Permata Bank's biased service

Until my relocation to Batam earlier this year, I had been receiving monthly credit card statements from Permata Bank.

Unfortunately, once I informed Permata Bank of my new mailing address, monthly statements were replaced by threatening phone calls from the Permata Bank Collections Department. One such phone call involved an employee calling me a pelacur, or prostitute, and my family a keluarga brengsek, or good-for- nothing family.

Even though I tried to express my concerns about unauthorized transactions that may have taken place on my card without my knowledge, the Permata Bank Credit Card Department and Collections Department still refused to issue a statement. Such requests were often met with angry responses from bank employees insisting that I pay my bill, even without knowing what transactions had been made.

Eight months have passed since I first requested a statement to be delivered to my new mailing address. During this time, I have only received two pieces of correspondence from the bank -- a replacement credit card in June and a warning letter dated Dec. 11, requesting that I pay my balance in full within seven days. No explanation has yet been given by the bank regarding the outstanding balance on my account.

It is hard to believe that companies are still doing business this way in the year 2003.

FENTY HARYATIE
Batam