What should be done in this case?

[Pankhuri]

My friend have got herself in a tricky situation. She applied for an axis bank flipkart credit card in April last year. But before the card could be delivered to her she had to urgently leave for a job oppurtunity overseas. In the rush of moving to a new country and starting a new job, she forgot about this credit card. Her family collected the card but didn't remind her, they didn't even know it was a credit card. So no pin was generated for the card. Now in May of last year, axis bank did infact charge her for the card. She was busy with the work and her registered mobile no was off, so she missed that charge for few months, 4 to be presise. Every month Axis bank kept on increasing fines and reported non-payment to Cibil. When she realized what has happened, she tried contacting axis but to no avail. I tried calling on her behalf but was stuck due to no pin being generated which is required when usinf IVRS. They didn't reply on email too. Frustrated she paid the dues and thought that she would keep the card. When she tried to generate pin, she couldn't, it asked for some code sent to registered address but that code expires in a month which was already way past. So she sent her dad to axis branch to talk on her behalf. There an employee said that they need to request for that pin again through customer care which as earlier was not possible.

Now seeing no way of getting card activated, she tried to request a block on current card and order a replacement. Now as luck would have it, this time her younger sister collected the card and forgot to tell her sister. Friend also being busy forgot about it. Cut to May of this year and she is again charged annual fee. This time she is home. So should she pay the amount and keep the card though she would again need to get pin from axis. Or should she just close the card by visiting branch? Is there any way to convince axis to drop the non-payment from her cibil report? Any other advice?

I know she is the one being irresponcible here. But looking towards what could be salvaged in this situation.

 

[helloworld]

It all looks like imaginary world, but simple answer..

She has to sent mail and follow proper escalation matrix to get it removed those enquiries and get paid amount back, just have to stick that no pin generated neither used the card (doesn't matter it happened before rbi rules or later).

First customer support, then nodal officer and finally pno. Same story to all of them and request them to remove late payment from CIBIL and refund that amount.


Possible? 100%

Problem? She seems like too busy and this approach needs patience and continuous follow-up after proper waiting period.

If she never comes to India and settle abroad? close the card and busy there, no issue with CIBIL there but advised to correct the information.

All it takes apprx. 2 months if followed properly, so she has to be free some time in every week to remember and follow-up those mails.

 

[jack333]

You can quote rbi rule also that you can't be charged if you don't activate or do one transaction on the card

 

[abhishek0882]

I used to have a Standard Chartered credit card many years back and it was a paid card. When we changed addresses, we never updated our address on the card, and after the card expired, the new card was generated and was sent back. A number of things happened post that, but in short, I never used the new card, neither did I cancel it. The card shows up on CIBIL as active. This took place about 6-7 years back, the card still shows up on my CIBIL as active. But I have never been charged the fee on the card. So I am assuming that this must have been the practice even before the RBI guidelines. As long as pin is not generated and card is not used, it makes for a strong case to take up with the bank as to why they charged the fee in the first place and if they did, they should waive it off and most definitely take it off CIBIL non payment report. Could also raise a dispute with CIBIL so that is another front opened.

 

[Pankhuri]

It all looks like imaginary world, but simple answer..

She has to sent mail and follow proper escalation matrix to get it removed those enquiries and get paid amount back, just have to stick that no pin generated neither used the card (doesn't matter it happened before rbi rules or later).

First customer support, then nodal officer and finally pno. Same story to all of them and request them to remove late payment from CIBIL and refund that amount.


Possible? 100%

Problem? She seems like too busy and this approach needs patience and continuous follow-up after proper waiting period.

If she never comes to India and settle abroad? close the card and busy there, no issue with CIBIL there but advised to correct the information.

All it takes apprx. 2 months if followed properly, so she has to be free some time in every week to remember and follow-up those mails.

Trust me, it is true and I am fully aware of the sheer stupidity displayed by her. I will upload the whole mail chain if she escalates when it is all said and done.

Now she is back in India, so she has more time for these things. Plus now I am more aware of these things, so would be able to help too.

Back to the question, pin was never generated. But Axis bank sends a pin in a separate mail. Would that be counted as pin generated?

Also what should she do immediately? Pay the 500+gst generated today so don't get more unpaid months and deal with the axis support. Or just don't pay it?

I failed to mention that she went to an axis branch near her home yesterday where the customer support guy told her to just cancel the card to avoid the new charges. I guess they were just trying to get Axis off the hook.


Now that it comes to properly escalating, we should first mail to their customer support? Calling is out of order since we don't have the pin needed which they use to verify.

In the meantime, should we try to replace the card again to get the new pin and activate it? She wants to keep the card since she uses flipkart and Myntra a lot. Her other two cards are SBI simplyclick and icici platinum, so this would be a useful card.

 

[Pankhuri]

this happened last april before rbi rules iirc, so has to deal carefully.

Yeah, that is the main concern. First card was issued in April 2022. Replacement was issued in Nov 2022. So we can't be sure of the charges on first one but the 2nd one should not be charged.

 

[RkrRkr is verified member.]

My friend have got herself in a tricky situation. She applied for an axis bank flipkart credit card in April last year. But before the card could be delivered to her she had to urgently leave for a job oppurtunity overseas. In the rush of moving to a new country and starting a new job, she forgot about this credit card. Her family collected the card but didn't remind her, they didn't even know it was a credit card. So no pin was generated for the card. Now in May of last year, axis bank did infact charge her for the card. She was busy with the work and her registered mobile no was off, so she missed that charge for few months, 4 to be presise. Every month Axis bank kept on increasing fines and reported non-payment to Cibil. When she realized what has happened, she tried contacting axis but to no avail. I tried calling on her behalf but was stuck due to no pin being generated which is required when usinf IVRS. They didn't reply on email too. Frustrated she paid the dues and thought that she would keep the card. When she tried to generate pin, she couldn't, it asked for some code sent to registered address but that code expires in a month which was already way past. So she sent her dad to axis branch to talk on her behalf. There an employee said that they need to request for that pin again through customer care which as earlier was not possible.

Now seeing no way of getting card activated, she tried to request a block on current card and order a replacement. Now as luck would have it, this time her younger sister collected the card and forgot to tell her sister. Friend also being busy forgot about it. Cut to May of this year and she is again charged annual fee. This time she is home. So should she pay the amount and keep the card though she would again need to get pin from axis. Or should she just close the card by visiting branch? Is there any way to convince axis to drop the non-payment from her cibil report? Any other advice?

I know she is the one being irresponcible here. But looking towards what could be salvaged in this situation.

What about the email conversation that bank sends...?
She was also not able to read the emails ?

 

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

Happened to me during covid, hdfc didn't deliver my card as my office was in lockdown, then in December they charged, I complained I never got the card, why am I being charged. The told use it once we'll reverse it, i told them to send the card. First. And again 6 months I waited and again they didn't send, in April they charged me for not use the card, I told them now can I use if I don't have the card. Then they reversed it the 2nd time and this time I got the card.