First of all, Citibank was recommended by my employer as the default and so I needed to get an account with them whatever happens. They sent one pin to my home address, another to my office address, for about a month I didn't know what was happening and of course I didn't get paid for 2 months, since I didn't have a Citibank account.
Then today I realized that I need a cheque book urgently. Why oh why do they issue only 20 cheques?????? So I went online. My H-Pin didn't work. So I called their customer service to request for a chq book. Now this customer service officer called Jitu asks me for a T-Pin. I tell him I don't have one, it never was issued to me. So he asks me for my last 3 transactions and mind you he wants exact amounts. Add to the fact that their statements are only available ONLINE (duh!) So I tell him patiently, Jitu, didn't I just explain - I don't have my online password which is why I am using the phone to request for a chq book. How will I be able to get online and check for my last 3 transactions?
Simple - It was 5 am in the morning and Jitu said - Madam please go to your nearest ATM and get a mini statement. So just to play along I did. Guess what - the Statement machine did not work - Are you surprised? I was not. I went to their phone and called the customer service hotline again. This time I got a Prashant online. Another smart alec-y idiot, nevertheless, I explained my problem to him and included my conversation with Jitu in it.
Now Prashant told me that he didn't know whether getting the last 3 transactions would solve my problem and why didn't I wait while he called his technician and meanwhile why didn't I log in and request for a chq book.......Grrrrrr!
So finally, I asked him is there a branch I can go to to get a chq book issued and he said I could go to any branch and do it. But I needed to wait till HE asked me the necessary verification questions. Ask him why and he said it's regulatory. After wasting my time some more, he told me that he could not guarantee me a chq book, but he will send a T-Pin to me so that I can call up and apply for an Internet Pin (H-Pin). Again, duh!!! So why don't you just apply for my H-Pin straight away, I asked him, now that you have verified all my details? He says - No madam, this is the procedure. (Don't ask me why)
This is when I just blew my top and let it loose. As part of the verification, he made me go to the ATM and do my last 3 transactions, so that he could have his #$%^*^ last 3 transactions. He also asked me the exact amounts of my last 3 transactions and the exact amount of my salary credited - In this land of the heavy and random tax deductions at source, who the hell knows what salary is credited to their account every month? You can just sit back and pray.
I have already had quite an experience with Citibank Credit Cards. THEY identified me from my salary account and sent a form for me to fill. The guy who came asked me to sign on fields which requested Additional Card. When I refused to do so, he kept insisting. I said, how can I be sure that you will not fill in your own details and take my additional card. Besides I don't need one I am not signing. Then the verification checks. Oh my God - You would have thought they are handing me the key to Fort Knox. Someone landed up at my house to ask for my birthdate (which my father in law didn't know of course). I got 2 calls on my cellphone and 1 call on my home land line and 1 more on my office landline and each time they asked me the doggone same bloody questions.
After my experience with their customer service, I have decided to call it quits with Citibank. So I will be cancelling my card before its arrival (pity I had to go through their stringent security measures). Of course, my salary account is something that I will have to live with, but I will make sure that I do all my transactions in the branch now. They can take their H-Pin and T-Pin and shove them!
Please don't be a Citibank India customer if you can help it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then today I realized that I need a cheque book urgently. Why oh why do they issue only 20 cheques?????? So I went online. My H-Pin didn't work. So I called their customer service to request for a chq book. Now this customer service officer called Jitu asks me for a T-Pin. I tell him I don't have one, it never was issued to me. So he asks me for my last 3 transactions and mind you he wants exact amounts. Add to the fact that their statements are only available ONLINE (duh!) So I tell him patiently, Jitu, didn't I just explain - I don't have my online password which is why I am using the phone to request for a chq book. How will I be able to get online and check for my last 3 transactions?
Simple - It was 5 am in the morning and Jitu said - Madam please go to your nearest ATM and get a mini statement. So just to play along I did. Guess what - the Statement machine did not work - Are you surprised? I was not. I went to their phone and called the customer service hotline again. This time I got a Prashant online. Another smart alec-y idiot, nevertheless, I explained my problem to him and included my conversation with Jitu in it.
Now Prashant told me that he didn't know whether getting the last 3 transactions would solve my problem and why didn't I wait while he called his technician and meanwhile why didn't I log in and request for a chq book.......Grrrrrr!
So finally, I asked him is there a branch I can go to to get a chq book issued and he said I could go to any branch and do it. But I needed to wait till HE asked me the necessary verification questions. Ask him why and he said it's regulatory. After wasting my time some more, he told me that he could not guarantee me a chq book, but he will send a T-Pin to me so that I can call up and apply for an Internet Pin (H-Pin). Again, duh!!! So why don't you just apply for my H-Pin straight away, I asked him, now that you have verified all my details? He says - No madam, this is the procedure. (Don't ask me why)
This is when I just blew my top and let it loose. As part of the verification, he made me go to the ATM and do my last 3 transactions, so that he could have his #$%^*^ last 3 transactions. He also asked me the exact amounts of my last 3 transactions and the exact amount of my salary credited - In this land of the heavy and random tax deductions at source, who the hell knows what salary is credited to their account every month? You can just sit back and pray.
I have already had quite an experience with Citibank Credit Cards. THEY identified me from my salary account and sent a form for me to fill. The guy who came asked me to sign on fields which requested Additional Card. When I refused to do so, he kept insisting. I said, how can I be sure that you will not fill in your own details and take my additional card. Besides I don't need one I am not signing. Then the verification checks. Oh my God - You would have thought they are handing me the key to Fort Knox. Someone landed up at my house to ask for my birthdate (which my father in law didn't know of course). I got 2 calls on my cellphone and 1 call on my home land line and 1 more on my office landline and each time they asked me the doggone same bloody questions.
After my experience with their customer service, I have decided to call it quits with Citibank. So I will be cancelling my card before its arrival (pity I had to go through their stringent security measures). Of course, my salary account is something that I will have to live with, but I will make sure that I do all my transactions in the branch now. They can take their H-Pin and T-Pin and shove them!
Please don't be a Citibank India customer if you can help it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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