I was pleasantly surprised when I received a call from the PNB Zonal office in Kolkata offering me a home loan with out hassles after I was one of the lucky winners for the Sankalpa Project Housing Project -IV in New Town Rajarhat. Although I was about to go for the SBI home loan. The prevailing home loan rates in mid 2007 and the perseverance of the making executive made me opt for the PNB loan.
Now came the turn of the branch selection. I Stay in Salt Lake City Kolkata and was told that sector-1 branch was over loaded, sec-3 did not have a senior manager and sec-V was with one who was retiring in 2 months and did not have sanctioning powers. Hence I was requested to go to their branch in Kankurgachi, which I visited. The Senior Manager of that branch Mr N. C. Saha was a very customer friendly person, and I was able to complete the formalities and get the sanction in a very short time.
As I did not have any account with them, the process was indeed very smooth and professional. Meanwhile I got my accolunt internet enabled, but the internet banking is not up top the mark. They dont check the messages for months together.NEFT is not credited sometimes even in weeks and you have to pursue their Mumbai office to get that credited. As long as Mr. Saha was at the helm of the branch I did not have any problems with the services. My problems strted once he was transferred out of the branch and a new manager appointed in his place.
Since I mostly did my business with the branch over the internet and did not require to visit the branch. Mr Saha was there to solve my problem over the phone. I feb 2009 I went to the branch and requested for the provisional certificate for income tax purpose for the home loan for FY 2008-09 , the new manager refused point blank. He questioned me "why should he give me the certificate of interest and principal payment. He is not empowered to do it"Then I showed his the previous year copy(2007-08 FY) which was issued to by Mr. Saha. Upon seeing that he asked me to come back in a weeks time. I must mention that same process was completed in about 15 mins during Mr. Saha’s term.
Any ways I gave an application for the same and visited the branch next week, the manager was not there and his deputy lost the application form. He asked me to apply again and visit him after 4 days. I complied again and this time I was given the transaction statement(which I could easily download and print). When I pointed this out and showed that last years certificate again, he asked me for the photo copy of the certificate and asked me to come again after a week.
Next time there was a hand written statement full of mistakes and errors, when I pointed them out he took back the copy and asked me to come again after a fews days. After a few days when I went again, he again gave me a hand written certificate(the last year it was complete lt twas computer typed) which had figures that don’t tally. Any ways now I was completely fed up and submitted a complaint with the Head Office in Delhi overgrew email.
That’s a story which I will detail later. I also requested for change in my branch which is yet to happen in more than 2 months time. Any ways the conclusion of the story is that PNB is not a proceed based system are very much person dependent in service. A senior manager does not know that the income tax is a mandatory certificate that has to be given by the lending agency to the borrowing party(sounds very strange...I don’t know how he is a senior manager..or he had other intentions???).
Though the interest rates are less, I repent now for not going to SBI. Although SBI is not perfect, but the service does not vary so drastically as with PNB. So beware of this bank...I f you want I can name the Manager and also attach the certificate he has issued. You will wonder at his efficacy and thinking process .
JP