Does it matter where branch is on your account details?

wallofbeans

I've had to put the address of my HSBC branch on a form. I had no idea what the address was but assumed it would be the branch nearest my house. Apparently not though, HSBC just told me it is somewhere in Coventry.

I've never even been to Coventry. Does anyone know why they would chose it? And does it matter where my branch is? 

gt94sss2

No, it doesn't matter.

HSBC use Coventry for many of their accounts that are opened online as they have a large presence there.

wallofbeans

The folks at HSBC have just told me that the branch they used is now closed. They are trying to find out where my branch is now.

RobM99

Try here;     https://www.hsbc.co.uk/branch-finder/

Shakin_Steve

It should be on your statement. My wife's is in Leeds, where she opened the account 40 odd years ago, but she hasn't been near Leeds since her university days.

colsten

I always say "online" if asked for bank address

Neil_Jones

wallofbeans said:

I've had to put the address of my HSBC branch on a form. I had no idea what the address was but assumed it would be the branch nearest my house. Apparently not though, HSBC just told me it is somewhere in Coventry.

I've never even been to Coventry. Does anyone know why they would chose it? And does it matter where my branch is? 

Entirely plausible your local branch is only a "hub" for the central computer systems which could be anywhere, and the rest of the time its just a pretty shop for their other products and a place to deposit/withdraw money.  After copious mergers throughout the years and consolidations, its often anybody's guess where the systems that do the actual banking processes are based, though its been the case for many years that banking is centralised to an extent.

Anyway that's beside the point.  If you need an address just use the address of the nearest branch, or any branch really, it doesn't matter.

Shakin_Steve

colsten said:

I always say "online" if asked for bank address

Barclays changed everyone's sort code a while back, the last two numbers of ours changed from 46 to 95. I was led to believe this was because accounts were no longer branch based, yet ours still says Leeds on the statement.

wallofbeans

It's got 'Banking Operations Coventry, Harry Weston Road, Binley, Coventry, CV3 2SH' but the person on chat at HSBC is telling me it is closed. Wait, they are now saying it's only closed to visiting customers. I think this guy is an idiot.

wallofbeans

FYI - I opened the account online less than a year ago.

Shakin_Steve

wallofbeans said:

It's got 'Banking Operations Coventry, Harry Weston Road, Binley, Coventry, CV3 2SH' but the person on chat at HSBC is telling me it is closed. Wait, they are now saying it's only closed to visiting customers. I think this guy is an idiot.

It's obvious a business centre, I think you're probably right about the guy you're talking to. Every communication we get from Barclays has a return address in Leicester where, I guess, their operations centre is based.