Update to the info on ICICI charges: There is good news 
I talked to the customer service and came to know that the quoted charges are applicable only if you don’t maintain the minimum balance.
Good to hear that, isn’t it?!
This is an email forward I got recently. And apparently it is true.
“Do you have an ICICI account? If no - Be Happy. If YES….please read on…
* You are allowed to enter the Bank only once in a month for free (thrice in a quarter). There after you have to pay Rs.50/- every time. This means you should not go to the branches.
* For every cheque leaves you need to pay Rs. 2/- So if you are using 50 cheques you have to pay Rs.100/- So you are discouraged using Cheques.
* With effect from April 1, 2004 ICICI is charging you Rs.99/- for your ATM Card. Even for ATM card (remember ATMs are replacement for branches) we need to pay. Now the only way you could withdraw your money is to pay and withdraw. With this imagine the amount of cash that ICICI would make every year with out doing any thing. If you consider as 10 lakh customers, 10 Crores of rupees ever year ! - assured income for ICICI.
* You can use ATM. But only twice in a month (six times in a quarter). There after you have to pay just Rs.25/- every time. So how do you use your money at ICICI bank?
Compare these with nationalized banks. Those days we used to happily use the bank branches (free of course). Cheque books are supplied for free of cost. These private banks have captured the market by many ways. They have slashed down the interest on savings account and on fixed Deposits. They eliminated branches and introduced ATMs - Cost cutting. Probably at cost of one single branch they could put in many ATMs. Now they charge you for using those ATMs as well. It is after all our money that we deposit with them.
To use your own money you need to pay ICICI !.
These charges are apart from the “routine” charges like - if you operate you account from any other branch you have to pay, if your balance drops below some value you need to pay a hefty penalty etc. I am wondering can we people gather together and question ICICI. I believe we can make an impact if we take up this issue strongly. Whoever has got the Corporate account please take it up via your HR/Finance department. Other do call up their customer centers and question them. And/Or send mails to customer.care@icicibank.com
Interestingly, I came across this article in The Hindu today about the same issue.
Precondition: I am neither a Windows fanatic nor a Linux one. I’m just a curious observer who loves both.
A recent article “Linux Loyalists Leery” in Forbes magazine says that Redhat is planning to charge the customers for the support on a per-CPU basis. The reaction? Well, I was surprised when some people say that they will switch to Windows!
Well, can we claim that ultimately it all boils down to Value for Money! So Linux was rather a cheaper alternative than a better? Is that right?
I am not sure. Linux is robust of course and it surprises me that some of those out there who used to project themselves as Linux geeks are not necessarily so!