I regret the day when I signed up for a Bajaj Allianz Policy, efficiently sold by Standard Chartered Credit Card Division along with Bajaj Allianz. My online renewal paid is not traceable. My card has been debited and I am yet to see a credit to mypolicy. Now the sales rep is not traceable - the mobile does not exist, though this person was supposedly a Bajaj Allianz employee.
I suggest to all readers, DO NOT TAKE UP ANY INSURANCE POLICY FROM BAJAJ ALLIANZ or get ready to embrace for an incompetent and useless bunch at customer care, unlimited waits on phones and more frustration, as you do not have any avenues or ways to escalate your grievances. I have genuinely felt that I am being taken for a ride.
*Background**I paid my renewal to Bajaj Allianz for my policy on March 31, 2009 using their online payment option from their website using my credit card; but I am still to see a credit to my policy. I certainly got a debit to my credit card.
I have been repeatedly calling their customer care since March 31 to confirm receipt. On March 31, the customer care tells me that the credit happens in 24 hours. I follow-up after 2-more days, the customer care tells me that a system up gradation is in process, that they are not able to provide me a status and that the credit will happen eventually. On giving a negative feedback to their online system, the customer care calls me on April 7 asking reason for negative feedback. I have to re-report my issues. The customer care asks me to fax the credit card statement and that it will be taken care of promptly, which I obligingly do on April 8. Nothing Happens.
To get the above useless status, I have had painful waits for as many as 31+ minutes on their customer care number. Each time you provide policy number and O-Pin details on the voice attendant, which the customer care again asks. You also again need to restate the problem - every time. The voice attendant says that you can opt for a call back - which never happens.
The feedback system that the customer care transfers to is also funny. It will again ask you the preferred language, which you already do the first time to dial the customer care number. Next you are given an option between 1 to 5.
Frustration, Frustration, Frustration
April 11, 2009
My first call today, I am told by the customer care to call back in 5 mins since they cannot retrieve my information from their system. I call after 90 minutes to follow up, the customer care tells me that they recorded the complaint on April 7, which I suppose was when this person from customer care called me when I gave a negative feedback. This time the customer care tells me that someone will come back to me by today evening. My today’s complaint number is 1071191.
The best part of today, while I was wanting to understand what would change between now and evening and what have they been doing until today, the customer care quietly transfers me to the automated feedback system.
April 13, 2009
I thought it was important to keep you posted on development. No one called back on April 11. I had to call again at 5:30 PM to get an update and the re-statement of issues and asking for resolution went on for another 30 minutes. I think the annoyance in my discussion led the person at customer care to put me to the floor supervisor. I had to plead that he takes up this matter on priority and comes back personally to me by Monday morning. He has promised to come back today.
April 15, 2009
I received a call today from the customer care at Bajaj Allianz. I have been told that they will cancel the credit card transaction at their end and in 6-days, i.e. by April 21, 2009 I should be able to see a credit to my credit card account, following which I can make my payments again. I was also reluctantly asked whether I can make a payment or drop a cheque with an assurance that my credit would happen eventually. I have asked them to get me the credit first and then I will make my payment. Hope this happen as they promised. Another worry now is with this delay, the 1-month grace for premium payment has started clocking. I am anxious but they seem to be cool about this whole issue. It seems, these situations are regular activity to them.
*My Suggestion:*
KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF BAJAJ ALLIANZ IF YOU WANT PEACE OF MIND