How do you find HSBC's customer service / website/app for personal banking?

chris112 · 23 January 2018 at 12:43PM

im thinking of switching from my Natwest select account to a HSBC Advance account as i will get £200 CB + 5% savings account which beats my current natwest cash ISA which is something like 1% (but tax free) but i only have £10k in there so dont know if there will be much difference

i read their mobile app was poor, but how do you find there online platforms (website and mobile app) and their customer service?

is it bad enough to warrant the £200 incentive for switching?

also i have a cash-isa with natwest which i will also transfer to speed up transaction times between ISA and current account, as with natwest it transfers immediately between them

thanks

MarkFromCornwall · 23 January 2018 at 3:01PM

I hate their online banking website. I just find it visually confusing. It looks like the programmer wanted to show off all the clever stuff he or she could do, instead of just making things obvious and simple for the user.

walwyn1978 · 23 January 2018 at 8:31PM

MarkFromCornwall wrote: »

I hate their online banking website. I just find it visually confusing. It looks like the programmer wanted to show off all the clever stuff he or she could do, instead of just making things obvious and simple for the user.

That. The app is okay in my experience for basic stuff like checking balances, moving money between different HSBC accounts and paying bills that you've already paid because and thus there's a record, (using an IPhone so other OS users may have different opinions) but the limitations of the app are annoying: you can't do 'new' instructions with it so if I want to (say) pay the chimney sweep I have to use the phone or rubbish website to do it before I can use the app in future. You can't cancel or suspend DD's or SO's on it as far as I've been able to work out. Finally for me although it's easy to use the app does crash every few months, usually when an update is due.

Vortigern · 23 January 2018 at 9:17PM

MarkFromCornwall wrote: »

I hate their online banking website. I just find it visually confusing. It looks like the programmer wanted to show off all the clever stuff he or she could do, instead of just making things obvious and simple for the user.

Me too. I don't like the online banking website but I'll put up with it for the switching bribe and the regular saver.

I wouldn't want to use it as my main/only account.

EachPenny · 23 January 2018 at 10:53PM

I don't use the app so cannot comment, but I find the website unpleasant to use. And my experience of their customer services staff is not positive.

However, you need to ask two different questions:-
a) Should I do a switch to HSBC to take advantage of the £200 incentive
b) Should I switch my main current account and ISA to HSBC

The answer to a) is yes, go for it.

The answer to b) is more complicated and you'll get different answers from each person you ask. Personally I wouldn't use HSBC for my main current account, and I would only move my ISA if HSBC paid a higher interest rate than any equivalent provider. Any advantage you get from same-bank speed of transfer is likely to be lost in poorer interest rates - unless HSBC happen to offer the best rate you can get.

Are you transferring money into your ISA, or is it transfers out (withdrawals) that you want to do quickly?

chris112 · 23 January 2018 at 11:22PM

EachPenny wrote: »

I don't use the app so cannot comment, but I find the website unpleasant to use. And my experience of their customer services staff is not positive.

However, you need to ask two different questions:-
a) Should I do a switch to HSBC to take advantage of the £200 incentive
b) Should I switch my main current account and ISA to HSBC

The answer to a) is yes, go for it.

The answer to b) is more complicated and you'll get different answers from each person you ask. Personally I wouldn't use HSBC for my main current account, and I would only move my ISA if HSBC paid a higher interest rate than any equivalent provider. Any advantage you get from same-bank speed of transfer is likely to be lost in poorer interest rates - unless HSBC happen to offer the best rate you can get.

Are you transferring money into your ISA, or is it transfers out (withdrawals) that you want to do quickly?

In order to receive the £200 incentive, i must switch my current account to HSBC (including 2+ DD + paying in £1750 p/month)

see here: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/compare-best-bank-accounts

JSmith99_2 · 24 January 2018 at 7:47AM

The latest incarnation of the website is a great improvement but that still leaves them way behind, say the Halifax. Downloading statements is horrible as they only offer pdf files and getting those into a spreadsheet is painful.

EachPenny · 24 January 2018 at 10:03AM

chris112 wrote: »

In order to receive the £200 incentive, i must switch my current account to HSBC (including 2+ DD + paying in £1750 p/month)

But you don't have to switch your main current account - just a current account which has two DD's or SO's (so two standing orders are easier) and then once the HSBC account is opened you need to pay in £1750, but there is nothing in the T&C's that says you can't take the money straight back out again.

If you search this board for "HSBC Advance" you will get all the information you need about how to go about this.

You also need to be aware that the Advance account is the one the most people seem to get turned down for, sometimes for no obvious reason.

Katiehound · 24 January 2018 at 12:21PM

The Advance account assumes you have a certain level of income.

HSBC customer service in my local branch is very good.

I'm one of those people who prefer telephone banking to online. Just be aware that they do not have UK based call centres. A few times I have not been able to understand what I am being told, so I say that it is a really bad line / interference on the line so I cut off and start again!

Thrawyn · 24 January 2018 at 12:43PM

How is Natwest?
My main current account is with HSBC and I was thinking of switching it to Natwest for the £125 and 2% cashback on bills. I haven't been a fan on HSBC since it's not really anything special in my opinion.
(I don't earn enough to get the reward account that provides the 5% savings)

Katiehound · 24 January 2018 at 12:59PM

Thrawyn wrote: »

How is Natwest?
My main current account is with HSBC and I was thinking of switching it to Natwest for the £125 and 2% cashback on bills. I haven't been a fan on HSBC since it's not really anything special in my opinion.
(I don't earn enough to get the reward account that provides the 5% savings)

You may wish to trawl through this long thread on the trials and tribulations of applying for the NatWest switch!!
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5772997

You might be better opening a donor account and switching that for the bonus!
To answer your questions perhaps start a specific NatWest thread dealing with performance etc?

How do you find HSBC's customer service / website/app for personal banking?

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