With instances of recovery agents harassing bank customers continuing unabated, banks need to take care in choosing and recruiting recovery agents
A recent report published by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Banking Ombudsman (BO) reveals that out of 71,124 complaints it received during 2010-11, 1,722 or 2% related to direct selling and recovery agents. Some cases indicate that customers are unnecessarily victimised by the banks and had to suffer the tortures of the recovery agent, the report said. It reveals the series lapses in the KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures followed by the banks.
Take the case of Ankit (name changed). Despite having no credit cards, he was receiving frequent calls from his banks for the recovery of the dues on his card. Ankit complained to the bank. However no action was taken and calls continued at odd hours. He approached BO. During the hearing, the bank accepted the mistake saying that the defaulting credit card holder and the complainant had the same name. The BO held bank negligent in initiating the recovery measures and directed it to pay Rs5,000 to Ankit as compensation for harassment and metal anguish he had to go through.
Similarly, according to the report, another complainant Vivek (name changed) had to go through even more harrowing experience. Vivek was harassed by the abusive calls of bank’s recovery agents to pay the loan which he had never availed. He was unrelated to the bank. The ordeal was such that he fell ill and had to get operated for a heart problem. Even in the ICU, the calls continued. A complaint was lodged with the BO. At the hearing, the bank said that phone number from where Vivek was getting the calls did not belong to their recovery agents. The case was closed.
Vivek then appealed to the Appellate Authority (AA) against the bank for the trauma he had to go through and for misguiding the BO. Interestingly at the AA, the bank admitted that the calls belonged to its recovery agent. It explained that such repetitive calls were due to lack of communication and data issues with their outsourced collection agency. It was also revealed that bank did not complete the KYC formalities before sanctioning the loan and the borrower remained unknown and untraceable. The AA observed that bank sanctioned the loan without even cross checking the validity of the number and it misguided the BO. The authority awarded a compensation of Rs1 lakh to Vivek.
The apex bank had laid guidelines to be adhered by the banks’ recovery agents. However, experts point out the need for recruiting trained recovery agents. “Banks should engage trained agents to recover the money, as it is important to deal with debtors with ‘humaneness’,” GS Hegde, RBI’s principal legal adviser, was quoted saying by PTI.
So, if you get such abusive call do approach the banking ombudsman.
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Consider this as an criminal case, where I have been hurt a lot by the bad network. Where they are disturbing my task, giving the constant tortures, giving lot depression too. Â
I have been tortured by SBICARDS through calls more than 30 numbers more than 200 calls,though my complaint with their additional charges in the bill by sbi credit card and my complaint is under rbi ombudsman too, they have sent rowdies to my home, out of three persons only one person is showed me he is SBI employee and his card, They were shouted like anything in front of many peoples around my house & they pretend to say that I have looted lot of money that I was not paid till date, and i was absconded, they are intentionally doing this with to collect the money without my complaint resolved properly.I never ever said I am not going to pay, they asked me pay the payment right a way or ask me come to the police station or asked me come to the bank within that morning time, I was just woke up that time. They were scolded me like anything, not even trying to listen to me what I have been telling for the issue, they not even allowed me take water or going to the bathroom, they said they cannot wait for anything, I have called up uncle and told the issue, he adviced me not go with them, instead you call the police, that also I didn't do because I am afraid those who come to my house places, I was about to close the door but they didn't allow me to close the door by just standing in front of the door. and knocking the door like anything. they started taking video started using lot of abusing words until they leave from their,Â
What can I do, I don't like to go to the bank to beg for them to close this issue, since it's their mistake to added a addional charges against their application process. This issue is been created by them by created the bogus card processing and they kept asked me pay the annual fee , interest, tax etc... They only took more than two months without even they resolved the issue they came to my house many times, its really a big mental blocker for me where I couldn't work, or have my food, no one in my life scolded like this for others mistakes.Â
One person came to my house and told me that he is from SBI and called to someone and gave it me, he was listening to me for all the issues I have faced, and then he started using all abusing words then he pretended like he couldn;t hear me, and that recovery person left from my house.Â
after few days later he came with group of other two fellows claiming that they are all from SBICARD's and working for recovery team, that time I have asked for their ID, only one fellow shown his ID others didnt do. I am not sure fist of all all them from SBI or Employees of SBI .
One tall gui who came with them typically doing the like typical rowdy, the moment they took the video from their mobile they pretended like they are so politly asking me to pay, after some time they got call from somebody and they stopped doing the abusing words.Â
This group must be punished, the trigger of these group must be punished. These groups are looting public money through SBI cards and with their illegal partners and they are doing this kind of illegal, unprofessional way of doings with normal citizen like me.Â
I told them clearly I will not come with you now, even then they didn't leave me to do my task. Same peoples threatened me they will come and torture in the office space and everywhere while leaving from home, also he warned me that this torture is just a beginning & you may face a lot of torture here after. also my phone is shared by them to many networks it seems, I have been getting lot of marketing calls though my no is been registered under DND.
The way they have done the overall card verification process, tortured given to me is totally suspicious,it will not happen normally to a other persons in this country. so far they have blocked my sbicard online site many times by showing the technical issues, they themself changed my email ID(against registered email id) , changed my mobile no where the OTP will goes to different phone numbers, this clearly shows these are all the act by the hackers and biggest network they gave me enough torture by car accidents, hacked all my accounts, giving the slow poisons etc...