M&S card & Indian bank

ixat

Just had a card application for an M&S card accepted with the confirmation coming from someone called *at HSBC INDIA.

Given the pittance these people are paid (probably only slightly more than those who make M&S garments!), is my financial data likely to be safe?

I don't mean to slur * - I don't know him/her - but I wonder what would happen if my bank details of the account I use to pay the bill will be safe and how I would be aware if they had been compromised.

I don't need the card or credit & never shop at M&S - it's too expensive - perhaps I'll resist the temptation of the £30 booze voucher and not take up the card but worryingly I already gave some bank details on the application.

meer53

ixat wrote: »

Just had a card application for an M&S card accepted with the confirmation coming from someone called shashilata gupta at HSBC INDIA.

Given the pittance these people are paid (probably only slightly more than those who make M&S garments!), is my financial data likely to be safe?

I don't mean to slur shashilata - I don't know him/her - but I wonder what would happen if my bank details of the account I use to pay the bill will be safe and how I would be aware if they had been compromised.

I don't need the card or credit & never shop at M&S - it's too expensive - perhaps I'll resist the temptation of the £30 booze voucher and not take up the card but worryingly I already gave some bank details on the application.

Why do you think your details won't be safe ?

g6jns_2

meer53 wrote: »

Why do you think your details won't be safe ?

Paranoia it would seem. With any organisation having customer's bank details there is a small risk but that can occur wherever in the world the employees may be.

yangptangkipperbang

ixat wrote: »

Just had a card application for an M&S card accepted ...............................I don't need the card or credit & never shop at M&S

????????????????????

ixat

google it and you will find stories from Daily Mail 2012 and BBC 2009 & more like this one http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2116649/Indian-centres-selling-YOUR-credit-card-details-medical-records-just-2p.html
As I said at the start of my post, staff are paid a pittance in India and there must be temptations for some in these organisations. I wonder how many employees have access & how much detail they have access to.
The card is promoted and branded as Marks & Spencer however when reading the 'small print' it seems it is actually HSBC. They are of course thoroughly respectable & trustworthy people (despite past 'blatant failure'......
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/dec/11/hsbc-bank-us-money-laundering)

PeacefulWaters

Call centre staff, bank branch staff and shop workers tend to be paid below "living wage".

I wouldn't take out any financial products in this country and I'm certainly never going to a shop ever again.

meer53

ixat wrote: »

google it and you will find stories from Daily Mail 2012 and BBC 2009 & more like this one http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2116649/Indian-centres-selling-YOUR-credit-card-details-medical-records-just-2p.html
As I said at the start of my post, staff are paid a pittance in India and there must be temptations for some in these organisations. I wonder how many employees have access & how much detail they have access to.
The card is promoted and branded as Marks & Spencer however when reading the 'small print' it seems it is actually HSBC. They are of course thoroughly respectable & trustworthy people (despite past 'blatant failure'......
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/dec/11/hsbc-bank-us-money-laundering)

If you Google long enough you can find stories like this about most financial institutions. Marks & Spencer use HSBC, it's never been a secret.

I have my theories about your post and the reason for your suspicions, i'll keep them to myself for now.

principlecounts

if you don't like your data going outside the UK, don't bank with them. A google search will tell you which ones have UK based call centres. But it doesn't necessarily mean your data is always in the UK, just less likely.

ixat

I have visited India a few times (I was in the film Gandhi but I digress), I hope to do go again after monsoon season this year and if you are hinting at racism....forget it; I am mixed-race multi-lingual and have lived worked & traveled around the world.
The 'reason' I applied for this card was because it was suggested in MSE's newsletter that you can blag a freebie or whatever from a financial institution. They (HSBC) use M&S's name and a 'free' offer to try and get you tied to paying them interest ultimately.
I'll happily have a £30 booze voucher from either as long as it is reasonably risk-free & isn't too much hassle.
I'll finalise my decision when I see the forms they want me to fill in and, of course, read the small print.

Robin9

ixat wrote: »

Just had a card application for an M&S card accepted with the confirmation coming from someone called shashilata gupta at HSBC INDIA.

Given the pittance these people are paid (probably only slightly more than those who make M&S garments!), is my financial data likely to be safe?

I don't mean to slur shashilata - I don't know him/her - but I wonder what would happen if my bank details of the account I use to pay the bill will be safe and how I would be aware if they had been compromised.

I don't need the card or credit & never shop at M&S - it's too expensive - perhaps I'll resist the temptation of the £30 booze voucher and not take up the card but worryingly I already gave some bank details on the application.

Ixat - why did you apply bearing in mind your comments re M&S.

Do I detect some prejudice - hope not.

redpete

Many businesses. financial and otherwise, will have data processing operations based overseas, many of those in India so your data with M&S/HSBC is no more at risk than with many other well-known financial institutions.

(Your concern is somewhat ironic given the origins of the the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, which was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade between Europe, India and China.)