Tracking consumer ignorance
Lodging a police complaint did cross Amit Khanna\'s mind, when he first started getting threatening phone calls from a collection agent. Khanna is a thirty-year old banker who got into this turmoil, because his office and billing address shifted eight months ago. His credit card issuer, ABN AMRO Bank, was notified about the change, but he still received an overdue payment after two months, for Rs 3000. When he informed the bank of the statement, they asked him to pay up first, and the matter would be sorted out later.
Lodging a police complaint did cross Amit Khanna\'s mind, when he first started getting threatening phone calls from a collection agent. Khanna is a thirty-year old banker who got into this turmoil, because his office and billing address shifted eight months ago. His credit card issuer, ABN AMRO Bank, was notified about the change, but he still received an overdue payment after two months, for Rs 3000. When he informed the bank of the statement, they asked him to pay up first, and the matter would be sorted out later.
Khanna told "I refused. After three to four months, they started making calls both at my home and in office. Then, about one to two months back, the calls became abusive, and they started harassing my family members. They were very rude and you could tell they were gundas."
The state of consumer helplessness is apparent when it is clear that even someone like Khanna, who is in the banking profession, is not aware of the PIL before the Bombay High Court. He says, "I did consider taking them to court, but I did not in the end, because of a lack of both time and contacts. I don’t plan to waste any money on this. If something is already going on, however, I do not mind taking a part. Thankfully, the calls have stopped now. The main thing I am worried about is that I now have a spoilt credit history, perhaps with other banks as well."