Annual Fee Charged Without Disclosure
You were issued a credit card that was represented as "free" or "lifetime free" but the bank has now charged an annual fee. Or the annual fee was not disclosed clearly before you applied.
⚖️Your Rights Under RBI Regulations
All fees must be disclosed upfront in the Most Important Terms and Conditions document before card issuance.
If a card was represented as "lifetime free" in writing, the bank cannot subsequently charge an annual fee.
Annual fee waivers conditional on spending targets must be clearly disclosed — hidden conditions are not enforceable.
💰 What You Can Recover
Full refund of annual fees charged contrary to initial representation.
⏱ Response Deadline
30 days for written complaint.
📋Step-by-Step — What to Do
Gather any written/email communication showing the card was "lifetime free" or fee-free.
Write to credit card grievance cell with the specific fee amount and date, citing the prior representation.
File with RBI Ombudsman if refused.
🏛 Where to Escalate If Bank Doesn't Respond
RBI Integrated Ombudsman — cms.rbi.org.in
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