My ICICI Bank Credit Card

ICICI and me…
A pathetic relationship story that goes on and on ……
One day, I got a call on my mobile asking me whether I needed a Platinum Card (credit cards are of the category - silver, gold and platinum)from ICICI. The credit limit was 90 thousand. I never had a credit card, and thought this was a good chance. I got the card and lived happily for 3 months...

Well, on Saturday (3/11/07), I received an SMS that my credit card had been used to make an internet payment through the indiaideas.com site for Rs.2000 /-

On Saturday morning, I had a chalazion removed from my left eye, and my eye was all patched up. I was at home that day and was nowhere near the computer. Browsing was next to impossible, given my condition that day.

Then i called up the ICICI toll free number that was listed at the back of the card
The call answered by Abhinav
Gave him the details of the issue and also informed him that i had not lost my card and that the card was with me
He told me that i might have given my card details to someone
I guess they should understand that now a days people are aware of such things and would not divulge such info to anyone
For all i know, this card is just 3 months old and had swiped it at a very few establishments.
Customer is at fault was the attitude !!!
I guess its very easy for any one at a merchant establishment to gain the information from the card .
He just has to memorize the 3 digit CVD (Card Verification Digits) number at the back of the card, as the the 16 digit card number would be there in the bill; and use it where ever.

He also told me useless info like the merchant is in Mumbai and so on
Well, then he told me that the card was blocked and the conversation went on in circles, with him telling me that i have to wait for 1 day to raise a dispute and so on.(Sounded like i had to file a police complaint and had to wait for a court order :-))
Then i asked to be put to somebody senior and then i spoke to the Manager, Niranjan
He too told me the same thing and told me to wait for a day
Then on Sunday, i spoke to Priya
Well of no use again ...
she told me that the merchant can claim anytime in 20 days and so on
and that i had to keep checking, if he claimed.
I guess she thought that i didn't have anything else to do in life besides checking if the merchant had claimed
I am really not confident about the way ICICI works, as Niranjan should have told me on Saturday about the 20 day period. No one seems to know the process too well.

ICICI Bank, please take care of your customers, just costly advertising and catchy phrases '' Hum Hai Na'' doesn’t mean customer care.

Fast Track to Nowhere

Yesterday George had to go to the Airport and we had booked for a call taxi - Fast Track - to pick him up at 9.45 PM. The flight was scheduled for take-off at 11.15 PM. When i called up to check the status at 9.40 PM, the fellw there told me that the booking status showed cancelled. I was shocked. It was pouring cats and dogs and there was no way he could go to the airport by bike. No autos were also willing to come in the torrents. The nearby travels' too didnt have cars. Finally, he took our car and left it at an uncles place close to the airport and then that uncle(he is close to 70 years of age) dropped him at the airport. If not for him, he would not have been able to make it. So much for the call taxi, which never even came.

When call taxi operations in chennai started off, they were good and always on time and cosidered superior to the autos.But now, they are so unreliable, and we are forced to travel by the autos. The modus operandi of the taxi drivers too are similar to the auto drivers. If one is not aware about the place, then the taxi drivers too take you around the city. In the end, its the kilometers you pay for. Furthermore the disvantage is that, unlike autos, you cannot fix a fare and start..becoz its the meter that matters in the end.