Is it just with ICICI Bank or is it with the system, kinda people who work over there??
I pondered over this for a while and have come to realize that just because I had a bad experience with ICICI..I still haven’t closed my account with them. And preferably will not. Although I have opened another account with SBI and PNB and will transfer almost all my $$ in these two.
I have been holding an account with ICICI for the past 3 years, its a salary account. All this while I never experienced any problem with them as I never had a chance to interact too much with them. My trip used to be limited to ATMs and thats all.
My tryst with ’ICICI service trauma’ begun with a situation in which, I needed a Personal Loan. So I called them up and the Agent came to my office, we spoke at length about the interest rate, which was around 14% diminishing.
I was need of cash within 7 days. I was promised that it will be done so. Next day he came up with the form, which I duly filled ...next day to be informed that ’’Sorry sir, there should also be a second person’s signature etc required as a back up in the event of your death. I was furious, as I should have been told about this earlier. Anyway, he came up again...I got a friend of mine sign it up. (glad I have friends). This delayed the process......later that moron just vanished ..for 2 days I waited and then called him up...but he didnot pick up the call. I later went to ICICI Bank and raised HELL....the manager assigned another guy saying that ’’Sir, that guy has gone on leave’’. So that meant we had to start from scratch!!!!!
Thus, thus new guy....got the documents etc done as earlier. And with all this my 7 day Miyad had gone! I was sad for sure, but then now I had no other option.
Now, I got the amount credited to my account. from the next month onwards I started repaying the loan.
Fortunately or Unfortunately...I got a huge promotion in the Product Management Team and was bathing in $$. Hence, I decided in closing the loan. When I enquired they told me that I can not close the Loan in the first 6 months, hence, its only on the 7th month that it can be closed. And also there will be no charges whatsoever. Only the interest amt will be calculated.
So...i waited for 6 loooong months to repay the entire amount. (No issues here, as that was bank rule and I agreed to it)
Anyway, after 6 months when I went to pay the loan...it took them bloody 25 days to properly clsoe the loan...and apart from this:
One more installment was deducted from my account despite of me having paid the entire outstanding anmount. So, I went to the bank and they corrected the blunder.
They charge some 6000=00 extra, which is called ’’Pre closure’’ charge!!!!! I had a huge argument on this one, as the agent didnot mention this at all! He said that after six months..there will be no charges to be paid for pre-closure!
The attitudes were pathetic. It was as if they didnot care if I close my account today or tomorrow! One expects a patient ear..nothing more!
even I know that there was not much that I could do...as there must be some clause in some remote corner of the document, which will say ’’pre closure 6000=00 etc’’.
So, all said and done...Its both the ICICI bank policy and the attitude of the people who work over there!
I wish I could close my account, but then its a salary account and I dint wanna create a mess out of it!
It has been an aweful experience with the loan taking more than 1 month to close with all the rounds I did of the Branch!
I am not a person who carries grudges....I belive in moving on and so will move on from this as well!
Good luck ICICI..!