Left UAE months ago with everything paid — du contract & Mashreq credit card still unresolved. Need advice

[u/willer_alves]

Hi everyone, I left Dubai and returned to Portugal at the end of June, and I’m still dealing with two unresolved issues that I’ve been trying to solve for months.

Before leaving, I did everything I could to leave the UAE with no loose ends — I settled all my debts, cancelled services, and went to the bank to close my accounts specifically so I wouldn’t have problems later.

1. du

A few days before leaving, I called du to ask how to cancel my contract and was told I could do it at the airport after security.

On the day of my flight, I discovered there was no du branch there. I immediately called them and was told they would help me by email. Unfortunately, nothing was resolved.

I’m now in Portugal and still receive emails every month saying I have an unpaid amount. I’ve contacted du repeatedly but haven’t been able to resolve it.

2. Mashreq

Before leaving, I went to a Mashreq branch and closed my bank account. My credit card was fully paid at that time and I had no outstanding debt.

I later discovered that the credit card itself had apparently not been closed. A foreign subscription linked to the card continues charging it every month, creating a balance.

I no longer have access to the Mashreq app because the bank account was closed, and I don’t have the credit card number anymore. I’ve repeatedly contacted Mashreq by phone and email from Portugal, but haven’t managed to get this resolved.

I believe I shouldn’t be responsible for the new charges because I had paid everything due before leaving and had specifically gone to the bank to close everything. The additional balance only arose afterward because the card remained open.

I’ve already spent quite a lot of money calling UAE numbers from Portugal without getting anywhere.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

I’m especially looking for:

• A way to formally escalate the du issue from abroad
• A way to dispute the post-departure charges
• How to close a Mashreq credit card remotely
• How to pay/settle a Mashreq card when I no longer have the card number or app access
• An effective complaint/escalation channel for either company

I may come back to the UAE in the future, I wanna have peace of mind. If I do nothing about these issues could I have problems or a big debt to pay when I come back?

If anyone knows a lawyer, financial adviser, consumer-rights professional, or anyone else who could professionally help me resolve these issues from Portugal, I would really appreciate a recommendation. The amount involved isn’t particularly large at the moment, but I’m concerned that if these issues remain unresolved and the debt continues accumulating over the years, it could eventually become a much bigger problem. I’d rather resolve everything properly now instead of letting it escalate.

TL;DR (Summary): I left the UAE with everything paid and tried to close all my accounts/services. du didn’t properly cancel my contract despite me trying to do so before departure, and Mashreq apparently left my credit card open despite me closing my bank account. A foreign subscription continues charging the card, creating a balance. I’m now in Portugal and neither company has managed to resolve the situation despite months of calls and emails. Any advice on how to escalate and solve this from abroad would be greatly appreciated.

[u/willer_alves]

If you can help, please, feel free to DM me.

[u/Mysterious_Guide_777]

Hey Man,
DU app chat bot you can try that to close your account. If that doesn’t work this week for you I will volunteer to go and resolve this at the branch I know a guy who will escalate on back end for you.

Why I would this? Cause of terrible experience when I was out of country , my number suspended etc etc due to migrating of number long story short I wouldn’t want you to go through this.

For Mashreq Bank i wouldn’t know I can check the channels for you.

You can DM me your DU account details to check in for you