HDFC now stands for 'Harassment Delivered For Customers' because it has presented a perfect example of delivering harassment right at the door steps of its customers. HDFC and its customer service employees have perfected the art of robbing you of your money and your mental peace. The best thing is that HDFC along with its thick skinned employees do not care at all even if you complain, send letters, emails, phone calls, scream, howl, yell, shout or whatever you are capable of doing as a human being.

I think that they are all impotent. They just cannot perform.

It all started in February 2008 when I visited HDFC bank to buy an insurance policy to make my future safe and invest some money for the rainy days. Little did I know that HDFC would not only make my future miserable but also eat up my hard earned money. On being advised by Mr Neeraj Grover (Ph: 9811911449) (Assistant Manager..Retail Branch Banking, East Patel Nagar Branch, New Delhi), I took an HDFC SLI Policy. He showed me a rosy picture of how my Thousands will turn into Lakhs. The best thing is that he confirmed and guaranteed everything by presenting some hypothetical facts & figures on his computer screen. Not his fault actually. He has been trained by HDFC to dupe customers. For him it is just a everyday job. During all this conversation he never told me about the heavy charges (30%) that HDFC will deduct immediately from my hard earned money.

I filled up the form CORRECTLY (I have a photocopy) and paid the money. After a few days I was called to the bank to take my policy documents. I noticed that the documents had been returned by a courier company to the bank stating that the address is incorrect. They had printed a wrong address on my policy documents. IT WAS A TYPING / PRINTING ERROR. When I requested Mr. Neeraj Grover to correct the address on my policy, he told me that he will not be able to help and that I will have to approach the Grievance Department to get the address corrected on my policy. (HEIGHT of IRRESPONSIBILITY). This was the same man who had even come to my house when he wanted to sell the policy to me.

On March 16, 2008 I sent an email to grievance@hdfcinsurance.com and service@hdfcinsurance.com requesting them to issue me new policy documents with correct address. I got a reply that address has been corrected in their records and there was no need for any correction in my policy documents (Strange isn't it?? As if my records are not important). When I insisted on getting new policy documents with correct address they (Mary Maglin - Customer Service Officer) asked me to pay the printing charges for the same (Rs 25.00 Plus 0.20 paise per Rs 1000 (sum assured). WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR THE PRINTING MISTAKE THAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED?

After many emails, phone calls and letters to various departments of HDFC I got a call from Ms Mridula Moorthy (Grievance Redressal Officer-Mumbai Phone 022-66682783, 66682679, 66682791), who again insisted that there was no need for any correction of address on my policy documents. SHE INSISTED BUT I PERSISTED.

Finally after 5 months of harassment I received new set of policy documents with correct address printed on them. BUT THIS NOT THE END........THIS WAS THE BEGINING OF ANOTHER CHAPTER OF HARASSMENT.

In the new policy documents they further deducted around Rs 1000.00 from my hard earned money in the name of service tax and education cess. NOW......I had purchased the policy in February 2008 (before the budget) and at that time there was no service tax or education cess levied on insurance policies. After the budget these taxes were imposed on the policy. But these taxes were not to be imposed on any policy bought before the budget. I had only asked them to reprint my policy documents with correct address BUT they issued me a new policy after deducting the service tax and the education cess. The MAJOR MISTAKE on my new corrected policy documents was that they still carried the February date but they imposed the taxes that were NOT to be levied on policies issued in February.

I called and called Mridual Moorthy again and again. She just gave me assurances and did not do anything. I wrote many emails and again received assurances but no action. Everytime I wrote a mail, I got a new complaint number but nothig happened.

Finally I was forced to create this blog. AND IT WORKED. It was after 7 months that I received new policy documents with correct address and the unfairly deducted tax money adjusted back to my account.

But now the fight is on for the misrepresentation at the time of sale of the policy. I was never told that 30% of my money would be deducted as CHARGES. This fact was hidden from me.

If you think that I am fighting a legitimate battle then forward this blog to all your friends.

Let us not allow these banks and other such institutions to take us for granted. They should understand what customer service is all about. They should understand that they cannot steal our hard earned money.

If They Steal Our Money. We Will Steal Their Reputation.