Have some banks lost the ability to let us manage our money?

gt94sss2

Pmatt said:

HSBC on the other hand likes to allow its IT department to choose how to manage their affairs independent of us. The have recently revamped their web and app so that you can not set up a Standing Order payment to a known commercial account and I have been told that I must use the telephone banking option to perform this basic banking transaction. At the same time there are numerous users finding that the app will not work with their latest OS. Does the IT department feel we all need to be technically challenged occasionally to keep us on our toes? There seem to be little other reason for their stupidity.
HSBC have also withdrawn the option to send a secure message from their website

1. The option to send a secure message to HSBC is still there in my internet banking (just checked!)

2. Are you taking about the release ofiOS 15? Officially that is not released until next Monday and HSBC traditionally release a version which is compatible with the latest iOS update a few weeks before it's official release.

3. Can you give an example of the standing order issue? I have no difficulties setting them up.

Pmatt

gt94sss2 said:

Pmatt said:

HSBC on the other hand likes to allow its IT department to choose how to manage their affairs independent of us. The have recently revamped their web and app so that you can not set up a Standing Order payment to a known commercial account and I have been told that I must use the telephone banking option to perform this basic banking transaction. At the same time there are numerous users finding that the app will not work with their latest OS. Does the IT department feel we all need to be technically challenged occasionally to keep us on our toes? There seem to be little other reason for their stupidity.
HSBC have also withdrawn the option to send a secure message from their website

1. The option to send a secure message to HSBC is still there in my internet banking (just checked!)

2. Are you taking about the release ofiOS 15? Officially that is not released until next Monday and HSBC traditionally release a version which is compatible with the latest iOS update a few weeks before it's official release.

3. Can you give an example of the standing order issue? I have no difficulties setting them up.

1. Secure messaging disappeared then reappeared but only under the guise of complaints and feedback otherwise if you choose any other option you were left with "help sections' that provided basic information which you had already seen. I have found that sending an email to the CEO usually elicits a response from the support team but simply confirms the decisions made.

2. No I am using OS 14.7 and Mac 11.5.2

3. You can set up an SO for a new payment where the sort code and account number are unique. But many savings accounts for example those to building societies use a fixed sort code and payment account number then put your account number or roll number in the account reference field. This has been common practise for years, but HSBC has recently chosen to disallow this simple process and has refused to discuss why, how or wherefore. They suggest going to a branch, about 50 miles away for me, or using telephone banking, which usually takes the odd hour or so, or I could send them a letter, how quaint for a technologically advanced bank.

HSBC have made a number of decisions in the past that seem to have little rational explanation and that they refuse to change. For example if you have a credit card direct debit payment set up but do not use it for a year or so, the mandate will expire, but they do not advise of that. If you then use the card because, for example, it has beneficial rate for use abroad and expect that the direct debit will pay off the bill, it may not. If you have stored payment details for someone but do not use it for about a year they will also disappear without a trace and without any notification which requires you to find, recheck and re-enter. HSBC have their own rules and simply refer you to the ombudsman if you disagree.

Descrabled

HSBC

We have a joint account with HSBC and have several standing orders to building societies that uses the roll number to distinguish different accounts. Indeed Ms Descramble once had a chat with the fraud squad as to why she had set up two standing orders to a single account each for £250. So you certainly can set up payments using the reference number. I do it all the time for all payments from all banks.

The deletion of a direct debit mandate that has been unused for 13 months is common for all banks. I  have a spreadsheet showing every mandate and the date last taken. A visual alarm shows when not taken for 11 months such that for example a purchase can be made on a credit card to reinvigorate the mandate.

Nationwide is another current account provider that delete a payee that has not been used for 12 months. This avoids the problem with some banks of a list of payees a mile long; many not used for years.

I often find on HSBC, and Cumberland, that a payee has been deleted from the list even though they are still being paid every month by standing order.

I'm not saying HSBC are perfect. Indeed they can be quirky like all banks and they're certainly picky. However, I have far less problem with them than with Lloyds group where I have a constant dialogue with their fraud squad usually in the wee small hours.

Pmatt

Descrabled said:

HSBC

We have a joint account with HSBC and have several standing orders to building societies that uses the roll number to distinguish different accounts. Indeed Ms Descramble once had a chat with the fraud squad as to why she had set up two standing orders to a single account each for £250. So you certainly can set up payments using the reference number. I do it all the time for all payments from all banks.

...

HSBC have recently changed the Standing Order set up. Although you can make a single payment using the reference field for roll number, you can no longer create a new standing order. I agree that you used to be able to do this, and I have many times previously, but HSBC have made a change and will neither explain why nor agree to reinstate it.

Descrabled

HSBC Standing order

I have just set-up two new standing orders on this account.  The online (using PC) method has certainly altered so that you cannot give the transfer an easily remembered name, e.g "Wife's BOS". However there is still a reference field present so you could add a roll number, or e.g "hsbc to bos".  A reference would be essential to pay a credit card.

The standing order input using the android app was much simpler and followed the unchanged format. Again, the reference field was present.

I have just checked, on the app, and both standing orders are showing under "bills" and both include a referance parameter. They both pay on the 1st of the month.

Not as easy to set-up as on some other banks.

Pmatt

Descrabled said:

HSBC Standing order

I have just set-up two new standing orders on this account.  The online (using PC) method has certainly altered so that you cannot give the transfer an easily remembered name, e.g "Wife's BOS". However there is still a reference field present so you could add a roll number, or e.g "hsbc to bos".  A reference would be essential to pay a credit card.

The standing order input using the android app was much simpler and followed the unchanged format. Again, the reference field was present.

I have just checked, on the app, and both standing orders are showing under "bills" and both include a referance parameter. They both pay on the 1st of the month.

Not as easy to set-up as on some other banks.

As I said previously, you can make a standing order to an individual or a company where the sort code and account number are unique to your payee's account, you then have the option to use the reference field. But if you wish to make a standing order to a building society savings account where they commonly use a fixed sort code and fixed account number for all payments and you enter the roll number (your account reference) in the reference field, you will find that HSBC do not provide a reference field. This is new and completely unexplained. I have asked HSBC why this has happened and no one can give an explanation, but they also have not given any assurance that it will be reinstated.