To

The banking OMBUDSMAN
c/o Reserve Bank of India


Dear Sir,


While I was working at an IT concern (early 2008), salary got deposited at HDFC Bank-chennai, the HDFC bank credit card department-chennai disturbed me frequently with its credit card offer phone calls 3-4 time a day, also stopping me on the way to work at office premises. I finally budged and took one of their offers(old no: 4346 7810 0419 2936, new no: 4346 7810 0700 7677 old ph: 97899 18972). But didn’t use it much initially, but had to use it after the stock market collapse (2008-2009) in which I lost around 5 lakhs.


Existing cash flow ended as I had taken lots of medical treatment and break from work, I skipped 1-2 months, they had put card on collection and taken enormous amount of collection fee. When I called up customer service, no proper response, they just told those were the collection charges… I understood later, they were used to pay for unsolicited unlawful harassment phone calls, letters, telegrams and letters from lawyers:-


In spite of having my permanent address and

knowing for sure my parents live there and
myself informing them that I had put property on sale for settling the bank debt, attending their numerous phone calls and asking only for an extension of time, mentioning my clear bank credit records prior to the stock collapse
I received no advice regarding what I should do to get an extension lawfully, the bank only offered ugly threatening communication containing indecent language and tone:-

“ You enjoyed while purchasing, nagai vaangum bodhu nalla irundhudha? Saapdumbodhu nalla irundhudha? Why don’t you pay now? We are on the way. My staff is just near your bus stop. We will put had cuffs and take you from your home. Police is coming, just on the way…”

Phone calls

To me, more than 100 a day, even at night 1am 2 am, the phone rang within 5 minutes of switching it on
To my parents, sometimes as hdfc collection staff and sometimes as pretending to be a lady friend with some name like kavitha (my parents just thought their daughter was getting caught by police for something terribly wrong)
To my former office colleagues at their office time blocking their work (their number was not given by me to HDFC credit card at anytime)
To my acquaintances asking them to advice me to pay the money so I won’t be put in jail (their number can be known only by getting my phone records from my phone company)


SMSs

SMSs informing me how much I have at my HSBC account just the day after it gets credited with wire transfer (probably got by fraudulently representing a lady as myself using my personal identication information over phone with hsbc customer service)
All these stopped until the next due date once the minimum due(around 10,000rs) was received. Otherwise, drama like rehearsed bad words in sequence. The payable balance never reduced significantly relative to the paid amount. Somehow some type of fees alone got paid and the debt balance remained as it is. When questioned why or delayed payment, same language.



I received all these amidst my marriage arrangements, and when I couldn’t take the language and tone anymore I switched it off the phone permanently. My fiancé family had gotten unhappy and I haven’t been able to make up to them still. They messed up my reputation within my friends and colleagues, couldn’t arrange to get back to work easily like before, everywhere unnecessary suspicion resulting in more delay in sales of property and finding new work.



Kindly let me know how I can take lawful steps with regard to settling this account. Can the bank do unlawful stuff and take how much ever money it wants from un-informed customers? Harass them at will to whatever length?



Yours faithfully, Selvi.