I ordered a Samsung microwave oven, order id: 3001505226, on 27 Sep 2012. While payment, indiatimes site showed the free EMI option for 3 and 6 months , with no extra processing charge. There were 3 options to choose, HDFC, ICICI and Standard Chartered. I tried my Standard chartered card and paid via EMI. After 4 days I saw a charge of around 599 Rs. (including service tax) in my card as EMI conversion processing fee for 6 EMIs. I was puzzled as raised the complaint to customer care email of indiatimes.
It was not enough as after another 10 days I got a call informing me that the item can’t be shipped due to state taxation issues (I am in NCR, Gurgaon). I got full refund from Indiatimes in the next 2 weeks, but the EMI processing fee (which ideally should not have been charged at the first place) is still not reverted. I have got my EMI account closed from the bank . The credit card bank Standard Chartered is saying that shopping.indiatimes.com can only revert this as they have only charged this fee. But even after sending 15 emails, 3-4 calls I have not got any response from the shopping.indiatimes.com customer care.
This seems to be worse than a government office where at least you can pay some bribe and get your work done. The customer is totally helpless with these kind of sites.