay you can open the package?”

Wife (losing it) “What are you talking about?”

CC “Please open the package m’aam”

Wife “ Aaargh”

Wife “The card number is…….”

10:20AM

CC “I am afraid I have to connect you to the credit card dept”

Wife “Wait….”  Beep   

Automated voice “Please wait while I transfer your call to our customer service executive. All our executives are busy. Your call is important to us”

10:23 AM

CC (another lady): ““Good morning How may I help you”

Wife : “See I dint apply for a credit card and how come you sent me one”

CC : “Surely I can help you with that. Happy new year”

Wife :”Could you please let me know whether this card is charged?”

CC : “surely I can help you with that. I need to confirm a few things”

Wife : “But I typed the TPIN right? I have already gone through all that?”

CC : “Well its out security policy…………………blah blah”

<After verifying questions>

10:30AM

Wife “Could you please let me know if this card is charged or not. That’s the only thing I need to know”

CC : “this card? No this is life time free card”

CLICK !

Wife ‘Aarrgh”

30 mins to know that card is free of charge. I mean how worse this system can be? I can understand the security check and all that. Why can’t they just have one direct button to the customer care? That’s all I ask for !!! 

Categories: Customer · bank
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