Initially when we approached one of the front-desk bank officers, he told us that for MBB Visa Debit, there will be a RM8 annual charge and was asking my friend's permission to deduct the money from his account. I was quite shocked to hear about this and he totally didn't mention to my friend about the free annual fee option. Moreover, his way of speaking left me the impression that RM8 seemed to be the only option and their usual way of dealing with MBB Visa Debit card applications. After reading through this forum and getting feedbacks from experience members such as MilesandMore, I of course protest on the spot and claimed that the information on the Maybank website showed otherwise. I went on to EXPLAIN to him that there should be two kind of charges where the RM8 is for unlimited withdrawal. I insisted on the free annual fee MBB Visa Debit card. Then he seemed like taken aback before hurriedly smiled back at me again and asked me whether I confirmed wanted the free annual fee card with limited withdrawal. Of course I do! Just when he wanted to proceed with the application process, he was interrupted by another bank officer sitting next to his counter which looked to be quite senior. After whispering for a while to him and returned to her own counter, the front-desk officer announced that he would still need to impose an annual fee of RM8 as the free annual card was only ELIGIBLE for existing Maybank Bankcard holders to convert to MBB Visa Debit card. Existing MBB account holders with no prior Maybank ATM card can only choose for the RM8 annual fee debit card. I was like XXX! Does that means all the information i gathered from Lowyat.net and their own MBB website is false???

Knowing my rights, immediately I protested by quoting the information from the MBB website. He then pointed me to clarify with the senior officer whispering to him previously. My friend and I walked over to her counter and demanded an explanation. She claimed that their 'latest' memo gave the right to only grant the free annual fee debit card to the conversion case. All new applications like my friend will need to be impose an annual RM8 fee. My friend was on the verge of submission but I wasn't going to let go easily. I mean how can such a large bank like MBB practicing double standard in imposing fees?Both the conversion case and my friend are MBB basic account holders! Not willing to give up, I resorted to the last alternative. I requested her to contact their HQ and clarified on the 'wrong' information in their website. Needless to say, she was reluctant and claimed that it was better if I contact them myself. I was not stupid to lost the lead here as I proceed to ask her to contact their HQ for me and I would speak to them personally. Seeing my persistence, she deliberately went to another counter to make the call instead of calling in front of me even though there was a phone in her counter as well. After waited for another frustrated half an hour, she showed up telling me both of the staffs in the HQ went out for lunch. She said I would need to come back half an hour later if I insisted on contacting the HQ. She even had the nerve to show me part of her latest memo dated July 2009 regarding the annual charge and claimed that the information in the website was probably OUTDATED!

When I came back half an hour later, she seemed to forgot to tell me that she would need to go out for lunch too! Not wanting to give up, I waited again in vain for another hour before she finally showed up. To my amusement, she seemed to treat me as transparent and went on to meddle with her own things. Immediately I approached her and requested her to make the call again. Deep down inside me, I had decided to give up if this try was again fruitless. Instead of making the call, she went to ask one of her colleagues which seemed to be another senior bank officer. After exchanging words in less than 5 minutes, she came back to me and granted the permission to waive my friend's annual fee. I still deeply remembered her last sentence to me. "Your case is a special case and this is not for everyone else".

The whole process took me 4 hours! In the end, no apology was given though my friend managed to get his annual fee free MBB Visa Debit card (I advise my friend to check his account statement often in case every now and then a small RM8 fee slipped out from his account  )
My real concern is about the memo she shown to me. Has MBB being so badly hit by the economic crisis that they need to stoop so low to gain revenues?Imagine if my friend had no prior knowledge about this and accepted their RM8 annual fee charge. How unfair! At the end, no call was actually needed to HQ. I guess having a good relationship with a bank senior officer will really help in the long run. Perhaps it is time for me to open a new account in PB...hmm...