M&S card & Indian bank

ixat

I have plenty of correspondence with banks but I don't usually receive emails with an individual's name (e.g. I have a recent one from 'welcome@creation.co.uk' and another from 'donotreply@tsb.co.uk' etc).
Talktalk use Indian call centres but they always email me from a .co.uk address.
I often get phishing emails with giveaway email addresses so I looked closely at this one with a personal email address and thought about 'possibilities' hence this thread.
I have had dodgy experience with call centres before where I ended up being misled/overcharged and the 2 instances I remeber best were Kwikfit Insurance and T-Mobile who are both based on the same industrial estate near Glasgow; as a result I admit to being very wary of Scottish call centres - is that prejudice or opinion formed by experience?

colsten

What exactly is it you worry the call centre rep would be able to do with your bank details?

meer53

If you don't mind people in foreign countries having access to your bank details etc, then why make an issue of the fact that this particular person was in India ?

The workers in India may be paid a pittance compared to wages in other countries but it will be relative to their cost of living, i'm sure you realise this ? People on low wages aren't necessarily dishonest. You've made a sweeping generalisation here.

Personally, i can't see a reason for your comments about the person who sent you the email.

SammenForLivet2

I made an application with M&S Bank and was approved a number of years ago. At the time, I can remember the application coming from 'Someone@hsbc.in', and I thought it was quite nice that they actually used a personal e-mail address and at least specified where there from.

It's normal to have data processing and back office work, done in India. Even for those card companies (First Direct Come To Mind as well as MBNA & HBOS/Lloyds/RBS/Natwest), who have UK call centres, a number of administrative and Back Office Work is still done offshore (often places like India). I'm pretty certain about for First Direct, and the RBS Group.

I've not had any of my data stolen yet. This includes the numerous calls I made to Customer Service Teams in India, and e-mails (Barclaycard, HSBC, M&S) to these offshore teams and an assortment of Utilities (British Gas), Mobile Phone Companies, and others - all of whom have pretty much the same information about me, as my bank does.

Also, you need to contemplate Purchasing Power Parity, as often you'll find their on similar wages to back home, if you compare there PPP to a UK office worker.

shortcrust

I can't help but feel this thread's more about winding people up than concerns over security. At least I hope it is.

Nick_C

Call centre staff are comparatively well paid in India by Indian standards. The jobs we have exported to India have helped the Indian economy enormously. I don't feel sorry for the Indian staff. I do worry though about us exporting jobs to developing countries, but that is the fault of the average consumer who wants everything at the lowest possible price regardless of the consequences.

MABLE

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.

No YOU dont mean to slur the poor guy only publicly print his name. They are only trying to earn a crust of bread like most of us and we can at least show them respect. :mad:

fozmcfc

I've never been a fan of non UK based call centre, but I have spoken to M&S (HSBC) call centre in India 3 times and had no problems with them.


So perhaps things are improving, offshore call centre wise.

Deadbeat

redpete wrote: »

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.)

Growing trade in... opium.

I guess the recent revelations about them handling money for drug dealers are not really that recent then.