I left UAE in jan 2004 and before I left I cleared my personal loan and rest of the accounts with HSBC Dubai but I didn't close my credit card since I was going to a new place and might have needed it. Technically the bank should have closed all my accounts with them since I my company had intimated them in writing of my intentions of leaving UAE and when I had personal approached the collection dept. at that time. Over an year I was using this card and payments were made on time from the money left in the prosper a/c. and when there was no money in the account I used to transfer funds from overseas so that payments can be made on time. Since I was not receiving any statements from the bank I requested for a e-statement from the bank in writing through an email, this facility the bank introduced after I bought it to there notice. despite my written request and phone call to customer service my request for e-statement was not accommodated for unknown reasons. The credit card balances were going up and down without me having any clue what was happening in the account, so I stopped making payments. After almost an year i get a phone call and an email from there CMU dept. that I owe the bank a concocted amount with undue interest and penalties. I did respond to there phone call and the email (I feel now had I kept quite it would have been better) and from the beginning I said i will repay the bank all the amounts due with a legitimate interest and in good faith I transferred some money that month itself.

I have been negotiating with the bank for a reasonable amount for some time with threats hurled out at me every now and then and finally my case was handed down to so called the team leader of CMU dept. This team leader of there on one side he was negotiating with me and at the same time he was inquiring about me in the country of my origin which is a bastardly act. Since i wanted to get over with this saga I didn't make an issue and I agreed to an amount given by him. Unfortunately I was not allowed sufficient time to repay despite my repeated request and on numerous occasions I informed them of my incapacity to repay big installments due to my financial situation and they were asking for exorbitant amounts if I was to delay payments.

I agreed to an amount and gave this person an address to send the statements which he had been asking for so that I can see the statements before I pay in full. No sooner I said I will pay in one go and gave him the address he turns around and informs me that he is no longer handling the case and it has been given to external debt collection agency as if he was waiting for me to give him the address and according to him since I didn't respond to his email for two weeks he had to resort to such an action without even bothering to give a reminder which shows lack of professionalism. This person is being greedy and he thinks he can rip me off extra money.

Now the situation is such that I have paid in full borrowing from a store card at 29% interest rate according to the proposal given to me and now this person is dilly dallying to give the clearance letter and legal action release letter and doesn't even bother to give a curtsy reply. Neither does the customer service to whom I have been marking a copy.

I wish to know if there is a consumer forum where i can give in my complaint and if not I surely want to sue the bank and this person for unnecessary stress and harassment. I also wish to go to media and tell them how they are oppressing the expatriate population and they think they can get away with whatever nuisance thrown at them.