HSBC switch offer - £120 - apply by 28/02/16

superM

Hi, I have applied for HSBC Current account - no immediate decision - will contact me with a decision?

Is that normal with HSBC?

Which credit reference do they use?

MS

spongebobbrownpants

Similar experience to most it seems. Initial online application indicated a decision needed. Acceptance documentation received about 6 days later but needed to go to branch with xxx blah blah blah

Went to branch, all handled pretty efficiently etc and set me up a telephone/online access code in no time.

Phones switching line, got through after about 20 minutes, sat through the blurb for another 20 minutes and agreed eventually to go ahead !!

Amazingly documents turned up the next day !, unfortunately they also included a compliment letter for someone else (Mr D S, if it;s you I have your address but rest assured I've returned the letter to HSBC and filed a complaint :cool:)

Hopefully now going ahead, should be just within the cutoff date but will wait and see, all in all a bit of a shambles!

YorkshireBoy

To those who are tight on timescale...

Once you've requested the switch - on the first phone call(!) - and provided all the account details, they send out a ream of paper for you to read. You then have to ring them to give them the go ahead.

Tip...don't wait for the paperwork to arrive. Simply ring back in 2 days saying you've received it and they'll start the switch then.

This has saved me over week as having made the first phone call on Wednesday 20th Jan (and setting up a provisional switch date of 2nd Feb), the paperwork only arrived today, Saturday 30th Jan...some 10 days later! Since the switching team don't work weekends(?) it would have been Monday 1st Feb before I could have initiated the switch...clearly missing the original 2nd Feb date by a good way!

TartanSaver

Thanks for that YB. I went into branch yesterday with some ID documents and they were happy enough, so it was clear the account isn't actually open yet. I'm going to call them midweek to confirm it's open (and hopefully get a sort code and account number), as I don't trust them to send out the account details in a timely fashion. Then I'll make an appointment in branch to make the switch, rather than mess about any more with the process you just described. Feeling a bit more positive about it now.

Tragen

TartanSaver wrote: »

Thanks for that YB. I went into branch yesterday with some ID documents and they were happy enough, so it was clear the account isn't actually open yet. I'm going to call them midweek to confirm it's open (and hopefully get a sort code and account number), as I don't trust them to send out the account details in a timely fashion. Then I'll make an appointment in branch to make the switch, rather than mess about any more with the process you just described. Feeling a bit more positive about it now.

The only letter ive had was asking for a signature specimen, this letter included my account number and sort code - does this mean no ID check etc?

YorkshireBoy

Tragen wrote: »

The only letter ive had was asking for a signature specimen, this letter included my account number and sort code - does this mean no ID check etc?

It did for me.

Nationwide8

Having been one of those not best Pleased to be rejected first time around for the Advance account ( no reason given at the time as I met all the published T&Cs ) I followed the other thread on the HSBC switch incentive quite closely...and then obs followed this one.
If you can possibly do it ( or if you miss this incentive,maybe the next one ) go into a branch with an app to set it all up....that said I still think it depends on who you see within branch as to how far you get.
Not the way it should be and I would never have my main account with them due to the atrocious telephone service and website problems.

Btw...Thanks YB for mentioning the credit card £25 after first purchase earlier in the thread...got that sorted..

eskbanker

Nationwide8 wrote: »

go into a branch with an app to set it all up

It might be worth clarifying what you mean by this as it's genuinely not clear to me - to many people an app is what you have on your smartphone or tablet, but you may mean appointment or application form as I can't see how taking your phone into a branch is a particular advantage?

Nationwide8

Appointment

brila

Having heard nothing further from HSBC by post, I popped into the branch today with some ID just in case. Helpful staff rolled their eyes when I mentioned I had applied online and suggested I apply again with them there and then. The whole thing took about 20 minutes and a cup of tea. They asked me to prove my income, and I said that might be a bit complicated so they suggested I pop into my current bank over the road and ask them to print the last three month's statements so that they could see an appropriate amount of money moving in every month. I did so, and this was enough to fulfil the proof of income requirement. They organised the switch for near the end of Feb which gives me plenty of time to receive a debit card and still qualifies me for the £120 which they confirmed I would be eligible for. All done and dusted.

So if you are able to easily get to a branch, I absolutely echo all the advice above to do it in person.