HSBC problem with cancelled card

Gibbo1715

Hi, I'm hoping someone may be able to assist with what I can do next.

My situation is as follows.

I am working in the Middle East. Today I received a call from HSBC who told me they had accidently cancelled my bank card, this was done in error but they can't re activate it so I ll need a new card. This leaves me with no bank card or access to my account so therefor no money. After lots of arguing they agreed to urgently send me a new card but this will take up to 7 working days.

I ve tried everything with the bank but they tell me this is all they can do so HSBC have accidently cancelled my card leaving me in a country overseas with no access to my money for the next 7 working days.

I find this an incredible situation but my hotel is paid for and I get fed so not the end of the world but what if this happened to someone else.

What I want to know is what can I do about this and who should I complain to, I can't believe it's acceptable to leave someone from the uk stuck overseas with no access to money for 7 working days due to someone at HSBC accidently cancelling my card.

Can anyone assist with what I should do next and who to complain to please.

Many thanks

McKneff

Do you not have a credit card.

Gibbo1715

only a company one, never needed one in 20 years of travelling, I'm ok for money but just want to know what I can do re complaining or getting this sorted as don't want it to happen to anyone else

colsten

Gibbo1715 wrote: »

who should I complain to

HSBC would be a good place to start with.

http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/contact-and-support/feedback-and-complaints

Learn from it, too: never rely on a single source of funds. Not even when not travelling.

Gibbo1715

I ve tried there but hasn't got me anywhere

jonesMUFCforever

Do you not have any mates that you work with to lend you some dosh?

Complain about what exactly - you don't seem to have lost out have you?
In fact by telling you about it and not just letting you find out when you tried the card they have done as much as possible.

If you had a card such as an MBNA or proper AMEX card you could have arranged a cash advance to be picked up at a convenient location.

YorkshireBoy

Gibbo1715 wrote: »

I ve tried there but hasn't got me anywhere

It's not about you though is it? It's about trying to stop others suffering the same thing, or at least that's what you said earlier.


The complaints process can last up to 8 weeks, by which time you'll have had your new card around 7 weeks...yes?


Take this as a lesson. Crikey, I don't go to the local town, or even to work, without at least 2 debit and 2 credit cards in my wallet. When I travel overseas I take another one of each. Because you never know!

colsten

Gibbo1715 wrote: »

I ve tried there but hasn't got me anywhere

No bank can refuse to let you lodge a complaint, even if they have already concluded or plan to turn down your complaint.

The link I posted earlier gives you all the information you need for complaining.

Gibbo1715

Ok, I ll go through the process, I do want to make sure this doesn't happen to others......thanks

colsten

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

Complain about what exactly - you don't seem to have lost out have you?

Complain about the ineptness of the HSBC employee who cancelled the card, so that the employee can receive some training and won't do it again.

The OP might not have experienced any direct financial loss but I would ask to be recompensed for my time that I had to totally unnecessarily spend over this, and the anguish they caused me for leaving me stranded abroad without access to my account. I would be particularly insistent about that with a bank who doesn't even want to let me register a complaint, and/or with a bank whose employees ask me what my complaint is about.

The fact that it was a bit daft to rely on a single method of payment is neither here nor there. After all, all of the banks are trying to convince us that we'd never need more than one current account with them.

Gibbo1715

I have also been told having more than one current account lowers your credit rating a little but not sure how true that is