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

Jakg

Applied for the account on 06/01, was approved but all I've had is the switching offer t&c's - i have no account number or debit card.

I called and was told my account was opened immediately, but there is a 2-3 week backlog in getting all the docs out.

Apparently someone from the switching team will call tomorrow - but I don't expect to get much sense from them as I don't have an account number.

It's a bit cheeky to give you only 30 days from when the account is open, when you've got a 2-3 week backlog between accounts being opened and actually getting it to the customer!

I expect problems...

Kazza242

Kazza242 wrote: »

Just to add to the saga of opening a current account with HSBC and getting the £120 switch incentive:

My account was opened 3 weeks ago after I took my ID in to branch. However, when I visited my home branch a couple of weeks ago with my ID again to commence the switch, they told me that they didn't know how to do it! They told me to phone the Switch team from home.

So I called the Switch team and a switch date was arranged. When I called the Switch team again a few days later, they said that they couldn't proceed with my switch because my ID documents hadn't been received by their Processing centre. They said they would need me to go into branch again with my ID! Because of this delay my switch would not be completed within the 30 day deadline.

I was furious and raised a complaint. They offered to pay me the £120 switch incentive, plus £100 in compensation, which I've accepted. They managed to locate my ID documents at the branch that had opened my account. They are now being sent off. What a palaver.

True to their word, the £220 (£120 switch incentive and £100 compensation) has been paid into my HSBC account. That's something, I suppose.

Tragen

How did you raise the complaint? in branch, phone or email? thanks

Tragen

Jakg wrote: »

Applied for the account on 06/01, was approved but all I've had is the switching offer t&c's - i have no account number or debit card.

I called and was told my account was opened immediately, but there is a 2-3 week backlog in getting all the docs out.

Apparently someone from the switching team will call tomorrow - but I don't expect to get much sense from them as I don't have an account number.

I had the same thing. I then phoned back the following day as didnt get a call from the switching team and going on holiday soon. They told me account isnt open and to go into a branch.

downhillfast

Jakg wrote: »

Applied for the account on 06/01, was approved but all I've had is the switching offer t&c's - i have no account number or debit card.

I called and was told my account was opened immediately, but there is a 2-3 week backlog in getting all the docs out.

Apparently someone from the switching team will call tomorrow - but I don't expect to get much sense from them as I don't have an account number.

It's a bit cheeky to give you only 30 days from when the account is open, when you've got a 2-3 week backlog between accounts being opened and actually getting it to the customer!

I expect problems...

I have a similar issue...

Applied on Jan 1st (I think) but didn't get an immediate result as to whether I'd been accepted or not! About a week and a half or so later I go some paperwork from them about setting up online banking or something - not a welcome to HSBC here are your account details! Eventually I got a letter with account details only for it to be missing a digit on the account number so had to spend an hour or so on the phone trying to sort that out! I then managed to contact the switching team who said they would send out paperwork... nothing arrived... HSBC kept phoning me to try to arrange the switch but couldn't do anything until the paperwork had arrived... eventually they sent out another copy and that arrived a day before the original copy then arrived! By the time I managed to arrange the switch the earliest date I could get was Feb 3rd!!! It's all switched now but it's left me wondering if I manged to switch in time as as far as I am concerned although I applied on Jan 1st I don't actually know what day the account was opened???

Considering First Direct and HSBC are so heavily linked the experience in opening and switching with each bank couldn't be more different!!!

Tragen

UPDATE: ok, this is tooooo weird

Was told yesterday to go to a branch with ID, which I was planning to do this afternoon if I have time.

But what came in the post today? My debit card for my HSBC bank account.

But what's this? another letter from HSBC? I open it up. a SECOND debit card for my HSBC Advance account....

w.t.f. lol.

They are both for the SAME account.

But one is for a standard account, the second card for an Advance account...


edit:

I decided to call them to sort this out, again. This time, I have to answer a series of security questions, which I hadnt on previous 2 calls. One of the questions is my debit card number, which I failed. So therefore, they wont speak to me on the phone about the account, even though im calling about being sent 2 debit cards lol. I have to go into a branch with ID to get phone banking unblocked.

What a complete joke.

edit2:

Went into branch, was not asked for ID at any point. Told the advance account card was sent in error, but was because my earning are high they upgraded me momentarily (?). Anyway, all sorted and now have an active account and have a switch date confirmation.

I still feel I should complain, have wasted a lot of time on this!

Zanderman

Not had much joy with this one at all. Had confirmation of account in second week of Jan, some mailings then but nothing since. Had returned security info on 15th Jan.

So have had no phone access or online access or indeed any access to the account and no debit card. Have been worrying I would be out of time for the switching bonus, unless they accept they've been stupidly inefficient.

Finally found time to ring them today, after giving up last weekend when the waiting time was ridiculous.

Customer services rep difficult to understand, which wasn't reassuring. Wanted to know my telephone banking security despite my opening the conversation by saying I didn't yet have it. Not a good start.

She claimed they had written on 20th saying they need an 'up to date' signature in branch. I did not get the letter. I asked why they didn't ask for this before (e.g. with the security info) - she could not say (just rambled on about 'back office' and branch operating in different ways, as if that was my problem and that I'd understand it, which I didn't).

She insisted they do need what she called an 'up to date' signature - I pointed out they needed just a signature, as I am a new customer. There's no need to preface it with 'up to date'. Not sure we were on the same wavelength at any point in the conversation.

Asked her whether I could still qualify for switching bonus. Got given some complete nonsense about my having to approach my old bank first if switching. I pointed out that this wasn't relevant and not correct either. When I finally got my message through she simply told me it would be at the switching team or the branch's discretion.

So, I gained nothing at all, except a lot of frustration with an almost completely useless customer services rep. And a tale of a letter that I didn't get.

Apparently a copy of the lost 20th Jan letter is in the post...

Kazza242

Tragen wrote: »

How did you raise the complaint? in branch, phone or email? thanks

When I rang the Switch team to get an update that was when they told me that their processing centre had not received my ID, so I would have to make a third trip to the branch. This is when I raised my complaint over the phone.

Tragen

Kazza242 wrote: »

When I rang the Switch team to get an update that was when they told me that their processing centre had not received my ID, so I would have to make a third trip to the branch. This is when I raised my complaint over the phone.

That's interesting, as I asked how I could complain when I was speaking to them, he insisted I couldnt do it on the phone and said the email address too fast and it was an inconvenience for him when I got him to confirm it was @hsbc.com and not @hsbc.co.uk

ratechaser

Called HSBC today to confirm my switch (as you can't do it with a single call, obviously).

"Thank you for calling HSBC, we are currently experiencing high call volumes and customers may need to wait up to 25 minutes to have their call answered...."

Just wow. :eek:

Much as many people like to knock Santander, I have never waited more than 30 seconds to have a call answered by their Select team, and that's one good reason they have kept my main banking business for years...