A lawsuit filed by a bank agent against a collection officer working at his bank sparked widespread reactions to social networking sites after the client was repeatedly harassed and seriously injured by a health crisis because he was upset by repeated calls from the collection officer.
Bank employees chased them by phone if they failed to pay any dues, or offered to sign up for a new offer from the bank, noting that they were in frequent contact, causing them distress.
The legal advisor, Nasser Al Shamsi, asserted that the charge of disturbing the use of communications equipment is punishable under UAE law and that a fine of not less than 50,000 dirhams is imposed.
He explained that the employee of the bank, which follows frequent contact with the customer to demand payment of a loan or other, puts himself under the law for the inconvenience.
In a statement to Emirates Bank today, the victim said that the bank has reserved the full end of service bonus because of the amount owed, but the amount is shortfall of 12 thousand dirhams due to the existence of benefits. As a result, the staff member contacted him repeatedly and spoke to him inappropriately, threatening to resort to the judiciary. He asked him not to contact him again until he managed the required amount, but he increased the number of contacts, reaching more than 20 calls a day . When he stopped answering the bank's phone number, the employee began calling him from his personal phone.
The victim commented: "My contacts hit me with high blood pressure. I was summoned to the hospital. During my stay in the ambulance, the officer continued his contact. He did not stop until the medic answered him and told him that I was in an ambulance and on my way to the hospital."
Local bankers who received phone calls from the bank's collection department demanded that they repay the outstanding loans and arrears in an inappropriate manner, pointing out that the repayment period is not over one week to start the phone calls and the threat to stop the account and the credit card. To speak staff in an inappropriate way.
Mohammed Abdullah, Majed Ali and Adnan Adnan said they had been harassed by bank employees as a result of their delay in paying installments. The number of contacts from the bank employee during the working hours reached more than 10.
Ahmed Mourad complained that the bank employee placed his phone on the bank's ATM, to call him periodically every half hour of the day, and when he received a voice message asking him to pay.
A bank official said that contacting the customers to claim payment in the event of delay is at the core of the collection employee's work, stressing that the bank trains the employees in a manner that ensures proper and proper handling with the customers. In the event that the customer receives a call in an inappropriate manner or includes insult or insult, Complaint to the bank, especially since all calls are registered.
Lawyer Nasser Al-Shamsi stated that the use of communications equipment or services to abuse, disturb, hurt others or for any other purpose, whether through communication or through repeated messages using smart phone applications constitutes a crime. The law stipulates a penalty of one year imprisonment and a fine of not less than 50 Thousand dirhams, not exceeding 200 thousand dirhams, or by one of the penalties.
He pointed out that inconvenience or harassment is the misuse of communications equipment in order to harass or harass others, without any useful speech.
Al-Shamsi stressed that article 72/2 of Law No. 3 of 2003 on the exploitation of devices or services for communication of abuse, disturbance or harm to the feelings of others applies to bank employees, telecommunications companies and delegates who contact customers at a frequent rate.
He explained that if the employee calls to demand the customer to pay, one call is enough, and then can be filed a criminal case, but frequent contact to demand payment puts the employee under the law for the inconvenience.
Percentage of targeted connections
Employees at the collection departments at local banks confirmed that they are required to maintain regular contact with customers and to make a certain number of calls per month to ensure that they are committed to performing their duties in communicating with customers who are in arrears.
They pointed out that the banks set a target rate for them to meet them, otherwise the employee is not successful in his work, and redundant, explaining that they communicate with the client to pay, and if he is unable to do so there are other solutions, including the reduction of the value of the installment with an increase in repayment period.
They said they were in contact with the non-committed dealers, who have no serious intention to pay. The trader confirms that he will pay the required amount at a certain time, but he does not, and starts to flee and not answer the phone.