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HDFC Deducted ₹5K+ in AMB Charges – Is Full Reversal Possible ?

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Deepak_9155

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Hi TechnoFino Community,

I'm helping a relative who isn’t very familiar with banking procedures, and I’d really appreciate your guidance.

He has an old HDFC Bank savings account that’s been inactive for quite a while, and we’re trying to recover over ₹5,000 that’s been deducted as Non-Maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) charges - ideally without having to visit a branch, if that’s possible.
The required MAB for the account was ₹5,000.

Account Background
  • Account opened: 2017
  • Last active usage: Around 2020
  • Balance before inactivity: Approximately ₹4,500–₹5,000 (can’t confirm the exact figure as NetBanking isn’t accessible)
  • Current balance: ₹0 (since Jan 2024, due to accumulated AMB deductions - verified via WhatsApp banking today)
  • Ongoing alerts: Still receives SMS notifications every month asking to maintain average balance
  • Debit card: Not active — it was hotlisted in 2022
  • Email ID: Not linked to the account
  • NetBanking: Access is lost. Unable to reset password because there’s no active debit card or email on file
What We’re Trying to Achieve:
  1. Add a valid email ID to the account for smoother future access
  2. Get the entire ₹5,000+ AMB charge reversed, since the account was unused
  3. Close the account permanently

Steps Taken So Far:​

  • Contacted HDFC Customer Care to request re-issuance of the hotlisted debit card
  • Verified the account balance through WhatsApp banking
Questions/Help Needed
  • Has anyone successfully received a full reversal of AMB charges in a similar situation? Any escalation tips or email templates that worked for you?
  • Can this account be closed immediately, considering the balance is already zero and AMB alerts are still being sent?
  • Is there any way to get all this done remotely — including reversal, email update, and account closure — or is a branch visit unavoidable at this point?
Would really appreciate any first-hand experiences or suggestions. Thanks in advance!
 
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Deepak_9155 said:
Hi TechnoFino Community,

I'm helping a relative who isn’t very familiar with banking procedures, and I’d really appreciate your guidance.

He has an old HDFC Bank savings account that’s been inactive for quite a while, and we’re trying to recover over ₹5,000 that’s been deducted as Non-Maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) charges - ideally without having to visit a branch, if that’s possible.
The required MAB for the account was ₹5,000.

Account Background
  • Account opened: 2017
  • Last active usage: Around 2020
  • Balance before inactivity: Approximately ₹4,500–₹5,000 (can’t confirm the exact figure as NetBanking isn’t accessible)
  • Current balance: ₹0 (since Jan 2024, due to accumulated AMB deductions - verified via WhatsApp banking today)
  • Ongoing alerts: Still receives SMS notifications every month asking to maintain average balance
  • Debit card: Not active — it was hotlisted in 2022
  • Email ID: Not linked to the account
  • NetBanking: Access is lost. Unable to reset password because there’s no active debit card or email on file
What We’re Trying to Achieve:
  1. Add a valid email ID to the account for smoother future access
  2. Get the entire ₹5,000+ AMB charge reversed, since the account was unused
  3. Close the account permanently

Steps Taken So Far:​

  • Contacted HDFC Customer Care to request re-issuance of the hotlisted debit card
  • Verified the account balance through WhatsApp banking
Questions/Help Needed
  • Has anyone successfully received a full reversal of AMB charges in a similar situation? Any escalation tips or email templates that worked for you?
  • Can this account be closed immediately, considering the balance is already zero and AMB alerts are still being sent?
  • Is there any way to get all this done remotely — including reversal, email update, and account closure — or is a branch visit unavoidable at this point?
Would really appreciate any first-hand experiences or suggestions. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Few years back, experienced the exact same , with UTI bank, it was my first Salary Account, left the company, kept the account, with saving.

But, few things have changed now, lot of regulation are in force. Medium/access to connect with authorities are way better.
You should take action, People are with you.

New case @SJM
 
Deepak_9155 said:
Hi TechnoFino Community,

I'm helping a relative who isn’t very familiar with banking procedures, and I’d really appreciate your guidance.

He has an old HDFC Bank savings account that’s been inactive for quite a while, and we’re trying to recover over ₹5,000 that’s been deducted as Non-Maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) charges - ideally without having to visit a branch, if that’s possible.
The required MAB for the account was ₹5,000.

Account Background
  • Account opened: 2017
  • Last active usage: Around 2020
  • Balance before inactivity: Approximately ₹4,500–₹5,000 (can’t confirm the exact figure as NetBanking isn’t accessible)
  • Current balance: ₹0 (since Jan 2024, due to accumulated AMB deductions - verified via WhatsApp banking today)
  • Ongoing alerts: Still receives SMS notifications every month asking to maintain average balance
  • Debit card: Not active — it was hotlisted in 2022
  • Email ID: Not linked to the account
  • NetBanking: Access is lost. Unable to reset password because there’s no active debit card or email on file
What We’re Trying to Achieve:
  1. Add a valid email ID to the account for smoother future access
  2. Get the entire ₹5,000+ AMB charge reversed, since the account was unused
  3. Close the account permanently

Steps Taken So Far:​

  • Contacted HDFC Customer Care to request re-issuance of the hotlisted debit card
  • Verified the account balance through WhatsApp banking
Questions/Help Needed
  • Has anyone successfully received a full reversal of AMB charges in a similar situation? Any escalation tips or email templates that worked for you?
Click to expand...
As far as I understand, they haven't done anything wrong. So only request may work. Check if any charges were debited post 2 years of last user initiated transaction - you can complaint against that (if any).
Deepak_9155 said:
  • Can this account be closed immediately, considering the balance is already zero and AMB alerts are still being sent?
Click to expand...
In all probability the account is inactive. Accounts become inactive if there are no user initiated transaction for 2 years. To close it you will have to first do a Re-KYC. Speak to RM/BM on how to do this most effectively and without paying anything additional.
Deepak_9155 said:
  • Is there any way to get all this done remotely — including reversal, email update, and account closure — or is a branch visit unavoidable at this point?
Would really appreciate any first-hand experiences or suggestions. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Speak to RM/BM.
 
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hender said:
Few years back, experienced the exact same , with UTI bank, it was my first Salary Account, left the company, kept the account, with saving.

But, few things have changed now, lot of regulation are in force. Medium/access to connect with authorities are way better.
You should take action, People are with you.

New case @SJM
Click to expand...
As long as messages were sent, they have the right to deduct NMMB charges till the balance becomes 0 or account becomes inoperative. Charges has to stop once balance falls to 0 as balance cannot go negative. The only way to get a reversal is by requesting the bank, which is very difficult to get for more than 1-2 quarters.
 
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Branch visit is unavoidable and only branch manager can help in this case.

There is no legal remedy in this case as bank has the right to charge for non maintenance of AMB.

Reversal is at the discretion of the BM, so politeness and patience is required in handling such scenarios.
 
Had same case 2 years ago , around 7-8k was deducted from my relatives account, branch executives didn't help as it was rural branch then escalated to pno and branch response came on email with respect to pno complaint, then escalated to RBI BO and after some days , BM personally called and reversed charges within 3 hours and he even told you should have visited me beforehand despite pno response was given after his awareness!
 
0xfallup said:
Had same case 2 years ago , around 7-8k was deducted from my relatives account, branch executives didn't help as it was rural branch then escalated to pno and branch response came on email with respect to pno complaint, then escalated to RBI BO and after some days , BM personally called and reversed charges within 3 hours and he even told you should have visited me beforehand despite pno response was given after his awareness!
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience — this gives me a lot more clarity and confidence to move forward. I wasn’t sure if escalating to the Principal Nodal Officer (PNO) and then the RBI Banking Ombudsman (BO) would actually work, but your case shows it can make a real difference.

If you don’t mind, could you please help with a few more things?

1. Do you still have the email template you used to write to the PNO and BO? If yes, it would be really helpful if you could share a sample (with personal info removed, of course).

2. Can you share the email IDs you used to escalate to the HDFC PNO and RBI BO?

3. Also, roughly how much time did each step take? (PNO response, RBI escalation, reversal timeline, etc.)



Your guidance here would really help me sort this out for my relative without making them run around. Thanks again for sharing your journey — appreciate it
 
Deepak_9155 said:
Hi TechnoFino Community,

I'm helping a relative who isn’t very familiar with banking procedures, and I’d really appreciate your guidance.

He has an old HDFC Bank savings account that’s been inactive for quite a while, and we’re trying to recover over ₹5,000 that’s been deducted as Non-Maintenance of Average Monthly Balance (AMB) charges - ideally without having to visit a branch, if that’s possible.
The required MAB for the account was ₹5,000.

Account Background
  • Account opened: 2017
  • Last active usage: Around 2020
  • Balance before inactivity: Approximately ₹4,500–₹5,000 (can’t confirm the exact figure as NetBanking isn’t accessible)
  • Current balance: ₹0 (since Jan 2024, due to accumulated AMB deductions - verified via WhatsApp banking today)
  • Ongoing alerts: Still receives SMS notifications every month asking to maintain average balance
  • Debit card: Not active — it was hotlisted in 2022
  • Email ID: Not linked to the account
  • NetBanking: Access is lost. Unable to reset password because there’s no active debit card or email on file
What We’re Trying to Achieve:
  1. Add a valid email ID to the account for smoother future access
  2. Get the entire ₹5,000+ AMB charge reversed, since the account was unused
  3. Close the account permanently

Steps Taken So Far:​

  • Contacted HDFC Customer Care to request re-issuance of the hotlisted debit card
  • Verified the account balance through WhatsApp banking
Questions/Help Needed
  • Has anyone successfully received a full reversal of AMB charges in a similar situation? Any escalation tips or email templates that worked for you?
  • Can this account be closed immediately, considering the balance is already zero and AMB alerts are still being sent?
  • Is there any way to get all this done remotely — including reversal, email update, and account closure — or is a branch visit unavoidable at this point?
Would really appreciate any first-hand experiences or suggestions. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Why am I feeling ki ye bande ne type nai kiya aur chatgpt copy paste type..
Whatever it may be.
A similar case happened in my neighborhood. Hdfc converted savings acc to current acc without informing customer. As customer is uneducated, he wasn't aware of this. Once his MAB went down 10k they took 1000+ GST fine for not maintaining the acc.
He approached the bank, did all possible ways explaining I didnt ask for upgrade, why he wasn't informed and all. Nothing happened not even amt was reversed. He closed the acc.

Aapke case me bank stands strong, sms/email intimation hua hai plus nothing he did wrong. So only way is if your relative has a good relationship with the BM or if he has/had given business to them then BM can reimburse the charges else TATA BYE..
it happened for me in SBI however banks fault for bouncing my cheque though. Got message Cheque clearing 12:30 pm. Deposited money around 9 am but cheque bounced. Spoke to BM and got reverted as I has SMS proof.
Remember:
BANK humse kamane ke liye hai unless they don't see profit from you then won't help you.
 
0xfallup said:
Had same case 2 years ago , around 7-8k was deducted from my relatives account, branch executives didn't help as it was rural branch then escalated to pno and branch response came on email with respect to pno complaint, then escalated to RBI BO and after some days , BM personally called and reversed charges within 3 hours and he even told you should have visited me beforehand despite pno response was given after his awareness!
Click to expand...

Can you share the details of your RBIO case with your complaint details and RBIO response?
 
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Deepak_9155 said:
Didn't mailed yet
Click to expand...
Hope you have read this, but as you can see the case was completely different. Here, bank was at fault, in your case they are not.

SJM

Thread 'RBIO: Got Compensation of ₹10,000 from Canara Bank'

Dear Friends,

First of all thanks to RBIO once again for upholding customer rights 🙏🙏🙏.

Canara Bank increased MAB from ₹1000 to ₹2000 for my savings account and didn't bother to inform me in any way. Neither did they bother to send the mandatory advance notification before deducting NMMB charges. They charged me Rs. 30 on 2 occasions post increasing the MAB requirement. I came to know about the increased MAB after 2 months when I visited a different branch and saw the notice displayed at the cash counter. I immediately transferred ₹1000 to meet the new MAB. I was not aware that any...
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SJM said:
Don't get your hopes too high. Customer care does not have that power. It will have to be Grievance/PNO or RM/BM.

Your best bet is to visit the branch, sit F2F with RM/BM and close it.
Click to expand...
Yup, He is right.. Mailing just backend team. Won't work.. Face to face interaction has its own value n potential.
 
Last edited:
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