Deputy Director of Yangon Region Directorate of Consumers’ Affairs, Min Thein, said that his department received more complaints on failures of ATM machines with dispensing lesser amount though the full amount is debited from the customer’s account.

Directorate of Consumers’ Affairs reportedly received over 20 complaints on inconveniences in withdrawing money from ATM machines.

“The bank customers didn’t get full amount from ATM machines though the full amount was debited from their accounts. They didn’t get full amount of their money. Sometimes the cards were stuck in the machines. The bank customers want to use their cards at any time continually but according to the bank procedures reissuing of the bank cards to the customers takes time. And then the customers lodged complaints to us as they couldn’t use their cards in the meantime,” Deputy Director Min Thein said.

Similarly the customers lodged complaints on discrepancies in money transfer from foreign countries with receiving cash less in comparison with the amount remitted in foreign banks by senders.

Deputy Director added that they called both complainants and the concerned business to their Directorate of Consumers’ Affairs office when the consumers suffered losses and grievances to settle the dispute. And then if the litigant is settled successfully the case is closed and otherwise the case is forwarded to State/Region-level Consumers’ Affairs Committee for getting final verdict.

CB Bank Debit/Credit Card Department Chief Zeyar Aung said to Mizzima, “We received continuous complaints on not receiving money though money has been debited from their accounts and also more complaints on high bank service charge and high interest rate. The Consumers’ Affairs Directorate asked for us to settle these issues by meeting with customers. If the said money had been really debited from their accounts though they didn’t get money we contacted the concerned customers and settle these issues immediately.”

It is learnt from Yangon Region Consumers’ Affairs Department that previously the consumers mostly lodged complaints on merchandise but now they are also lodging complaints on services.

The provision in Law for Protection of Consumers’ Rights stipulates that when the consumer lodges complaint on losses and grievances, the directorate will settle the issue but when either consumer or business and service provider post said dispute online the directorate will no longer work in settling such dispute.