HSBC Student Account Issues.

Lokolo

Thats why I said what I did earlier, unless its an official complaint in writing they're not going to do anything.

Banks are business's, you are low valued customer (not trying to be harsh but you don't have £100k+ going into the bank every week ), so things you want sorted will be a lower priority.

16 days is not a long time. Barclays complaints for some take upto the 8 weeks and longer.

Just be a little patient. If you are trying to get a house or something I can understand why you are frustrated but unless you're dying and really need it, you can wait a few weeks.

Darren08

Ok, I guess. Maybe I should chill. I'm just so angry about their complete incompetance. I've never known a company to do everything wrong and nothing right .

I was desperate to get a student account with interest free overdraft sorted out as a matter of urgency before I move to Uni, but it looks doubtful to happen.

If I have had 2 checks done, 1 June and 1 July, realistically, when do you think I'd be able to reapply for another account with someone else without it looking bad?

HopeAndDriftWood

I don't think the two searches will be a problem, but you'd need to close this student account first, because you can't have more then one, and banks are wising up to this at the moment.

Darren08

Yeah I've become so fed up of everything that I just asked them to close everything and remove the searches as though this mess never happened, but now the complaints team say only the area manager can deal with it now and she can't tell me what she's doing because her response is in writing and needs to be approved before being sent. Since the accounts (student and c.c) are both open still, with no overdraft and the credit checks remain, I assume her reply isn't going to be a favourable one .

Credit Expert told me that the two searches would be harmful because they were done within weeks of one another and you should only have 2 max a month or something like that. They offered to get in touch with HSBC to ask them to remove them but even though HSBC have told me 20 times they'll get them removed, they apparently emailed C.E back and said the checks were accurate and stood.

Darren08

I honestly feel like crying...

As expected, the letter was a waste of time. I waited for it, patiently, received it yesterday and the Area Manager basically ignores the two main issues (credit checks and overdraft) and skirts around them completely.

With regards to the credit checks she says ''I have arranged for the erroneously registered credit search to be removed''...this to be sounds singular. There are still two searches outstanding (three when she first started dealing with it and I don't think she knows it's been removed) and it sounds like shes only removing one. I've told them 20 times there were two unauthorized ones.

Regarding the student account she says...

“…as your course was not due to start until September you are not technically a student until that time. As such, your application was processed for our Pre Student Service…”

I was told in branch, with a witness, that I should and could apply now, which is why I did. I was never told it would be anything other than a student account or that there would be any pre-student issues.

“As such, your application was processed for our Pre Student Service which would have been converted to the full package once your start date approached.”

This is unfortunately far too vague. Am I getting the student account or not? Am I getting the overdraft or not? If so, when will it be added, and how much might it be? I am still no further forward with this problem than when I first started calling mid-June.

She has not confirmed that an overdraft has been, or will be added, and the use of the word “would” indicates to me that it was going to be but is no longer the case.

I really don't know what to do anymore, I've tried calling her three times and she has left me a voicemail this morning saying if I'm not happy with her resolution, if you can call it that, then I can write to the Quality Control Manager at the same email address I'd sent this too originally. I called the Quality Control team and they're now saying the complaints been reopened and now refreshes the 8 week timescale for the FOS.

I am so angry it's unreal. It's been almost two months and apart from having £31.99 GOGW thrown at me (which was apparently raised 2 days ago but still isn't in my account), they've done nothing at all and I am STILL being held at ransom unable to have credit checks done for fear of it further ruining my chances at getting credit and STILL without an interest free overdraft. Any tips or ideas?

UPDATE: I've just got a call from the Quality Control department who say now it has to go to the Area Managers boss, the Regional Director...this is going to take weeks and weeks and weeks .

I've found an email address for the CEO, think it's worth a shot?

HopeAndDriftWood

I might have missed where you said this, but that was a lot to take in!
Do you have an unconditional offer?
If not, this is standard practise. Your account will upgrade after results day, when you take them proof of an unconditional offer, and you'll have access to the overdraft then. You'll get £1,000, and it sounds like the credit checks went through fine for that if they then offered you a credit card.

If you do, maybe you need to point out to them that you are definitely going to university, and need your overdraft for accommodation, equipment etc. My boyfriend opened an account with them last year, it went through fine and he had his overdraft in August. None of this hassle!

Darren08

Yup it was an unconditional offer (I left college with my A levels in 2004) and I accepted my offer and choice of university in April I think it was. Even took them the confirmation letter from the Uni confirming I'd accepted the place. They knew it.

They're maintaining I can't have it until I physically am a student.

They're also now saying, because I was never assessed correctly when the account was set up, I'm not eligible for any products as none were offered or assessed .

username

They're maintaining I can't have it until I physically am a student.

I suppose it kinda makes sense, because they want to see that you are actually going to be using the account, probably by having your student loan paid in or something, before applying the overdraft. The rationale one would assume behind that is that so you can't open up a load of student accounts and use the overdrafts but leave it in the red for the rest of the year (costs them money!).
That is what NatWest said to me before they applied the overdraft to my student account. This, I duly did; a visit to a branch later, and the overdraft was put on, no fuss etc.

Is there any reason why you want the overdraft put on so quickly? At the end of the day, the overdraft isn't 'free money' and is repayable on demand.

Scousebird_2

Is this the ONLY student account you have?

PARIS_5000

Darren08 wrote: »

Yup it was an unconditional offer (I left college with my A levels in 2004) and I accepted my offer and choice of university in April I think it was. Even took them the confirmation letter from the Uni confirming I'd accepted the place. They knew it.

They're maintaining I can't have it until I physically am a student.

They're also now saying, because I was never assessed correctly when the account was set up, I'm not eligible for any products as none were offered or assessed .

I have a student account with HSBC which was set up right away with overdraft and credit card because I show proof that I was a student with a letter from Uni and student loan payment leter. I think you should have opened your student account in August or September because HSBC new student year does not start until the 31st July. This could be the
reason why you have had so much problems. I hope that you sort out your problems soon and do not worry about the credit searches because I had lots of credit searches and still got my student account.