Hi Team,
I would like to narrate the whole act of sale of an insurance policy by Probus Insurance Broking Ltd (Poddar Court, Gate no: 2, Room No: 325) which includes an Act of Fraud and Misleading information about the policy. Listed below are some people I would like to address involved in this whole incident,
1. Mr. Susanta Das (Policy buyer, Phone No: 9674282255)
2. Mr. Soumik Gangully (Sales Agent of Probus Insurance Broking Limited, Seller of the Policy, Phone No: 9674833161)
3. Mrs Chandrakanta Bhowmik (Financial Advisor of Probus Insurance Limited and also the Agent under whose name the policy is being registered, Phone No: 9836572520.)
I would like to inform that in the month of May 2017 around 8th July I received a call from this agent addressing himself an executive of HDFC Life, Mr. Soumik Gangully regarding an insurance policy under HDFC Life which would give a return of 11.4% p.a, investing an premium amount of 40000 INR p.a I was informed to receive an matured amount of 3,15,000 – 3,20,000 INR on maturity at the end of 5 Years. Considering the policy to be good in terms of return I agreed to apply for the same on terms that I do receive my policy statements on my applied address within few days of my policy being generated. I did also inform the agent , if the policy documents does not matches the condition of the agent Mr. Soumik Gangully I would strictly cancel the same.
On 14th of May, 2017 so far I remember the agent send for my home a collection agent of his with a policy form to be duly filled by me. I asked for an Insurance Brochure to look into about the policy details and went through the required fields and filled in the same.I also handed over an Axis Bank Cheque of Rs 20,000 to the collection agent and also informed Mr. Soumik about the same. The next day I called Mr. Soumik Gangully to check if he received my Account Paid cheque and by when I am expected to receive my policy documents after the policy is into force. He asked me to wait for some days, as soon I receive an text message from HDFC Life about the policy being generated within 15 days of the same I was told to receive the policy documents. I in the mean time received a verification call from Probus Insurance , Mumbai enquiring if I agreed to all the policy terms as their agent has spoken to me.I enquired about the policy terms and the verifier on the call told me the policy terms was for 15 years,instantly I informed the verifier to cancel the policy as the agent Soumik Gangully had quoted 5 years when the verifier told me the policy terms were for the period of 15 years. I called Mr Soumik to confirm the policy period, he told me sir please accept to all the questions asked as the second part of the policy that is an medical coverage of 3 Lakhs per annum for your family is to be approved once the verification of the first part of the policy gets through. I debated with the agent for the policy period and that my policy to be cancelled but he continuously advised me sir please do not worry about the policy documents as it shall be mailed to your address only once the verification call is cleared and the policy is generated. Further, after receiving the policy documents if you are not satisfied with the policy terms and conditions you can go forward and cancel the same.
The second time I received a verification call from Probus insurance I again raised the same questions about the policy terms and agreed to the rest of the questions asked as I was informed “if you are not satisfied with the terms of the policy received at your address you can cancel the same”. It was on 25th of May,2017 I received an sms from HDFC Life informing an insurance policy no. 19249370 has been generated. I instantly called Mr. Soumik Gangully to enquire when I am to receive my policy documents. He replied sir ” As you are having an demat account with the HDFC Life so it shall take some time to get your policy documents to be delivered to your address. I kept calling the agent every alternate days and he kept by saying the same statement adn often used to ignore my calls. I myself asked him to meet me outside my office once to get the policy information and also know him better , he refused. I kept calling his phone and he often ignored telling me he is in some meeting and shall call back very soon. It was the I began to doubt his actions and found myself in the trap of a FRAUD ACT.
Thereafter I kept calling him to know when I am to receive my policy documents so that I can further go forward and know about the policy. He continuously told me Sir “if you dont receive the documents by next Mondays, Friday’s you inform me and I shall cancel your policy”. I kept waiting for my policy documents to be delivered and by then most probably he passed away the Free-Lock period of the policy. I called him once again and he said me” Sir as your demat account with HDFC is not closed we are not able to deliver your policy documents”. A demat with HDFC which I was unaware and my agent knows about it put me into some more doubtful instances. By then I got confirmed that I am into this fraud trap. I calmly called the agents phone an asked him to cancel my policy as I am not receiving my policy documents. The agent informed me ” your policy cannot be further be cancelled, you may do whatever you like” and he disconnected the call this was in the month of July after a month the policy was already generated and my documents were not delivered. I again called the agents phone number to get some details about the office he works and the manager he reports as he was responsible to not cancel my policy and make a fraudulent sale of the policy. He disconnected saying I cannot provide you the details please check your mail id you have already received your policy documents on your mail when your policy was generated.
Thereafter, I checked my mail id and found an email from HDFC Life with an attached policy documents. I went trough the copy of the document and found in the last pages the policy document states in small fronts that the policy surrender value was supposed to be around 3,20,000 INR after the completion of 15 years. I was taken into shock and I called the HDFC Life customer care phone number for some help. They advised me to drop a mail to [email protected] and also drop a written complaint to the nearest branch. I again called Mr. Soumik Gangully to enquire the office he repots to, He gave me the address of HDFC LIFE, Dalhousie, Kolkata. I walked into the same office and tied to meet Mr. Soumik , when I learnt no such agent by the name Soumik Gangully works in that office. I was then advised to talk to a section of sales team of Probus Insurance which performed their sales duty from the addressed office. I reported the same and also enquired if the person does not works in this office there has to be a person who has opened this policy else how could the policy be generated. They then showed me the person named Mr. Chandrakanta Bhowmik under whose name the policy has been registered. I asked for his office address and went for the same.
I went to Poddar Court Gate no:2 , Room No: 325 registered on the name of Probus Insurance and Broking Limited. I informed the concerned person Chandrakanta Bhowmik about the whole incident. He then went through his verification call record list and agreed to me yes, your policy should have been cancelled by now as the verification records states clearly on the first call itself that it was ordered by customer that the policy is to be cancelled as there has been misleading information regarding the policy maturity period. Mr. Chandrakanta Bhowmik then himself called his sales team and enquired them how the policy went forward and was opened when in the first point the policy was advised to be cancelled by the customer (Call records of this whole incident is in my phone stored). Thereafter Mr. Chandrakanta Bhowmik advised me please wait for 7 days I shall get the premium amount being refunded to my linked bank account.
It was from that day onwards I have been dropping mails as advised by Mr. Chandrakanta Bhowmik to HDFC LIFE, Probus compliance team and all those but I have only received negative feedback as to there was no fraud sale and the policy cannot be cancelled and no refund to be made. Whereas, Mr. Chandrakanta Bhowmik in his mail to HDFC LIFE himself confessed that there has been an misleading information regarding the policy period being informed to the customer and that he is ready to refund the amount deducted as an brokerage for the policy sale. One more mail has been received from Probus compliance team stating that the policy has already been cancelled and the amount shall be refunded back. On enquiring the same with Mr. Chandrakanta Bhowmik next day I again received an email from Probus Compliance team please ignore the previous mail and reach out to HDFC LIFE office for cancellation and refund as the same shall be done by HDFC LIFE and not Probus Insurance Broking.
To my knowledge I have been cheated in terms of a policy sale and that even after making a complaint at all the inclusive offices and concerned persons I have not received any feedback, rather I am having to call and enquire every day whether my policy has been cancelled, processed to be cancelled or it shall not be cancelled. And in the name of mails and documentation it has been delayed months after months and I am in the end of August,2017 when I should have received my refund back set into a total dilemma of an Fraudulent Act. Whereas no actions so far has been taken against the agent who has been perhaps cheating many people on the same aspect and I am only told to wait and see if HDFC approves the cancellation and the amount gets refunded.
I would request you to kindly look into the matter seriously and also reach out to me for any additional information required. I shall more than happy to help in any case required.Please take an action with regards to the incident and also provide me my justified premium amount back.
Please also find the attachment.
Regards,
Susanta Das
9674282255
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