Bangalore Bugle

India Pakistan Matchup

2010-03-30T16:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a news report that Indian tennis star Sania Mirza is planning to get married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.

A marriage between two sports stars from India and Pakistan is not going to be easy. And that would be an understatement. My marriage is a multi-racial one; my wife is from a different state in India and her mother tongue is different from mine. This has brought challenges to our marriage. But Sania and Shoaib are taking it many levels higher.

I am sure the right wing politicians of both the countries are going to have some choice comments.

But love conquers all. I wish Sania and Shoaib a happy married life and hope that they find the love and strength to weather the storm that is coming their way.

ICICI Credit card transaction DECLINED!

2010-01-11T22:43:00.000-08:00

The other day, I bought some gold jewelary. I prefer to use credit cards to carrying cash around. I tried to make the purchase with my ICICI credit card. In spite of having sufficient credit limit, my transaction was declined. My ABN Amro and Axis bank cards came to the rescue and I split the charge on both the cards.

I am aware that high valued transactions go through a 'fraud detection scanner'. But ICICI never told me before this incident, what their procedure was.

The following is what they do. I quote the ICICI customer care here:

For all the transaction amount above Rs. 7,500.00 used from credit card for jewellery or electronics purchase,initially the transaction will not get processed for security reasons.We request you to contact to the 24 hours customer care and after activation of the card then you may proceed with the transaction.

In the interest of our card holders and to protect their safety, certain transactions get referred to the Issuing Bank. In such cases, the merchant establishment concerned is required to contact the Issuing Bank through his Acquiring Bank to get an approval code for the transaction.

This is only a precautionary measure to ensure that there are no fraudulent charges incurred on your card.The card is active and may use the same.

I am all for security and fraud prevention. But please do keep me, the customer, informed!

So, be advised and have your phone and TPIN number ready, next time you buy something expensive with your ICICI card.

ICICI - IRCTC fraud

2008-10-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased tickets over IRCTC - 4 sets of tickets. I paid the first two with my credit card. Probably because the charges were identical, the third charge was denied. So, I paid for the rest of the two tickets with my ICICI bank account via the ICICI gateway.

All was good. Until two days later, two transactions appeared on my online bank statement.

13/10/2008 IRCTC CHGS 10/09/2008 7760192 DR INR 11.00
13/10/2008 IRCTC CHGS 10/09/2008 7757935 DR INR 11.00

I wrote to IRCTC and ICICI about the transactions. Turns out those are the charges ICICI levies for purchasing tickets over their gateway. Note that it is NOT charged if you purchase the ticket with a credit card. This is what ICICI had to say.

We understand your concern.

You may obtain the complete service charges list applicable
for a general savings account by following the mentioned steps:

1. Visit our website www.icicibank.com
2. Select 'Service charges and fees'
3. Select 'Regular savings accounts'

We request you to click on the below link to know the service charges

http://www.icicibank.com/pfsuser/webnews/rates&fees.htm

We will be unable to service your request for reversal of charges.

We regret the inconvenience caused to you.

Looking forward to your co-operation.

Now, I object to this charge. I was not informed of this charge at the time of the transaction. ICICI and IRCTC claim that the charge is mentioned on ICICI's website (I did not find it) along with its schedule of charges. That is fine print. What about telling me clearly at the time of the transaction and upfront and without ambiguity what the ticket is going to cost me?

This is fraud (intentional or otherwise). I have had a very good relationship with ICICI so far. But this sucks. I wish I could take ICICI to a consumer court. I wish. But I don't have the time. I sure hope some one else does.

This is not about eleven bucks. I would have gone ahead and paid the fee, had I been told about it. But it is just not right on ICICI's part to think that I can be charged, as long as it is mentioned somewhere on their website. And charged two days after the transaction.

I guess online transactions have a long way to go and this action of ICICI and IRCTC puts it back. Sigh!

Here is someone else hit by this hidden charge.

Gay rights

2008-10-21T10:58:00.000-07:00

The Delhi High court, yesterday, slammed the Government's contention describing homosexuality as a disease. Let's hope that sense prevails and homosexual activity becomes legal.

The IPC has some really archaic provisions regarding 'gay sex'. Section 377 of Indian Penal Code provides punishment up to life imprisonment for indulging in 'homosexual sex'.

Courts in California and other states are trying to take on the issue of gay marriages.

When will India will get to that stage?

Fight piracy

2007-07-09T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have always had strong feelings about not using pirated software/music/movies/books; but not 'Richard Stallman strong' to never touch it.

While, in college (and at times even after), when faced with the option of working with pirated software and not working at all, I have chosen working. I am not trying to justify what I did. But the fact remains that, that was what I chose.

I have also watched movies borrowed from video libraries, almost all of which are pirated.

But, I do make it a point to not buy pirated books/DVDs when I have an option. But often there is no option or the option is prohibitively expensive.

Well, looks like that is about to change. Moserbaer is releasing (Indian) movie DVDs/VCDs for really affordable prices - 28 bucks for a VCD set and Rs 34 for a DVD. With such a pricing, why would one even touch a pirated movie?

I for one wouldn't! For those who are interested, check out Landmark, Bangalore. You should find Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada movies there. No English ones yet, however. Hope that changes too!

So, what are you waiting for? Go grab them! :)

Bangalore Trashed

2007-07-02T08:06:00.001-07:00

I have been staying in Bangalore for three years now. I once used to stay in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai.

Chennai has had a reputation for being dirty and Bangalore for being clean and green.

Well, not true anymore, I'd say. I am of course speaking from the Chennai I saw four years ago. But Singara Chennai had a pretty efficient trash collection system then!

Bangalore's system, just sucks. You do not find any good means of dumping waste. Sure, people walking trolleys collect trash by around 9 AM. But the timing just does not work for me. I believe I am not alone here. You can see people dumping trash in the streets.

I am sorry to say this. I do too. But hey, I would not mind walking half a kilometer to dump the trash in the right place, if there were one.

SG Palaya, the place where I stay had an emply patch of land which was used by people to dump waste in. Recently, some one decided to have a public meeting there and cleaned it up. The trash started finding its way on the streets instead! It still does.

Sorry, the '9 AM scheme' does not work. And until someone comes up with a better solution, Bangalore continues to stink...

Security @ Forum

2007-07-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

Forum is a shopping mall in Bangalore. It is quite impossible to live in Bangalore and not know about it; it is that popular.

My daily walk takes me to Forum every evening. I pass through it and take a quick tour of Koramangala and then retrace my steps and head back home.

Everytime I go there, there is something that bugs me - everytime! The security at the entrances. There is a sentry and a scanner through with visitors have to pass through.

So, what is it that bugs me? Well, this setup is IMHO just for the sake of appearance. There are side entrances for bikes and cars. No, those entrances have no security. :) Even the ones at the main entrances are monitored only during peak times. You can go there by 9:30 AM or by 10 PM and find them unattended.

So, I can't help asking. What is all this for?

Bangalore is supposed to be on the top of the hit-lists of terroists. It certainly can use some security. But this only causes inconvinence to the people.