Tonymathew
TF Select
I had applied for a LTF Elite+ card from yes bank on 25th September. So once the cibil enquiry wasted done, I was sent to the offered cards page with an array of emotion. Dismay and surprise at the same time. I was offered another card - Reserv card instead of ELITE+. That too paid version, not any LTF version.
So I refrained from proceedings forward, as I had a different reason to opt for a LTF card and not a paid card. (Not just the money, as reserv card would have suited me, even for that charge of 1999+GST).
But then I thought, a cibil hit was already made, then why not take card and not activating it, thereby adding to my portfolio of total cards (active and inactive cards), on mission to tally the total to a deck.
So I completed the vkyc and got the card in 3 days.
No doubt, the card is good looking. But it was not just the looks that mattered.
As per my plan, I refrained from activating it.
Well, Yes bank, like every other bank was adamant to make me activate my card. They kept on calling me, once every day between 1 and 2 pm, with an sms and a mail everyday.
I kept on patiently attending each and every call, and told them I was mis-sold this card, so would not be keeping or activate it.
Then I came to think of RBI ombudsman and immediately made a complaint there.
However, it did not create any magic, atleast not abruptly, as was frequently cited by fellow technofins.
I also kept on mailing the customer care team, escalation department and even the pno, citing the mis-selling and wanted clarifications or penalty.
It was only after a 5 days or so, principal nodal officer came into the scene. Their reply was simple and abrupt, and denied any mis-selling from their end, as is customary. Attaching the screenshot of the mail.
Frankly speaking, I did hope of getting an elite+ card LTF, after the complaint, or even making my issued RESERV card LTF (which is slightly aggressive to think)
So the same cycles of phone calls, sms and mails kept on repeating on a daily basis, as a sick doctors prescription for a sick patient.
Hopes went on fading, and I started to forget about the card.
On 19th October, out of no where, I received a call from yes bank. Now this call was special, as it happened before their normal alarm time period of 1-2 pm.
So I picked up the call, and before answering anything to what you the caller was asking, I asked his designation, just to know that I am not speaking with another front dusk customer service agent. He replied, politely, that is assistant/junior manager at some department (don't recollect the details exactly). A brief relief came over me, and within 2 minutes I explained the entire situation and he replied that the team is aware of the complaint with RBI ombudsman, and without any conditions, he offered me an ELITE+ LTF card, subjected to my approval.
This was the moment, where patience saved the patient. I did try to stretch the limit, by asking him to consider converting my issued RESERV card LTF. He tried for it on the call itself, (as told to me), but said he could not get it done. Well that was just the cherry on top of the cake, which I wanted. So what if I do not have the cherry, I still got the cake.
So I gave my consent for downgrading my card from paid RESERV to LTF Elite+. However it was weird, as they (during the calls and during the subsequent mails) kept on referring this as UPGRADED card.
So by evening, I downloaded the iris app, and created the account, and found 2 cards.
1) elite+ card, which wa spending to be activated
2) RESERV card, which had been blocked
So as on today, 21/10, I am yet to recieve the sms for dispatch of the card, and get the card physically, so as to drop a mail to the customer team, for confirmation of its LTF status, following which only I'll activate the card.
If they sent LTF status, I am in no worry, as I had the entire phone call recording with the bank employee who offered the solution.
Now that you think, one can argue that I might have made a folly by downgrading the RESERV to ELITE+ just for the sake of LTF status. Yeah, it is arguable. However, as I had mentioned, I am accumulating all possible cards, for long term, for a particular reason. So I prefer an LTF card over a paid card, even though that RESERV card would have bought more values, no doubt.
N.B: while writing this essay, I received the mandatory alarm call from yes bank at 1.20 PM, asking why I haven't yet activated the new ELITE+ card.? Bhai, card despatch hi nahi hua hai, jaldi dekho..
So I refrained from proceedings forward, as I had a different reason to opt for a LTF card and not a paid card. (Not just the money, as reserv card would have suited me, even for that charge of 1999+GST).
But then I thought, a cibil hit was already made, then why not take card and not activating it, thereby adding to my portfolio of total cards (active and inactive cards), on mission to tally the total to a deck.
So I completed the vkyc and got the card in 3 days.
No doubt, the card is good looking. But it was not just the looks that mattered.
As per my plan, I refrained from activating it.
Well, Yes bank, like every other bank was adamant to make me activate my card. They kept on calling me, once every day between 1 and 2 pm, with an sms and a mail everyday.
I kept on patiently attending each and every call, and told them I was mis-sold this card, so would not be keeping or activate it.
Then I came to think of RBI ombudsman and immediately made a complaint there.
However, it did not create any magic, atleast not abruptly, as was frequently cited by fellow technofins.
I also kept on mailing the customer care team, escalation department and even the pno, citing the mis-selling and wanted clarifications or penalty.
It was only after a 5 days or so, principal nodal officer came into the scene. Their reply was simple and abrupt, and denied any mis-selling from their end, as is customary. Attaching the screenshot of the mail.
Frankly speaking, I did hope of getting an elite+ card LTF, after the complaint, or even making my issued RESERV card LTF (which is slightly aggressive to think)
So the same cycles of phone calls, sms and mails kept on repeating on a daily basis, as a sick doctors prescription for a sick patient.
Hopes went on fading, and I started to forget about the card.
On 19th October, out of no where, I received a call from yes bank. Now this call was special, as it happened before their normal alarm time period of 1-2 pm.
So I picked up the call, and before answering anything to what you the caller was asking, I asked his designation, just to know that I am not speaking with another front dusk customer service agent. He replied, politely, that is assistant/junior manager at some department (don't recollect the details exactly). A brief relief came over me, and within 2 minutes I explained the entire situation and he replied that the team is aware of the complaint with RBI ombudsman, and without any conditions, he offered me an ELITE+ LTF card, subjected to my approval.
This was the moment, where patience saved the patient. I did try to stretch the limit, by asking him to consider converting my issued RESERV card LTF. He tried for it on the call itself, (as told to me), but said he could not get it done. Well that was just the cherry on top of the cake, which I wanted. So what if I do not have the cherry, I still got the cake.
So I gave my consent for downgrading my card from paid RESERV to LTF Elite+. However it was weird, as they (during the calls and during the subsequent mails) kept on referring this as UPGRADED card.
So by evening, I downloaded the iris app, and created the account, and found 2 cards.
1) elite+ card, which wa spending to be activated
2) RESERV card, which had been blocked
So as on today, 21/10, I am yet to recieve the sms for dispatch of the card, and get the card physically, so as to drop a mail to the customer team, for confirmation of its LTF status, following which only I'll activate the card.
If they sent LTF status, I am in no worry, as I had the entire phone call recording with the bank employee who offered the solution.
Now that you think, one can argue that I might have made a folly by downgrading the RESERV to ELITE+ just for the sake of LTF status. Yeah, it is arguable. However, as I had mentioned, I am accumulating all possible cards, for long term, for a particular reason. So I prefer an LTF card over a paid card, even though that RESERV card would have bought more values, no doubt.
N.B: while writing this essay, I received the mandatory alarm call from yes bank at 1.20 PM, asking why I haven't yet activated the new ELITE+ card.? Bhai, card despatch hi nahi hua hai, jaldi dekho..
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