Lost card misused, man refuses to pay

The District Consumer Forum recently relieved a Vile Parle resident, Sudhir Shankhar Bandiwadekar, from having to pay Rs20,000 and interest thereon on the ICICI credit card he had lost.

Bandiwadekar held an ICICI Gold Credit Card. On November 19, 2008, he sent an email to the bank informing them that he had lost his credit card. Two days later, the bank cancelled the credit card and sent an email to Bandiwadekar, which showed that he had to make three payments. It did not show the entry of Rs20,000 made on the credit card on November 21 at Mahalaxmi Tyres.

In its reply, ICICI bank told the forum that there had been previous instances of Bandiwadekar swiping his card at Mahalaxmi Tyres. To which the bench had directed the bank to obtain the time at which the transaction was done. The bank could not provide any specific time.

Thus, after considering  the possibility that an employee of the bank or some unauthorised person might have committed the transaction, the forum directed the bank not to charge Bandiwadekar the disputed amount.

A division bench of president JL Deshpande and member Deepa Bidnuskar said that as per records, Bandiwadekar had been making regular payments towards his credit card bills, and it was quite unlikely that, for the amount of Rs20,000, he would take any undue advantage by crying foul.