HDFC Bank took Rs. 56,763 from a client's record in an unapproved way to settle asserted obligation on a Visa which was neither mentioned nor utilized.
This scene happened at the HDFC Gurguram branch where the bank gave a charge card to a client (name retained) which was gotten however never utilized.
In 2015-16, the bank began sending bills of Rs. 14,500 for a card that was rarely mentioned yet gotten and not utilized. At the point when the client enquired there was no reaction.
At the point when the client moved toward the branch director, he was approached to obliterate the card and send it to the Chennai office which he did in his quality. In any case, to his embarrassment, the client kept on getting financial records. The bothered client then, at that point, began composing sends to Aditya Puri, then, at that point, executive of the bank. While these sends were recognized there was no conclusion regarding that situation. The subsequent meet-ups were steady on the pry of the client however all without much of any result. The bank began hassling the client again in 2021 when the client's boss was called for charge card bills.
The bank then sent a legal notice for the credit card. The same customer also had an HDFC Standard Life policy and when the amount matured, HDFC Bank debited Rs. 56,763 from the bank account in lieu of the credit card bills.
The bank is not permitted by RBI guidelines to hold money from the savings account to pay for this debt. This debt arose from a credit card and should have been treated as a separate issue. What is worse is that as part of the redemption process a cancelled cheque of Kotak Mahindra Bank was provided, HDFC Life continuously delayed the settlement saying it had not received the mail. When after repeated entreaties the amount was credited into the said account, said money evaporated.
The bank has not provided any statement of transactions and cash memo which is actually signed by the bank customer or any document which proves that the credit card was requested or used.
The Credit card is a Prepayment Plan Instrument and requires the bank to make sure that if the instrument is issued it should be in possession of the rightful owner and not some frivolous record in the database. The card/instrument was received but disputed from the outset by the rightful owner.
The Bank and the collection agencies have made several attempts to call and harass the client which has been put on record. The recorded emails show that repeatedly a clarity was requested from the bank to show how the credit card was even used by the client. The bank has fled from its responsibility.
There is no record that the request was made for such a credit card. The credit card is not showing on the HDFC portal and no data is available to even challenge the claim. The bank has prevented the client from genuine information in order to bring clarification to the matter and has left the client to the scrutiny and illegal practice of various collection agencies.
The matter arose at the HDFC Gurugram branch but the office to pursue the matter was addressed in Chennai for no specific reason. This was done to make it inaccessible for the client to clarify the issue. That the client repeatedly visited the Gurugram Branch to clarify the matter but the whole matter was denied without providing any justification since 2014.
As per RBI guidelines, banks have restricted access to exercise their right to lien. The bank cannot exercise a lien over a personal account of a customer. According to guidelines, a credit card account is always separate since a person acts in a different capacity than his understanding of the savings account.
The failure of the bank to bring clarity to the matter and suddenly decide to debit the savings account with a huge amount of interest is a deficiency of service as well as malpractice that affects lakhs of customers on a daily basis.
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