I don't know how to express my frustration, in words, about the kind of worst services that SBI has been rendering to its Account Holders. To begin with, I have an account with SBI, Gangtok Branch, which I have been using for getting my salaries transferred directly from my Head Quarter. My problem started from the 1st July 2009 when I went to the nearby SBI ATM (Deorali Branch) which was shut down reportedly the same being out of order. Next, I went to the New Market Branch ATM, which was lying without money. Then I made repeated efforts to withdraw Rs. 12,000 (Rupees twelve thousand) only from the ATMs of Union Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, I could not get the money from any of these ATMs as my transaction was declined as per the information given out in a slip that comes out from the ATM(s). Finally I went to the the main Branch ATM, the result was the same there as well.
In the evening, when I checked my account balance by logging in to my Net Banking Account, to my utter disbelief I found that a sum of Rs. 12,000/- was already debited from my account. The next day I went to the concerned authority of Net Banking section, including the AGM of the Bank i.e. Gangtok Main Branch, and submitted a written application, narrating the entire episode with the slips showing what I have already mentioned above and made the concerned official acknowledge the receipt. They promised me to look into the matter and would try their level best to get the amount credited back to my Account within seven days. They also told me that the fake statement shown in the system was generated from the ATM of Union Bank of India, because they could rcognise it from the ATM Code. In the interim, I kept on calling them, sending SMS, etc but to no avail, every time I contacted them they said- wait for a few days, we are going to remind them once again.
Even after waiting for twenty days my money was found to be pending for credit against my account. Ultimately I tried to raise the issue to the Customer Service Care repeatedly but no one could give me satisfactory answer. What I got from them was two land line numbers of Kolkata, i.e. 033-22489333 and 033-22436531, for the solution. What I got from the 1st number was a Fax tone and and no response from the 2nd one. Is it not disgusting that I have been made to wait to get back my money for no fault of mine? Will they pay the interest for my money for the entire period (it is 23 days today) and who will compensate for the phone calls I have made, the time I had to waste in the process and the mental torture they have inflicted on me? Please do suggest me my friends what I need to do before I take the matter to consumer forum because I am running out of patience.
Tshering Dukpa
Gangtok-737101
Sikkim
Date: 23rd July, 2009
