Aug 29, 2007 06:19 AM
2785 Views
(Updated Dec 13, 2008 07:59 PM)
Reliance ADAG Credit Card. So, its the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and they've come up with a credit card in association with Citi Cards. Chronological listing of my experience
is below,
A tele-caller got through to me by dialing ’Random’ numbers
I was pissed off and asked how dare she’d do so. MIRACLE - I dint just hit the ’End’ button.
(Background tip: I have a HSBC Gold Visa thats gonna be free till March 2011. But had been thinking of getting a ’Photo’ Card that would be a notch higher on the safety front)
Fixed up an appointment with a service exec from the call center’s parent company. Gave myself enough time to make available all docs like Salary slip, Address proof, etc.
This guy shows up on the fixed date, all paper work is done on the same day. Guy takes a photo and pastes it on the application and we’re done with applying.
Dont really bother much about the goings-on and the timeline. But I do recollect some verification calls to my office number, mobile number, etc.
One fine day Jun 26, 2007 (@ 14:10:59) got this really flashy ’Citi Alert’ on mobile number - said my card was on its way.
Reached home to find a post from Citi - returning a part of the application form that contained the photograph. A letter attached to this read the photo had to be replaced and I needed to send it up with another ’part’ application form (on which I have to paste the new photograph) - NOTE: No contact numbers, no call center numbers, no physical address of the location to which it needs to be sent - ONLY A P.O.BOX Number at Anna salai, Chennai (This is one of the ’ARTERIAL’ roads in Chennai - have always wondered, why Arterial - do we have any roads that carry out the ’bad’ traffic, like a VEINAL road? Even if veins stop functioning the human body would face consequences, right? Any Biology majors - help please!!)
Had a ’new’ photo handy, so pasted it on the new ’part’ application form and sent it on its way - the same week end.
Called up after a week (Found the call center number on Credit Card kit). The rep said, since I have posted the photo it would be processed and a new card would ’automatically’ be sent with photo and the same 16 digit number (which is in the current card).
After a month, i.e. around mid-July, called up again. Yet again, some rep said the post would be received and ’automatically’ processed and I would receive the new photo card. This time, I inquired about the time lines - its FOUR working days after receiving the photo.
Today (when I am typing this) its 25 Aug. You folks would be shocked (or may be finding it funny) to know that Citi Cards has either
a. Not received a post (which I had sent on June with around Rs. 10 worth postage)
b. Have not had FOUR working days (since end of June)
Either ways, I have spent efforts (collecting the required documents, signing up on the application form, attesting documents, meeting the service executive, attending the verification calls), time (its on the efforts expended as listed above) and money (phone calls to follow-up with the call center, postage charges) to obtain a card - for a credit limit lower than the one I currently possess, with no ’great’ features (except if one is an Ambani follower & would live only with Ambani products).
NOTE:
I do have a Reliance CDMA Mobile & thought it would be sensible to pay the phone bill using this card.
I thought getting a life-time free card would be better than my current HSBC Gold Visa.
Per the customer support, I was to be able to pay for the credit card using I-net banking from my banks website (Something which I believe would obviously be untrue, considering the fact that I bank with ICICI).
In spite of all this, I am still not ’pissed off’ with Citi or Reliance. At least they’ve got enough senses to ’Approve’ me for a card. The worst I have had is with Deutsche Bank. Some time back I had moved from India’s Most Respected IT company to India’s No. 1 IT company (strictly in terms of Revenue only) and I believe this could be the reason they'd ’Rejected’ the application.
The funny part was, their executives were outside my office and almost everyday trying desperately to sell a card - only for these folks to sit down ’coolly’ in an AC room and Reject it. Apparently, its not just me - there were other co-workers who’d faced the same fate.
I felt rather sorry for Deutsche Bank - and now I keep getting calls marketing Deutsche Bank credit card. IF you want humor and satire in your banker/credit card company - my personal best choice would be dB.
Coming to think of it - would that be another item I’d want to opine on in MS? May be, may be not - am gonna let u folks make that call !!
Rgds,
MN
