I have been a customer of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) since 2009 and my salary was being transferred to the bank up until now. I have overdraft facilities, credit cards and a personal loan from them. Unfortunately, in 2012, my family encountered a very serious financial problem due to the medical condition of my father and my sister’s fight with breast cancer. I supported them with their medication bills until I was immersed in financial difficulties. I couldn’t even pay my own bills, but I managed to make do.

In November 2016, my salary was transferred to my ADCB account. The bank held the remaining amount from my salary after the deduction of my personal loan. I was expecting them to credit back my salary for my credit card payment, but unfortunately, it did not happen. Instead, they held it for the recovery of my overdraft facilities, which they cancelled without informing me. I was not able to pay my credit card amount at that time.

Regarding my December 2016 salary, my company deducted my whole salary against my advance to them, and nothing was left as credit to my account. In short, I have two months’ worth of default on my payments. What’s worse, the bank officials visited my company and humiliated me in front of my managers. I begged them not to do it inside our company, as this was my personal problem, and company had nothing to do with it. Is this how they operate? I deserve to be respected, even though I owe the bank. I never had any intention to run out on my obligation to them. They should not be worried, thinking I can abscond, since my salary account is under ADCB. I told them if they wanted to block my salary, they could do it until such time that my credit card outstanding amount will be completely recovered by them.

My concern is that they should not deprive me of the only means I have, to settle my obligation to them. I am doing my job well and I don’t want to lose it, as I am supporting two children with their education, food and clothing. I am also responsible for my ageing mother, my ailing father and my sister’s chemotherapy and medication for her cancer, which later metastasised to her lungs. What will happen to them if I lose my job, because of three months payment defaulting on my credit card?

I hope to get a concrete and understandable explanation regarding the experience I have had with ADCB’s legal and collections department.

From Ms Imelda Salcedo

Abu Dhabi

The management of ADCB responds:

Thank you for your cooperation and communication with us in the endeavour to best serve our customers and resolve their issues.

Customer satisfaction is at the very top of our agenda, which is why we have an established Service Quality Unit that is dedicated to handling all customer enquiries and complaints. While we cannot comment on specific customer cases, we do take finding a solution for our customers very seriously and approach every situation with the best interest of the customer in mind.

With reference to Ms Salcedo’s issue, please be advised that our Quality Unit has investigated the issue and confirmed that the customer had multiple products with the Bank (credit card, over draft and personal loan), yet it has been noted that no salary transfer for the past two months were made and the customer has been avoiding Bank calls up till present time. Customer Care team has also tried to reach the customer through her email to inform her that Collection is trying to contact her to offer and discuss some payment plan, yet there has been no response from her side. Thus, the case is closed by our end.

We continually urge all customers to contact our Service Quality Unit 24/7 by phone, email or web, should they need any further clarification regarding their issues.

We would like to thank you for bringing this issue to our attention and hence giving us the opportunity to further our servicing to our valued customers.

(Process initiation: January 24, 2017. Response from organisation: March 6, 2017.)

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