First Gulf Bank [FGB]
Reviews and Complaints

In the month of May 2015, I was offered Quick Cash Loan from FGB for a period of 18 months. I was paying more than the mentioned EMI as my plans was to close the loan within a year. In the month of Sept 2015 I got a call from the insurance department offering an Insurance policy which I did not accept. As I was paying more than the required EMI amount, I did not check my statements and did not realize that this Insurance policy was added to my payments to be made. In the month of April 2016 when I called up the Customer Service Center for inquiring about pre-­closing my loan I realize that FGB had added an insurance policy of AED 350.00. I even explained to them that if this was the case how come I did not receive any intimation in the form of a SMS and till date I do not have that LSP Policy but they refused to accept it. I pre­closed that loan paying the pre­closure charges of AED 100.00 and the balance amount. I was offered another Quick Cash Loan in the month of May 2016 and as I required it for personnel reasons I took this second loan. At the same time I was offered a LSP Insurance policy of AED 350.00 which I accepted and soon received a confirmation SMS and within a week received a policy by email. In the Oct 2016 statement a LSP Insurance policy was added to my payment as “LSP Renewal”. This was done without any intimation from the bank and without my consent and approval. I have spoken several times to the Customer Service Center (Service Request No – SR9024825) and they keep demanding that I pay the minimum payment of AED 100.00. After that I started receiving emails from a Vimla Tilokani (Consumer Collections & Recovery) to pay the “Overdue Payment of AED 100.00. I have very clearly stated in my replies back and several emails to Customer Service email id that this is not an “Overdue Payment” on my Loan but an amount that the bank is trying to take on LSP Insurance Policy under the pretext of renewal. And this is without my consent and approval. I have also informed them that I have a policy in force, Commencement date – 28 May 2016 up to 27 May 2017. But they refuse to accept any explanation. I have evn spoken to their collection officer Jatin Bassi and explained the entire issue. His words were, why cant you pay the AED 100.00. Just shows how desperate this bank is, even for a mere 100 dirhams that they will go to any extent to rob their so called valuable customers.
Now I have started receiving emails from their Team Leader Nishant Baindur threatening that they will black list my account, down grade my credit rating and cancel my credit amount. The Nov statement which I have received, they have charged me a late payment fee and also some additional bank service charges.
I have lodged a complaint with the Central Bank of UAE and waiting for them to take the necessary action.
If this is not extortion and robbery by a bank, then what can this be called?

I am using FGB credit card since 2012. I had bought 2 lottery tickets online on 17-09-2016 for which I had paid USD11.25 & USD7.43(Totalling to AED 71.2). Surprising while viewing my e-statement for the particular month, I have being charged AED 50*2=AED100/- as a quasi-cash fee. I am not being charged an extra fee when I purchase a UAE Big ticket through a credit card as it is also a lottery ticket. Request you to kindly look into this and get the amount reversed as this was a lottery purchase transaction & not a cash withdrawal from the card & I am not liable to pay any fee to FGB for a purchase transaction. Awaiting your revert
Gaurav Todi
[protected]

Dear

Today i have received my FGB Credit card statement. i don't have any due payment of Statement date of 05/11/2016.
but you have posted Billed Fiance Charge 81.91 Dhs. in November 2016 statement.

pls revised this payment to my credit card account immediately.

My card No : [protected]
Rajaram Nainappan
Mobile No : [protected]

how can you calculate billed finance charge...? this hiding charges

15/11/2016 BILLED FINANCE CHARGES 81.91

when I got credit card they told me that it's life time free there will be no charges but they charged me annual fee

again they deduct 350 for some insurance and when I call then they said they will call back but not thing happen finely they said for one year we already charged and from next year u will not charged and again this month they deduct 650 again I called to costomor care they again we will call back and no one is calling

guys please never ever take any card from fgb they are cheater I'm regretting why I have took any how I wants to pay back and close it!

Dear sir,
I am using fgb credit card for the past three years, in my august month statement I noticed an deduction of 350 / - dihrams under 12 installment plans. I immediately called the customer care but the guy who answered did not gave a proper reply and he made me believe that is my loan amount interest in installments.
Now I called again after getting october statement, I got to know that that is insuarnce amount.
I surely say that no consent or confirmation given by me and this s the second same issue facing from fgb.

Subject : Cancellation of Insurance Policy.

Ref. Policy Number 5/1/020/[protected], 5/1/020/[protected]

Dear Sir,

I contact your customer care and saying i no need this insurance and one strange thing is that I had never activated this policy.This is the not the first time I am facing this issue. Whenever I get noticed by email I call to the customer care and cancelled it still repeating the same. I no need any policy for this card. If you not cancel this policy i will cancel this credit card shortly.Because this is very insulted.

Here is the policy's which is been notified through email.All these has been activated without my knowledge so please cancel all policies and revert back the amounts.

1. LifeStyle Protect Plus policy from Zurich Insurance [Policy no. AE-AHLS-[protected] ]
2. FGB Max Advantage & PI-Remya Chellathchellath - FT1621009073
3. Lifestyle Protect Plus - Bronze & R policy COI & T&C (FGBLBR1610243196)

So please, you should take this complaint very urgently and cancel this policy at the earliest.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Remya Chellath

[protected]

Uae residence be aware

If your been a victim of unauthorized illegal charges on your credit card e. g... active 360 insurance etc...

This bank will not provide you a clear answer

Please make a complain with the uae central bank to make this bank punishable on their mistake

Http://www.centralbank.ae/en/index.php?option=com_jumi&fileid=45&itemid=59

Consumer protection unit
Toll free: 800 cbuae [protected])

'[protected]@cbuae.gov. ae'

Subject : Cancellation of Insurance Policy.

Ref. Policy Number # 5/1/020/[protected]

Dear Sir,

Before 2 times i contact your customer care and saying i no need this insurance.Your guys promise me to cancel this policy earliest and also policy amount ( AED 350 ) will reverse next month statement accordingly. But today i get insurance policy.I no need this policy.If you not cancel this policy i will cancel this credit card shortly.Because this is very insulted.

So please, you should take this complaint very urgently and cancel this policy at the earliest.

Thanks & Best Regards,

Jolly George

[protected].

I am really disappointed with your service as i take the Credit card as free for life and in my last statement i received an annual membership fee for AED 500 and when i check with your customer care they forward it to the concerned person and they told that i have to take quick cash or other protection plans to change it to free for life.I am really frustrated with your service and i am going to cancel the credit card because as a customer of FGB i never expected such a bad service from your side.At the time of taking the card it clearly mentioned in the application form as it's a free for life .

i am really disappointed by the customer service FGB provides. There was 360 Insurance fraudulently activated on my card by one of the FGB staff and i complained the customer service team and asked them to listen to the call. i was dragged from pillar to post and nothing has been done since one month. It looks like no one is willing to entertain customer complaints as they clearly know they were not being compliant. Further more my calls were coldly transferred to active insurance team and the staff i spoke to was very unprofessional. He refused to let me speak to his manager and made a false promise that his manager will call me before 5 pm. His name was "Sagar Moolani". He had no knowledge of what he was talking and clearly seem frustrated on the call as he just wanted to get away from it. However i called back and re-registered the complaint.
There are two references No of the complaints but no action has been taken yet for any of these complaints.
The two reference no are SR8867938 and SR8964267.
If the quality monitoring team can listen to the calls when my insurance was activated the issue can be resolved. However i am not sure if anyone will get back to me and solve this issue.

Dear FGB Management, I'm terribly unhappy with the customer services you provide, I had a Flexi and credit card account with your bank as I wanted to clear because of the customer service, my liability letter was given for the amount of AED 160000.00 where the loan I was taken only 96000 and had balance of 86000.00 but when I contacted the branch and the smart call none of them helped instead they said this is the extra charges for early closure, " seriously I never know that i have to pay the double the loan amount" after several call and I have ended in lots of stress they gave me a new letter and again charged 2 times, moreover I have paid all the amount on 16th of October and requested for clearance bank representative in Dubai Branch said that it will take 8 working days max to issue the letter, it is almost 15 days still not yet, I called many times and been to the branch no response, I have raised smart call complaint 3 times, no use until now no one responded I really worried and will never ever consider FGB in my life time.

Dear FGB Team,

Credit shield & SPL insurance taken by me to Rescue when we stuck in problems.
Not to create problems, but you insurance & Credit shield both screwing me last 60 days without any updates when we struggle for survive.
Name : Murali Govindasamy, My card no-[protected]
is it the way its works?. bank pressures me to pay only without any deferment options.
if its not solving within this week, I will take this to matter to gulf news & medias.

Good Luck.
thanks,
murali.G
[protected]

I’m reporting here an incident of inappropriate telephone call received from Mr. Obaid – Head of collection FGB (as he introduced himself). Mr. Obaid has used an offensive tone during his conversation and an intimidating language that I never expected from a professional working for a prestigious organization like FGB.

It has been the most humiliating and disrespectful deluge addressed to me in my entire life, at this very moment and due to that conversation I’m suffering a disturbed emotions where I’m unable to focus at my work nor rest down.

Although I was using my natural right to discuss and reply to the conversation he was bullishly stopping me and implicitly passing threats to chase me over the GCC while I was trying to get his proposal in writing so that to make sure I’m getting an authentic deal, I attached here a recording of the conversation for your care as an evidence on my claim’s.

I have left UAE since early 2015 and settled in Qatar since then I kept an honorable relation with FGB when I immediately contacted the customer service and asked them on how and where I could make my payments, I made all payments so far till August 2016 despite that fact that I never received alternate card after expiry nor used the old one for over a year now.

When the accumulated interest started to exhaust my budget and felt like it was an endless bleeding so I sent a proposal early in September 2016 to settle the card dues and suggested an amount that could be negotiated, no response received from your team whom so ever despite my several reminders which were absolutely with NO success.

At last I decided to stop the payment hoping that I could draw somebody’s attention to my emails (copied below) and perhaps I can negotiate a deal.

Unfortunately, all what I got was this call full of threatening, disrespect and humiliation which I had to tolerate simply because I respect myself and I commit to my obligations!

I’m confident that FGB is respectful to its customers regardless to their nationality or their race and will not allow such attitude form its employees towards its customers for any reason.

As loyal customer to FGB I’m asking the responsible in-charge to investigate the incident and to take the necessary action towards that unprofessional employee and I’m hoping that I shall not have to escalate this incident to a higher level neither to any legal action.

Best regards,
Mohammed Shabaneh
+974.[protected]

Trail of earlier emails ...
________________________________________
From: Mohammed shabaneh
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2016 10:59 AM
To: Fahed Ahmed Mohamed Freij; Jasmine.[protected]@fgb.ae; nishant.[protected]@fgb.ae; bhavana.[protected]@fgb.ae; ​​; ​​
Subject: RE: FGB -Final Legal Notice

Dear Jasmine, Nishant, Bhavana, Fahed and collection team.

I have been trying to establish a direct contact with your team member Mr. Fahed since 5th of September this year with no success, it was regarding a aproposal for full settlement of dues on the mentioned card.
I have followed up on my proposal several times later with no response again and again!
If you look at the trail of this mail you would find that I informed in my message dated 21st of September that I would stop payments till this proposal come to a conclusion.

For now you are requested to look into my proposal and take the matter to the highest level at dept. and come back to me on your bank final decision.
adding to the above, my contract with my current employer is expiring soon and it will not be renewed for additional period, so it is expected that by the beggening of 2017 not to have a regular income for even minimal payment, I'm urging you to take this propsal on priority basis and try to finalize it while I'm still able to pay my proposed amount.

Best regards, hope to hear good news from you soon...
Mohammed Shabaneh
+974.[protected]

________________________________________
From: Mohammed shabaneh [[protected]@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 4, 2016 8:38 PM
To: Mohammed shabaneh; Fahed Ahmed Mohamed Freij
Cc: Fahed Ahmed Mohamed Freij
Subject: Re: FGB -Final Legal Notice

Second Reminder ... please update on the request below.

Get Outlook for Android

________________________________________
From: Mohammed shabaneh [[protected]@hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 6:41 AM
To: Fahed Ahmed Mohamed Freij
Subject: Re: FGB -Final Legal Notice

Kind Reminder, I'm still waiting for your reply..

Please keep in mind that I'll not pay the monthly dues till we finalize this settlement issue.

Regards,

M. Shabaneh

________________________________
From: Mohammed shabaneh
Sent: Monday, September 5, 2016 10:02 AM
To: Fahed Ahmed Mohamed Freij
Subject: Re: FGB -Final Legal Notice

Dear Fahed,

Thanks for your kind reply! However I have gone through the Statements I received from Sept. 2015 till Aug. 2016 and found that FGB has charged me (9, 811.64 AED = 77% of my total payments!) as Interest and Other Charges, meanwhile the real usage till September 2015 was (20, 041.81 AED) and ZERO usage of the card after that date, again since September 2015 till Now I paid already the amount of (12, 601.06 AED) and yet as per FGB my due amount is ( 17800/-).

Currently I don't have the luxury to pay any extra money for interest or other charges since I got no benefit from this card for a over a year now, so I can only arrange to pay (the balance since last usage minus what I paid after that till now ) = (20, 041.81 AED - 12, 601.06 AED) = 7, 440.75 AED.

I attached below a table of the previous statements details for your reference

Finally you are kindly requested to take this request up to the final decision maker to approve the suggested amount for final settlement of the Card.

awaiting your valuable reply.

Best Regards and Happy Eid in advance,

Mohammed Shabaneh

Qatar : +[protected]

Stat. Date Current Payment Interest Other Charge Due
25/09/2015 17, 790.54 1, 000.00 644.76 17, 435.30
25/10/2015 20, 041.81 0 785.87 250 21, 077.68
25/11/2015 21, 077.68 2, 000.00 717.79 250 20, 045.47
25/12/2015 20, 045.47 0 705.94 250 21, 001.41
25/01/2016 21, 001.41 0 764.25 250 22, 015.66
25/02/2016 22, 015.66 3, 500.00 776.77 250 19, 542.43
25/03/2016 19, 542.43 1, 100.00 649.76 15.00 19, 107.19
25/04/2016 19, 107.19 1, 000.50 679.77 18786.46
25/05/2016 18, 786.46 1, 000 637.35 18423.81
25/06/[protected].81 1000.56 662.[protected].11
25/07/[protected].[protected].39 17970.5
25/08/[protected].5 1000 637.13 17607.63
4, 304.42 12, 601.06 8, 296.64 1515
9, 811.64
(9, 296.64/12, 601.06)= 78% of what I paid was Interest and Other Charges !
(12, 601.06-9, 296.64)= 4, 304.42 = 22% of what I paid was real payment …… !

________________________________
From: Fahed Ahmed Mohamed Freij
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2016 7:11 AM
To: '[protected]@hotmail.com'
Subject: FW: FGB -Final Legal Notice

Dear Mohammad,

As of today your outstanding is 17800/- & this amount has to be paid to close the card.

Regards,

Fahed Freij• Team Leader- Consumer Banking

P.O. Box 118977, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Fax +[protected]

fahed.[protected]@fgb.ae

[Description: Description: Description: Description: http://myfgb/PublishingImages/FGB%20Logo_homepage.JPG]

[cid:FGB.jpg]

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From: Mohammed shabaneh [mailto:[protected]@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2016 1:07 PM
To: [protected]@fgb.ae
Subject: Fw: FGB -Final Legal Notice

Kindly see the mail below, it is regarding settlement.

________________________________

From: Mohammed shabaneh
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2016 8:20 AM
To: Fahed Ahmed Mohamed Freij
Subject: Re: FGB -Final Legal Notice

Dear Fahed,

I wish to settle the outstanding amount on the subject Card No: [protected] on ASAP basis, please see what is the amount i can pay now and close this case.

I'm expecting a good amount to be waived.

awaiting your good reply.

Mohammed Shabaneh

+[protected]

Qatar

Last May 2016 I called the FGB hotline and requested to cancel any automatic renewal on my FGB credit card with SR 8219772. After a month I was surprise my credit card was debited with AED 350 prior to my early request to cancel it.

Based on the information provided by the FGB insurance team it was cancelled 0n 30th July 16 and the credit reversal of AED 350 will be transfer to my credit card account after 45 working days which is approximately by mid of Sept to end of Sept. 2016.

I have created another urgent SR 8890268 on 3rd week of October 2016 to resolve the issue as informed, another delaying tactics from the FGB insurance team their reason is due to technical reason why the reversal is not yet granted.

Dear All,

I have applied for credit card insurance claim since June 2016 but has not yet been approved. When i call the credit card insurance claim department they say your approval is still in process and on the other hand i receive calls and emails threatening to pay else face legal charges and case consequences. i have been repeatedly going from pillar to post since i lost my job in June 2016.
No one at FGB is either cooperate or even wants to hear customer grievances.
When we check with one department they forward to another colleague and no updates received.

The collection department is only focussing on collections irrespective of the customer's problem and there is no contact person or department to provide solution to customer problems. Customer is ultimately so fed up that he gives up on such claims and makes full payment. why do they provide such insurance and deduct our money which cannot be reimbursed when claimed or is it that the bank does not insure the customer but takes the insurance amount from the customer. Reputed insurance companies have never failed to honour claims but insurance taken through banks are time consuming and are not approved. What is the use of taking insurance from banks which when in need does not provide the benefits it is taken for.
This particular insurance i took was supposed to aid payment when a job is lost but since 4 months it has not been approved yet as per FGB.

My sincere request to all not to purchase any kind of insurance from banks, in my case it is FGB as when claimed it is not honoured.

regards,

cynthia

Hi! My name is Walter and im holding a FGB credit card. On May 18, 2016 i raised a complaint with reference no. SR8228838, SR8357388, SR8498384, SR8498394 with regards to insurance charges. I request that cancel all the insurances and i dont want anymore any auto renewal insurance to be charge on my credit card so then i received a call that it was done and no more auto renewal and no any insurance should be charge on my credit card. But i was surprised that on Sept. 15, 2016 at around 1831h i received a sms that i been charged with amount 588 AED for Oman Life insurance. On the same day i called the customer service help line (Smart call) and i complained about this matter with reference no. SR8766921 and requested to cancel and reverse the charges and informed that i already requested that i dont want anymore insurance charges. I called so many times and waited for long time just to reach of one of their call agent and every time they always told that someone will get back to me to resolve this issue. This are all the date of my call Sept 15, 19, 22, 27, 30 and Oct 3 but no one call me back. On Oct. 5 Wednesday i received an sms that my complained with refence no.SR8766921 has been closed its so strange no one call me back and now its close? so on the same day i called them and the call agent said that its already resolved and no any insurance will be charge on my card but i need to pay the 588 AED for the insurance. Why i have to pay an insurance without my approval? Today i called them again and the agent was not helpful and just said wait for the call. I ask if there anyone can help me to resolve this issue but the answer that i get is no one just wait for a call?
Hoping that someone can help to resolve this issue as it will might happen again every time.

My husband and me got financial crisis and we have loan from FGB, DUNIA and ADCB and credit cards too. because of our financial problem we couldnt pay installment for 2 months. they have already approached my husband HR twice and threatened to meet his Manager and terminate his job. As well as sending legal notice and making my husband to get scared by police complaint.
we informed that we have no plan of abscond and will pay our debts for sure. but give some amount to pay. but they are not listening. My husband is banned to travel already now. we dont have any options other than suicide. they made us to take this decision.

pls help me. how to get out of this and save my husband from them. we dnt have any relative to help in this situation.

Dear Sir’s,
I had availed a credit card from FGB Bank ([protected]). As i had lost my job in Dubai, i was forced to come to India. Once in India, my Mom was down with medical emergency and due to the same i was unable to pay the due back.
In Sep’16, i reached out to Mr.Mustakim from FGB to help me in settling this loan amount and also sent him a second reminder on the same. Post the same, my details and my case was assigned to Smart collection agency and it was confirmed by Mr.Mustakim that they are authorised collection agents of FGB. I still don’t understand why the case was assigned to an collection agent when i was in touch with the bank.
One person called Mr.Gulshan & Mr.Surender started speaking to me from this agency (mobile number of Mr.Gulshan – [protected], landline number – [protected]). Whenever they have called me, i have answered their calls and have made them aware of my situation. I have told them i cannot pay such huge amount and asked them to reconsider this.
Inspite of me being in touch with these people, they have called my wife and my family members to harass them and threaten them. They have been consistently calling from unknown numbers and talking in abusive language to my wife. They have even told my wife that if i am unable to pay, then she should use other means to pay the amount. Pls let me know on what basis they are calling up my family members when I am in constant touch with them. My wife is in mental trauma because of this and is currently scared even to venture out of the house. Let me know who will take responsibility for any consequence to my family due to such harassing and abusive behaviour from collection agents.
Is this the kind of collection agents that a reputed bank like you employs? If such instances are repeated in future, i would be forced to file defamation case against your bank and would file a police complaint against your collection agents.
Pls do understand, i have all the intention to repay and would like to do so. I had calculated the expenses that were incurred on the card which amounted to AED 30k against which i had made a payment of AED 23k already to the bank. I was willing to settle the remaining amount, but the settlement demanded by the collection agency is AED 15k.
Pls understand it is only due to the medical emergency in my family that i am unable to pay the amount. Would request you to consider the same and arrive at an amicable settlement and stop harassing my family members.

Regards,
Pradeep

Today I received called regarding late loan payment ( 2 latemail payments ) this man was shouting on the phone very rude I felt he is harassing me . I ask him polite no need to shout that the payment will be done, but he continued shouting and treating that tomorrow he will deposit the security check that I should remember him . I was very polite and calm and he closed the phone . I want to report him about his behavior this is not how they should talk and treat people .
No email no sms and on phone very rude.
I will advise you never go for FGB bank this is the worse bank ever they have very bad staff which they don't know how to work .

I would like to make a formal complaint about the way 1) your organization handled my account 2)I expect a refund since it is not my doing for extra charges !
Let’s start from the beginning because it is the never ending story! Personally, I am not very impressed by it nor ethical from your end.
I have made many numerous calls since I have made a payment of 48, 000AED 4th May in regards to cancelling my insurances…… Each time I have been told it has been cancelled and yet i am still charged!
Please see SMS log for each time I have made a request (may listen to the many conversations). Before I get into it, I would like to say all your staffs are very pleasant and well trained, however, it does not translate into resolution or/and actions!
Enough is enough! And yes I would like to be refunded from June because it is unacceptable. How many conversations do I need to have to have the issue closed and stop being charged?
• 5th June –verification- 3868
• 15th june 5055 & 1581 & 7675 / SR8351615
• 7th July 2833 /SR8448851
• 10TH july SR8448851 closed
• 20th July 4381 / SR8502752
• 8TH August SR8502752 closed
• 18th August 7870 / SR8641560 & SR8641554