Advisories on Banking services

Banking Advisories

1. Always remember the PIN of your ATM Card. Neither disclose such numbers to anyone nor write it on any piece of paper or card.
2. Check the ATM before transacting. Do not use ATM if something suspicious is noticed.
3. Please avoid banking at Cyber Café. Any transaction like fund transfer, bills payment, ticket booking at Cyber Café is highly unsecured.
4. Change your password and PIN number at intervals.
5. Do not respond to any email seeking sensitive information or advising for updating account information. Delete all such mails. Banks do not ask such information at all.
6. In case, the money is debited but not dispensed from ATM, a written complaint to your bank irrespective of which bank’s ATM you have transacted is submitted immediately. Banks are required to refund such amount within 7 days of receipt of your complaint else Banks are required to pay penalty at the rate of Rs.100/- per day for the period beyond 7 days.
7. The cheques of local clearing are to be credited to the account either on the same day or the next working day.
8. All the Banks are required to display on the notice board/web-site about the charges applicable for various services, interest etc.
9. In case you are using credit card, it is advised that you don't exceed your repayment capacity and also ensure that 100% payment as per credit card statement is paid before due date of payment as otherwise the credit card issuers are charging heavy penalty of non-payment/partial payment. Bank states in every month statement about the minimum amount payable which usually is around 5% of the total amount payable. Even if you have paid minimum amount payable, the credit card issuers are charging the interest for the balance 95% as well as on subsequent purchases.
10. While the customer has an option to drop cheque in the “cheque drop boxes”, the banks are mandated to receive the cheque in person and acknowledge the same if the customer desires so.
11. Please ensure that post dated cheques issued in advance as EMI or loan repayment do not get bounce due to insufficient balances else heavy penalty charges are payable.
12. In case you have any complaint pertaining to the services of the bank, please do not sit quietly. Submit your complaint in writing to the concerned bank branch and take acknowledgement.
13. If you are not satisfied with the redressal to your complaint or you do not get any response from the bank within 30 days, the customer has an option of complaining to Banking Ombudsman of the area, the contact details of which are displayed in all the branches of any bank.
14. Do not share the details of your account even if someone is pretending to be an employee of the bank.
15. Register your mobile number with your online banking system and ATM and Credit Card as the Banks are sending SMSes as and when any transaction takes place.
16. Do not become prey to fraudulent callers if someone advise you to surrender old card for replacement with new card of higher credit limit.
17. Banks are not required to impose any value added service like insurance for loans etc. without customer’s consent.
18. Ensure that merchant do not note 16 digit number of credit card while shopping.
19. Use your own pen while writing on the cheque as the scamesters are using “Magic Pens” which can be easily erased with the heat.

Contact details of Banking ombudsman

Credit/Debit Card Users

• Verify credit card statements. Regularly. Retain all the transactional slips till the statement is received and verified.
• Sign on the back side of your credit / debit card.
• Memorize 3 digit CVV Number written on the back side of the credit card. It is a confidential number that is required to be entered into on - line transaction. Erase/ hide it after you remember CVV Number.
• Activate mobile alert service on your credit / debit card.
• Update card issuers with all your latest mobile/telephone number, email ids, residential address.
• Take acknowledgement from card issuer in case you wish to cancel the card.
• Never provide photo copy of both side of card to any one including bank staff.
• When withdrawing from ATM, ensure that no other person is nearby even if he is a security card or a bank employee
• In case the card is lost/misplaced, immediately intimate the same to card issuers for deactivating and take reference number of your request.
• Do not take help from anyone during cash withdrawal from ATM.
• Never share the details of credit card on phone, email.
• Do not retain too many cards in your wallets.
• Note down all details of the credit card such as its number, date of expiry, customer care number.
• Transact with credit card only on secured web - site. The URL of secured web sites starts from https://
• Banks do not seek any information pertaining to cards through email or phone. Do not respond to such requests received through e mail.
• Do not provide any details of cards to any website for registration despite declaring that they will not use such data.
• Register and use security features such as one time password, mobile alerts etc. for any online transactions as provided by Banks.
• Do subscribe to insurance for credit/ debit card as provided by Banks for its unauthorized use.
• Update all antivirus application on your computer.
• Try to avoid any transaction on your credit card/debit card at cyber cafe or public places. In case you have no other option but to use card at such places, change your password, PIN immediately.
• Change your password/PIN at intervals.
• Do not write your password or PIN at any place.

E - Commerce

• Check with the manufacturer / distributors whether e - commerce websites you wish to shop are listed as their authorized resellers for the products you wish to buy. The after sales warranty services are generally extended by the companies or authorized importers.
• Avoid shopping at Cyber Café or smart phone using public wi-fi such as Airports, shopping malls etc.. Cyber - café and public wi-fi are highly insecure for payments through credit / debit cards.
• Use only trusted web - sites for on - line shopping through trusted payment gateways. The trusted websites starts with https:\\.......
• While making payments for telephone / electricity bills, please ensure that the relevant particulars like consumer number, bill number or telephone numbers are properly filled before clicking on “Make Payment”. The receipt so generated could be saved on the computers. Avoid printing of the payment receipts.
• Please keep all SMSs pertaining to orders, payments etc. saved till the time transactions are completed satisfactory.
• Before doing any shopping at online shopping store; please ensure that the site has provided proper details of customer care in their link ‘contact us’ with telephone number, email ids, postal address etc. If possible, verify details of telephone number and email id by giving a call and mail to seek some details about some products.
• The aesthetics like colour design and size of the products like garments, bags, furniture, show pieces, kitchenware etc. shown on web sites would look different than what are actually delivered. Please take care while shopping such products.
• Do not fall prey to unbelievable or unrealistic commercial schemes offered by sites.
• Do not make purchases by clicking on the links from emails, advertisements etc.
• Provide complete details in the order form including mobile number, email id.
• Study the complete terms and conditions including delivery commitments, refund policies and process for warranty replacements, after sales service facilities, defective goods/ dead on arrival and any other instruction that need to be followed at the time of acceptance of the delivery.
• Keep a record of the details of the registered orders and note down the reference number of the payment confirmation.
• Read the fine print before making the purchase.
• Compare the prices offered by various e - commerce sites before ordering the product.
• Open the box immediately as soon as you receive it to check for its breakage, dead on arrival etc.
• Check the product if it is delivered as per your order.
• If the products is purchased on “pay or cash on delivery (POD) basis”, check the product before making the payment to the delivery man. Refuse to take delivery of the box if the delivery man is not allowing you to see the products before making the payments.
• Check whether the company has got any authorized service center near your locality.
• Check whether the company has got any authorized service center near your locality.
• Certain products require installation by the company’s authorized representative. The companies usually advise to open the delivered boxes by their authorized representative for any shortage, breakage etc. Get the report signed from them for any deficiency.
• Do not fall prey to false promises, exaggerated claims. Or unbelievable free schemes, contest etc.
• If possible, go through the reviews/feedback of other users.
• Discharge your responsibility by giving your feedback about any adverse experience with the company for safeguarding the interest of others from unethical business practices.

Source : State Consumer Helpline Knowledge Portal