Dear Sir/Madam
I have a S/B Account in Pushpa Bhawan Branch, ND since-I suppose-1999. Now my wife, but then a college student had opened an S/B A/c in the same branch. It was not those years when things were computerized and like me, she also opened the a/c filling and signing big forms which were stored in big ledgers. In couple of years time she had got a decent job with salary a/c in some other (private) bank with ATM facility and started using the SBI A/c very rarely. For her these two a/c had two different signs-one with the full name and the other without the surname. One day the Dy. Manager of SBI told her that her signature is not matching.
It’s not a great issue I suppose. You can always change your signature. So, one fine day, she went to the bank and changed her signature wiith an application and requested that the earlier signature should be removed. But the bank people kept both the signatures. This was, I suppose, 2000-01 and in 2002 the branch got computerized.
Since then 3 years have passed and nothing happened which could be termed as a serious issue. In July, 2005 she issued a self cheque of Rs. 10000/- which I brought to the bank along with the person it is supposed to be given to. In the counter, I was told by the clerk that the signature is not matching and as such he cannot give us the money. Unknown to the foresaid signature changing drama way back in 2000-01, I felt very embarrassed and somehow got the money through somebody’s help who happened to know both of us and didn’t had to cut a sorry face in front of the person who was accompanying me. I thought what sort of sily girl is my wife who doesn’t even remember her own signature? Anyway, it was in the evening only, when she returned from her office I narrated the entire drama in the bank and to my astonishment I came to know that she has already changed the signature 3 years back and since then there was no problem in clearing cheques-which she issued one in every quarter for her LIC policy and many others. None of them have ever bounced. NOW, THAT IS STRANGE.. IT MEANS THESE GUYS NEVER CHECKED HER SIGNATURE WHILE CLEARING HER CHEQUES.
The next possible week day, we both took a day off from our respective offices and went to the bank to settle the thing. We approached the Dy. Manager and told him our story. He listened and said ‘time lagega.. baith jaiye’ and shouted for someone who used to bring ledger to employers for the ledger which contained my wife’s document along with her request application to change signature. We waited for ages and nothing happened. After almost an hour, on inspection my wife unofficially came to know that the ledger that contained her papers, along with few others was missing. We waited and waited and waited.. but really, nothing happened. They searched every corner of the bank and those papers were not found. I don’t know, sir, what it seems to you, but we were shocked. And why not? It’s not a mere case of ‘Signature not matching’, but it’s your important documents, your signature they are vanished.. into thin air? We are in the heart of the country, it’s the Capital of India, it’s the most prestigious bank of India, and if I am not wrong, it’s the self claimed ‘largest banking network of the world’-bank doesn’t know how to protect customer’s document? Save the other parts of the country!!
Finally, after waiting for another agonizing half hour, the now new Dy. Manager told us the truth that our papers are missing, but not to worry, it’s only matter of time to get them and as soon as they got it they will see, what has happened. Yeah, she might be having two signatures, but since the old signature was not stroke off, in the process of computerization, it was that signature which got scanned in. He will see, what to do and asked us to come some other day. We simply refused. We had waited for two and half hours, postponed all ours other jobs and it’s not simply possible to take another day off to get the same job done. All our time & efforts will be wasted!!! He commented that this is the problem as these things could not be settled down so easily and since we don’t have the time to come back again, then either she has to sign exactly the way she used to sign 7 years back or she has to close this account and re-open with the new signature as it’s not possible to change the computerized scanned signature even if we re-apply for changing the signature. ‘Ekbaar jo scan ho gaya.. woh change nehi hota..’
Can you believe it? I think SBI has got plenty of customers and now they want to get rid of some.. huh? Even if I close the account, will I, will you open another a/c in the same branch after all these drama over a signature change?
One whole month have passed since then and nothing has changed. Now she cannot issue cheques from her that a/c fearing they might be dishonored. Every time I brought a self cheque, I have been told that signature is not matching even after all those drama, and since all of them had actually watched that drama that day, they knew the case and pass her cheques.
I simply feel pity for the Slogan ’’THE NATION BANKS ON US’’
Thanking you,
Rai
P.S.: Today, after almost 30 days after that incidence in the Pushpa Bhawan Branch, I came to know that my wife’s ledger is still missing.