HSBC Question

Lokolo

Yeh I know some bigger banks have coinstar like machines which count up all your coins and credit your account with them. I am going to try and contact my local branch as a suggestion to get one of those.

Ah the seeing the personal advisor people, I agree there, there is a HUUUGE wait for them. When I went to sort out my student account I had to wait around 30-40min before seeing someone. It sucked.

JPizzle

I was in HSBC the other day, and while I was in the queue for the cashier, I read a sign which says: If you're not a HSBC customer, you need to pay £5 to use counter service between 11am and 2pm.

A rip off I'd say, but that doesn't affect me, as I am a HSBC customer. A bit unfair on those who use it to pay bills etc. during their luch hour

Lokolo

JPizzle wrote: »

I was in HSBC the other day, and while I was in the queue for the cashier, I read a sign which says: If you're not a HSBC customer, you need to pay £5 to use counter service between 11am and 2pm.

A rip off I'd say, but that doesn't affect me, as I am a HSBC customer. A bit unfair on those who use it to pay bills etc. during their luch hour

Go to their own bank?

Cloudane

I've never thought of going to another bank and using their counter service and being allowed at all! Seems a bit of a non issue.

Well to follow up on my own story, after using the online messaging, next day I had an answer that it'd been passed on to my local branch. It's absolutely !!!!!! that you can't contact your local branch already. But finally I got a call from a nice friendly local person who knew what she was doing. Yay! Re-established the HSBC direct debit immediately so the payment will go out tonight, no fuss at all, and sending me the necessary forms to transfer it to A&L for next month.

Just wish I'd thought to ask if it was possible to contact the branch directly again in future...

JPizzle

It may be a non-issue for a lot of people, but I know someone having a bill which, if paying by cash, needed to be paid in through Alliance & Leicester.

Also, there are many people who use another bank's counter, such as Citi customers who can pay in through Lloyds TSB. And the Lloyds TSB paying in book says you can pay into any bank using your paying in slip, so people may need something like this to pay in money urgently to make sure they have enough for a direct debit etc. while their own bank may be closed or something

If it was me in this situation, then I wouldn't be happy with a £5 fee.

Ch4rlieB

Cloudane wrote: »

I've never thought of going to another bank and using their counter service and being allowed at all! Seems a bit of a non issue.

Well to follow up on my own story, after using the online messaging, next day I had an answer that it'd been passed on to my local branch. It's absolutely !!!!!! that you can't contact your local branch already. But finally I got a call from a nice friendly local person who knew what she was doing. Yay! Re-established the HSBC direct debit immediately so the payment will go out tonight, no fuss at all, and sending me the necessary forms to transfer it to A&L for next month.

Just wish I'd thought to ask if it was possible to contact the branch directly again in future...

I've sent you a Private Message. But you reminded me they did this with me also. But still didnt set up the direct debit!!

HSBC are the so useless its unbelieveable. Half the time you cant understand a word they say on the phones. The branches are next to useless. I'd go as far as saying the machines are more help than the staff.. Unless they think your gonna buy an insurance product

sofa_surfer

PROLIANT wrote: »

(snip) so when my credit rating is better and I have 3 years of traceable address history I will go into branch and apply, (snip)

Instead use Quidco and bag £20 for getting the account - if you decide to go with HSBC that is.

Cloudane

Ch4rlieB wrote: »

I'd go as far as saying the machines are more help than the staff

Haha that can be true. The online banking system is second to none, and I miss that with A&L's (which is awful... right now the transaction list and available balance are accurate but the "actual balance" figure is about a day behind! Some days it's the other way around, it's totally random!)

I've had much better luck when I got to talk to someone from the branch though. She was so helpful and friendly it was major plus points towards switching back one day. I would strongly recommend trying to get hold of branch staff rather than battling with the scripted call centre droids... maybe someone in the know could make a list of direct telephone numbers?

TighterThanTwoCoatsOfPain

First Direct all the way.. speak to an english call centre 24/7/365 who always know their stuff.. IF you manage to fox them, a few moments on hold to consult someone and you're flying again..

Cant comment on the hsbc branches as rarely use them... i wouldnt consider switching from them.

Cloudane

Bahhh my HSBC loan payment still didn't work, as it went out a day earlier than usual and bounced due to the lack of Direct Debit! 2 phone calls and lots of departments later (and most of my lunch hour) and I finally got put through to credit control who actually understood what had happened (horror of horrors) and sorted it out with an instant payment. Hopefully it'll be ok for next month.

What a carry on!!

No charges, but she said there would probably be a mark on my credit file. F*** sake, 1 day late and they screw up my credit record (talk about zero tolerance) for something that only happened because of their own incompetence! Definitely will not be returning.