HSBC claim we received money that we DID NOT

Needsadvice_2

Hi

I desperately need some advice.

To cut a VERY long story short, my boyfriend and I travelled South America last summer, my boyfriend is with HSBC and all our money was in his account. We tried to get £100 out of 5 different cash points at different times during our trip in Peru and Argentina and were told we couldn’t get any money out, but the money DID leave the account, but HSBC won’t believe that we didn’t receive the money.

The first time we tried to get money out and couldn’t we called the bank and they said there was a block on the card as we hadn’t told them we were going away, they said this would be removed, but it still wasn’t off by the next day which meant we had to go into a bank, show my boyfriends passport and get cash out that way. But money left the account every time we tried to get cash out of the cash point even though we weren’t getting any. This then happened a further 3 times in Argentina. Later on, in another phone conversation, someone told us there had never been a block on the card.

The only proof we have that we didn’t received the money is just the use of common sense really. If we did receive money each time we went to the cash point the bank statement shows that we apparently got £100 out at a cash point and then called HSBC (we have phone records to prove this) then got more cash out of the machine, then immediately went into a Peruvian bank and got money out there. Why on earth would we do all this if we had got money out the machine, if this was the case we could have just got £300 straight out? Why would we call HSBC if the money had actually come out?? It makes no sense.

On top of this we received TERRIBLE customer service, this money issue meant we were stranded in Argentina, with no way to get home as £500 that we didn’t spend had left the account and staff were HUFFING and tutting down the phone to us!! I have never been so infuriated in all my life.

After managing to borrow money and fly home we are still fighting this, HSBC say they have contacted the Peruvian/Argentinean banks and they say we DID receive the money-which is a lie! They offered us £50 as an apology over the bad customer service, which I just think is an insult as they are still saying they do not believe us over the banks in South America. We have been told twice the case is closed, but recently sent ANOTHER letter to try to get this money back, but as yet, no response.

What can we do? HSBC owe us roughly £450 now, please help I need this money so much! :mad::mad::mad:

Many thanks

Annisele

HSBC (presumably) told you that if you were unhappy with its response, you could refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service within six months of the date of its response letter.

Since HSBC has told you twice that the case is closed, it is clearly not going to pay you anything of its own accord. Your choices if you want to take this further are therefore court or the Financial Ombudsman Service.

(Having said that, I don't rate your chances of success too highly. You are essentially saying that five different cash machines were faulty - and if you were talking about the UK, I would say that that was exceptionally unlikely. I don't know what cash machines are like in Peru/Argentina, but it would surprise me if they were that unreliable).

Needsadvice_2

Well I can't tell you what happened, but we honestly tried to get money out 5 times when nothing came out of the machine but it did come out of the account! It isn't a lie, but this is why it is so hard to get the money back because no one believes us, but it happened!

We were on an extremely tight budget anyway so to lose £500 caused chaos, we couldn't get home until we found someone who could transfer the money, it was horrible! it has not only caused us great financial stress but ruined the trip and no one can tell us what to do.

HSBC did not tell us to go to the Financial Ombudsman Service but this is something we will look into now. I am so disappointed that we seem to be fighting a losing battle when we have done nothing wrong.