My bank keeps sending template replies and moving its own deadlines. How do I escalate effectively?

What has worked for me:

1. Keep everything in one email thread, in writing. Ask for email-only communication. Banks often claim they "couldn't reach you" by phone, and a written request rebuts that.
2. Track every reference number and promised date in a simple table: date, reference, what they said, what they promised. When a deadline passes, quote it back: "On [date] you committed to [X] by [date]. That date has passed."
3. Escalate in order: customer care, then the Grievance Redressal Cell, then the Principal Nodal Officer. Each level should see the full history.
4. Point out contradictions precisely. If one reply says "under activation" and the next asks for your "exact requirement", or a reply contradicts the product's terms, quote both lines. Specific contradictions get real answers more often than general frustration.
5. Keep replies short and calm. Long angry emails get skimmed; three crisp lines get read.
6. Never leave the bank's last message unanswered, even after filing with the Ombudsman. An unanswered reply can be presented as your acceptance.
7. File with the RBI Ombudsman once 30 days pass without a real resolution, attaching your table and the thread.

If the issue turns out to be something the bank genuinely doesn't offer (for example, a platform that's "under development"), get that in writing and stop. It's evidence, and it saves you weeks.