Strange letter from HSBC

Vortigern

zaksmum wrote: »

what's a CYA?

I think it alludes to covering one's bottom

Loughton_Monkey

I received one.

Rather perversely, I have two current accounts with FD, and another with HSBC [formerly Midland]. I have received a single letter [consistent with above, HSBC paper, but FD address, and headed 'statement']. It relates to my 'subsidiary' FD current account, and not the 'main' one.

I conclude as follows:

1. This is probably part of an initiative by the banking industry to reduce fraud.
2. HSBC have complied, but gave the job to a 'lad' to 'get it done' quickly and cheaply so they could tick another box.
3. The 'lad' simply got a group-wide database - name, address, account number - and de-duplicated according to some hastily written rules.
4. The job of printing and sending them out was done by the largest 'mail centre' within the HSBC group who were competent to get it out cheaply.

Wouldn't it be ironic if HSBC have a large print room located in some old 'boiler room' somewhere?

Sceptic001

Do the recipients of this letter also own shares bought via HSBC or First Direct? If not it seems like a very poorly targeted letter. Is it likely that people who have never held shares on a public register would get calls from boiler room scams?

charlieboycat

Sceptic001 wrote: »

Do the recipients of this letter also own shares bought via HSBC or First Direct? If not it seems like a very poorly targeted letter. Is it likely that people who have never held shares on a public register would get calls from boiler room scams?

Received the letter. FD customer. Never owned shares bought via HSBC or FD - never received a boiler room phone call, but would know how to respond :rotfl:

LittleVoice

charlieboycat wrote: »

Received the letter. FD customer. Never owned shares bought via HSBC or FD - never received a boiler room phone call, but would know how to respond :rotfl:

How about receiving dividends into account?

charlieboycat

LittleVoice wrote: »

How about receiving dividends into account?

Nope - FD account only ever used to route funds into 5% - 8% regular savers, nothing else.

Annisele

I have a First Direct account, and I received a statement on HSBC headed paper a couple of years ago. About a month after that, I received a very apologetic letter on First Direct headed paper, explaining that they'd made an error. They also sent me a replacement statement - which was exactly the same as the first one, except that it was on First Direct paper.

So - my theory is that First Direct and HSBC both have stacks of each others headed paper, and when they run out of their own they just stuff the other kind in

experience08

Annisele wrote: »

So - my theory is that First Direct and HSBC both have stacks of each others headed paper, and when they run out of their own they just stuff the other kind in

That's a good theory as any other, as i received this letter as a FD customer and have never used them for share trading, although i do receive dividends into my FD current account from a couple of paper share holdings.

atush

casper_g wrote: »

It would be very concerning if that were the case, however on the basis of the evidence seen in this thread I'd say your suggestion was overly speculative to the point of scaremongering.

not scaremongering, just thinking. And i am a cust of HSBC premier and did not recieve this letter.

zaksmum

I'm not a First Direct customer, or had shares or dividends...just an HSBC one year bond.

I will be in town tomorrow and think I'll pop into HSBC and ask them about it.