# Uae banks bunker mentality



## dubaigeorge (Mar 21, 2008)

Subject: Banks Customer Service in Dubai (HSBC & Lloyds TSB)& Bunker Mentality
Yesterday 2nd April armed with 300 AED in my wallet I visited the new Mirdiff centre in Dubai with the objective of performing a perfectly legitimate transaction, namely to obtain cash from an ATM. My port of call was the HSBC bank – more specifically the ATM No A528. A chronicle of events is provided below:
a)	Circa 10:15 inserted my Lloyds TSB issued “universally accepted Visa Debit card” in to the machine slot and waited for the standard “welcome” response. 
b)	The “please wait” message appeared followed by a printed slip at 10:20 am
c)	Message read “Please contact the Bank”, but my card was not returned
d)	Which bank to contact – initial reaction – HSBC as my card was in their ATM
e)	Used the on- site call centre telephone to report incident and to request the return of my Visa card
f)	I explained the dilemma to a Customer Service Advisor – but despite my repeated requests to have HSBC send a technician to the site to open the machine and return my card, I was repeatedly told this is not possible.
g)	Having previously worked in a bank I knew full well the HSBC where implying I had either mis-managed my account or even worse was attempting to perpetrate a fraud of some kind. Whilst I have some sympathy with banks in their fight against global card fraud – it appears that regardless of the circumstances all trustworthy Customers are guilty of fraud even before events have conspired against them to perform a perfectly legitimate transaction.
h)	This is defamation by any other name – as the ATM machine implied I was attempting to obtain money by deception.
i)	The Service Advisor blatantly refused to acknowledge that in this instance there was a technical fault with the HSBC ATM, and continuously referred me back to my bank despite my requests to a) have my card returned and b) obtain my cash.
j)	When enquired about the return of my card to either myself or to my Bank, I was informed this is not possible as the card will be destroyed. For what reason I asked? Again the standard “Policy” argument was presented – but no explanation! How ridiculous.
k)	At 10:50 am I informed Suraj I would hold him and HSBC responsible for my card and all matters related to my account whilst the card remained in their possession. Ultimately the only person I trust 100% with my card is myself!
l)	I returned home and checked my on-line balance with Lloyds TSB at circa 11:15. Strangely this confirmed I had several thousand Dirhams’ in my Bank Account. This immediately destroyed the HSBC argument.
m)	Lloyds TSB working hours exclude Friday’s so I contacted the lost card call centre and relayed the events to the Service Advisor. He confirmed there was no restriction on my account that would prevent me from undertaking legitimate transactions.
n)	He then informed me a replacement card will take 6 working days to arrive and the fee would be 50 AED.
o)	I explained that I was the innocent party in this and challenged the fee. Again the standard “Policy” argument was presented – but no explanation as to why I should bear the cost. In my opinion the cost should rightfully be re-charged to HSBC!

This is not the first occasion my credibility and trustworthiness has been brought into question by major institutions in the UAE. Lloyds TSB & Emirates Airlines had invoked unreasonable actions when I attempted to purchase airline tickets on my credit card, but that’s another story.


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## Fatenhappy (Jun 23, 2009)

_j) When enquired about the return of my card to either myself or to my Bank, I was informed this is not possible as the card will be destroyed. For what reason I asked? Again the standard “Policy” argument was presented – but no explanation! How ridiculous._

This must be a world wide standard response as I have had exactly the same answers supplied in a similar situation in Australia ...


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

I have long given up hope of having any common sense from anyone in Dubai. I opened my bank account in October, still haven't received a cheque book despite paying 20 Dhs to get an extra one on top of the one I should have got initially.

I dread the day I may need to call emergency services, bleeding to death is probably more preferable than having to deal with these morons who operate the telephones who are common sense vacuums.


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

I get letters about these kinds of problem every week and manage to get most of them sorted...

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## dubaigeorge (Mar 21, 2008)

Gavtek said:


> I have long given up hope of having any common sense from anyone in Dubai. I opened my bank account in October, still haven't received a cheque book despite paying 20 Dhs to get an extra one on top of the one I should have got initially.
> 
> I dread the day I may need to call emergency services, bleeding to death is probably more preferable than having to deal with these morons who operate the telephones who are common sense vacuums.


Hi Guys 

Just when you though a resolution was in sight - Bankers Bunker Mentality has moved to Part 2 - EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE. See below

Saturday 17th April I collected my replacement card, issued because a third party bank’s ATM had retained my previous perfectly functioning card for no apparent or valid reason. I enquired with Lloyds TSB in Dubai about using the Pin number from my previous card as on the face of it this had not been disclosed by me to any third party. The staff at Jumairah confirmed I did not need a new PIN code. The only requirement was to activate the card. This I did within 24 hours of card collection. During my discussion with the card centre I was told by the representative I could use my card in 15 minutes following activation together with my new PIN number. Strange I thought – what new PIN number. So for the umpteenth time I repeated my experience and admitted being totally confused regarding the PIN number. There was in my opinion no justification for invalidating my current PIN code or even replace it. I explained I had not received a new PIN code and that given the conflicting advice between the Branch and the Card Centre requested the representative to relay the query to the Branch. He assured me the Branch would contact me later that day to clarify the mis-understanding.
As at the 24 April there had been no such contact from any party.
At circa 10:00 am on Saturday 24 April my wife & I visited Lloyds TSB Mirdiff to a) Enquire about her replacement card b) to test my card in the Lloyds TSB ATM. 
I inserted my card in the ATM and the system returned the message “ This machine is temporarily out of service”. So I reported this to the Mirdiff branch on duty at the site and resigned myself to not being able to get cash or use my card for the purpose for which it was issued. 
A couple of minutes later – my wife inserted her card into the same machine. Strangely the ATM recognized her card & PIN and executed the required transaction.
How on earth could this be? One minute the machine informed me it was out-of-service and the next it was churning cash out to my wife. Answer – The machine has been programmed to generate blatant lies and mis-lead customers. 
What a carry on! Is this really the best Customer Service I can expect from Lloyds TSB in Dubai? What a shambles – no one wants to take ownership or responsibility for the failings of the banks (HSBC /Lloyds TSB) intra-bank or internal communication systems between itself and the card issuer. It is again left to the Customer (who is the innocent party in all of this) to follow up and redress the issue.

Now that is EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE.

I registered a Customer complaint but received only platitudes. The real issues raised in my correspondence are not even in the Banks radar.

It seems Lloyds TSB and others are more than happy to condone technical ATM failures and mis-representations in communications. So far they have not explained why. One can speculate that preservation of their self interests i'e. hugh profits and obscene bonuses are the drivers for this inaction / resistance to improve the Artificial Inteliigence underpinning the transactional validations of ATM transactions. 

Mankind can build and send a probe to MARS, whilst controlling it from Earth. Yet Banks (jointly and severally) cannot/will not improve the ATM functionality when it comes to card validation; Banks are also unable/unwilling to agree on an industry standard for proceees and procedures when it comes to differentiating between fraudulent and legitimate Customer transcations. 

At the same time why is it unreasonable for the Bank whose ATM has retained a third party debit card to provide a credible explanantion as to why the card was retained in the first place? "Contact you bank" is not a valid reason.

As long as this continues - Customers whose cards are retained by ATM's unjustifiably will be treated like criminals by the Banking community, where the Cuatomer has to prove their innocence before they can go about their normal legitimate business. 


Dubai George 

:focus:


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## dubaigeorge (Mar 21, 2008)

Thanks for the support to those have taken the trouble to read this thread

Dubaigeorge


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