HSBC Secure Key..expletive deleted

xylophone

The HSBC device does strike me as one of the least user friendly security devices I have in my collection. If you have poor eyesight and/or finger joint problems (e.g. arthritis) then I cannot imagine how you'd be able to use it.

I assume that the larger version is still on offer?

https://arthritiscareforum.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=27367&view=next

Hi,
Just an update; I've finally received my large secure key (and a h-uge bunch of flowers after I lodged a formal complaint! :shock:) and it is far easier to use, so I would recommend getting one. It isn't portable like the other, mind you, not unless you want to carry around an extremely large calculator, but never mind!

oldwiring

What made it the more annoying was that my wife's had died a few days before, but as she was to amalgamate her sole account with our joint one, we had popped in to the local branch for that purpose. We asked at same time, if the key could be replaced, and were told we had to refer to HO.

The next day a contractor called to renew and relocate our satellite dish. Iwas going to write a cheque, but he mentioned his bank details were on invoice. I said I would pay that way. Of course the my reader went down, so I phone up, and get an unintelligible foreign voice for my bad hearing. Insistent, I get to a manager, wh tells me I can get one from any branch! Err?! To send one out would take five to seven days, but he could text an activation code. Key collected from a larger branch, who knew what they were doing, I tried to activate on a page that was nothing like, what should have been expected.

Back to HO on the phone, to a person, who really wound me up over ID, a rally bad vinyl record stuck in a groove. i insisted on a manager more and more forcibly, and was told to hold on. Nothing for ages, I thought my call had been dropped. having redialled after a meal, I got someone,far more helpful, and finally got me through all the hurdles.

Now I was staff at a bank taken over by HSBC and my account is identifiable as such. It was sanguinary annoying for the first rep to tell me I should know all about current security, seeing I had left more than 30 years ago, before HSBC took over.

The transfer has not been completed still!

Of competence I'll say nothing save that it wasn't like that back those years ago.

EachPenny

oldwiring wrote: »

Of competence I'll say nothing save that it wasn't like that back those years ago.

I don't think you'll be the only one who feels this way. I'm a fairly new HSBC customer, but within the first month of opening my account I decided I wouldn't be staying for long.

Do you only bank with HSBC? The customer service elsewhere is usually much better, I find TSB particularly good, and Nationwide are usually fairly efficient at sorting things out if they do go wrong.

You might not want to do a switch, but my own view is that if my bank was causing me that kind of trouble I would open an account elsewhere and move a good part of my banking across.

oldwiring

TBH that is not in mind. For me that is a particular string of circumstances. In our eighties, we don't want upheaval in general.

EachPenny

oldwiring wrote: »

TBH that is not in mind. For me that is a particular string of circumstances. In our eighties, we don't want upheaval in general.

Fair enough. But being in your eighties shouldn't stop you switching - the process is easy and apart from having to make an application to the new bank, everything else is taken care of for you. My friend's 98 year old F.I.L. has become a regular switcher and is delighted to reap the rewards

The only reason not to switch if you aren't happy is if you get any special deals being a former staff member.

Hope you get the problems resolved and the future service you get from them is more like it used to be, which regardless of which bank you use the common theme is customer service has gone downhill.

kkgree1

My elderly dad and mother-in-law both bank with HSBC and have struggled with the secure keys for several years.

Both have now swapped to the larger secure keys and have no issues as they are much simpler. It's just a case of asking Customer Services to post one out to you.

I'd highly recommend them - the only issue for some might be their size, they are like a large calculator so not portable!

robatwork

oldwiring wrote: »

Of competence I'll say nothing save that it wasn't like that back those years ago.

How can it be that first direct win awards year after year for their great customer service (based in yorkshire and scotland) yet their owners seem to almost deliberately give bad service.?

Something rotten in Shanghai.

henm2

The secure key is just a security code generator. With HSBC you have a choice of physical or digital secure key. If you have a smartphone I would recommend getting rid of the physical key and switching to the digital one.

If you have a physical secure key and have locked it out with a failed pin there is this guide to unlock it https://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/internet-banking-support/secure-key-troubleshooting

bigadaj

robatwork wrote: »

How can it be that first direct win awards year after year for their great customer service (based in yorkshire and scotland) yet their owners seem to almost deliberately give bad service.?

Something rotten in Shanghai.

The fact that many are confused at first directs continual awards is a point of discussion. They are a nineties bank, good telephone banking but the internet side of things isn't great.

HSBC are pretty poor, not sure why you picked on Shanghai, there is far more of a connection with Hong Kong and really London.

robatwork

bigadaj wrote: »

The fact that many are confused at first directs continual awards is a point of discussion. They are a nineties bank, good telephone banking but the internet side of things isn't great.

HSBC are pretty poor, not sure why you picked on Shanghai, there is far more of a connection with Hong Kong and really London.

Yep I switched to them (for the bonus mainly) and found their website at best functional but shoddy. If anyone can be bothered my posting history will reveal my big rant at their lack of consistency on the internet banking site. I left. But they are great on the phone.

Shanghai just scanned better! I suspect some don't know the S in HSBC is Shanghai.