This is my experience with HDFC when trying to open an NRE Account at R.T.Nagar Branch in Bangalore. It started sometime in September 2009, had given the necessary documents to open NRE account along with the application form.
The banker seems to be very promising and thought it would be very fruitful promised that the A/C will be opened in two weeks. Two weeks passed but nothing has really changed and banker informed that it is getting ready would be done in few days. After couple of days got a call from the banker saying that he need some more details then visited the bank to provide the same and again he promised that it will be done in few days. In the meantime my trip to USA confirmed to first week of October 2009. Informed that same to banker so that he can make the process quick. My flying date had come and no progress he promised that they will courier A/C details to my USA address so he had taken my US address.
After reaching USA didn’t receive any courier from the bank so mailed the banker. Didn’t get any response so called him then he told me that they are about to courier from the main branch he told me Chennai). Waiting waiting checking my postbox every other day another two weeks passed. Again send couple of mails no response so called him then he told me that main branch had courier to my India address instead of USA address so courier was returned again he asked me to mail my USA address. So had mailed the USA address third time and waited for another week no courier no response to my mails and this time he is not answering my phone calls either very smart. After couple of mails got a mail saying that they need my passport and visa copy to complete the procedure bala bala… with CC to his manager (guess). Then had asked the manager why would they need my passport and visa copy to courier the A/C details. She told me that they need for her verification to pass and promised me that A/C details will be courier by Saturday of that week. Was happy (still some concern somewhere) but Saturday passed no response or confirmation. Game started again, tried calling the banker no luck and couple of e-mails. Got a response saying that they require my appointment letter to open the account as it is an L1 Visa. Didn’t understand why they didn’t realize till now and fact is that A/C is not opened. Tried calling no luck sent a mail asking for truth behind all this process and how many more documents they need. No response to mails and phone calls even from the manager who had promised. So no other way so mailed the scanned copy of the appointment letter still believing that they would proceed. Days are getting passed no response to mails. Now it is December 9th 2009 so almost three months passed and no progress.
Want to share my experience with everyone and advice to everyone is be careful when baking with HDFC.