What’s going on with HSBC

marcusjm

I’ve banked with HSBC for 40 years (back when it was Midland bank) and have mainly been very content. There’s been a few hiccups over the years but they’ve been resolved quickly and efficiently.

I appreciate we’re in uncertain times, especially adjusting to remote working, but their customer service has gone to hell in a hand basket. It’s almost laughable.

I recently had a text saying there was fraudulent activity on my account and I needed to call them. I was suspicious it was a scam but proceeded cautiously. I waited nearly 2 hours on hold and gave up. They then suspended my account to logins and all transactions. After further long attempts to contact them I discover my regular transfer to savings triggered their panic. As an aside, they inform me that their triggers are mainly random and system generated. That doesn’t fill me with confidence.

I raised a complaint about the recent service and was promised a call back within 48 hours. I then received an email (5 days later) saying the case was closed. I replied to say I’d still like to speak to someone. Today I receive an email stating a supervisor will be in touch in 8 weeks.

They have made too many errors over the past few years (I won’t bore you with the others) so I’m off to find a provider who values my business. I suspect I’ll be bombarded with junk emails from them trying to tempt me to open and account for a bonus. The joke is, you already had me HSBC!

AskAsk

hsbc has been pretty bad whenever i hear people refer to them.  they used to be very good but they have gone downhill so time to move on.  first direct, their online arm is very good.

phillw

My friend has had loads of problems, I've had none. We don't do anything differently.

They have however argued for and received compensation for being locked out of their account and being fobbed off, so in that regard I'm jealous.

I wouldn't deal with email, just bombard them with phone calls. They have 8 weeks from the complaint before you can go to the ombudsman, but you can request a dead lock letter earlier.

Make sure you complain about the original complaint and their handling of the complaint.

born_again

marcusjm said:

I’ve banked with HSBC for 40 years (back when it was Midland bank) and have mainly been very content. There’s been a few hiccups over the years but they’ve been resolved quickly and efficiently.

I appreciate we’re in uncertain times, especially adjusting to remote working, but their customer service has gone to hell in a hand basket. It’s almost laughable.

I recently had a text saying there was fraudulent activity on my account and I needed to call them. I was suspicious it was a scam but proceeded cautiously. I waited nearly 2 hours on hold and gave up. They then suspended my account to logins and all transactions. After further long attempts to contact them I discover my regular transfer to savings triggered their panic. As an aside, they inform me that their triggers are mainly random and system generated. That doesn’t fill me with confidence.

I raised a complaint about the recent service and was promised a call back within 48 hours. I then received an email (5 days later) saying the case was closed. I replied to say I’d still like to speak to someone. Today I receive an email stating a supervisor will be in touch in 8 weeks.

They have made too many errors over the past few years (I won’t bore you with the others) so I’m off to find a provider who values my business. I suspect I’ll be bombarded with junk emails from them trying to tempt me to open and account for a bonus. The joke is, you already had me HSBC!

Yes system generated. Random.. Never. If our reps tell a customer that, the manager will have them off the phones while they get some training.... 

marcusjm

The comment the agent gave me was they were random, she went as far to say she’d seen some fraud holds for £1.

They put my account on hold because they weren’t able to speak to me but went ahead and released the funds as well. 

On another incident, I purchased a private number plate and made a significant transfer for it. After sending a copy of the transfer, the seller trustingly gave me the relevant references number to enable me to assign the plate. A day later he contacted me to say the funds hadn’t arrived, even though they’d left my account. He got heated quite quickly as he said he felt he’d been conned. Legal threats followed etc. A day later I received a call from HSBC to say they’d blocked the payment. There was zero notification from them up to that point. They then asked me to confirm it with less security than I needed to add the payee in the first place. That was a very awkward situation.

gt94sss2

marcusjm said:

I’ve banked with HSBCreceive an email stating a supervisor will be in touch in 8 weeks.

Did it say that they would call you in 8 weeks or they had 8 weeks to reply to your complaint?

All banks quote this timeframe.

marcusjm said:

On another incident, I purchased a private number plate and made a significant transfer for it. After sending a copy of the transfer, the seller trustingly gave me the relevant references number to enable me to assign the plate. A day later he contacted me to say the funds hadn’t arrived, 

Again, you will find all banks tend to block payments - especially large ones - to new recipients for review.

They have until the end of the next working day to transfer the funds.

born_again

marcusjm said:

The comment the agent gave me was they were random, she went as far to say she’d seen some fraud holds for £1.

Which they will.
Fraud systems look at known fraud patterns & retailers (high value retailers). Not peoples accounts to check for spending out of their usual pattern... Or everyone would be hit at christmas.

Sadly sounds like you got a rep who has no understanding of how fraud systems work. Perhaps they need to ask their manager for some training.

[Deleted User]

The fraud system prevented a dodgy payment on my account for £50, but allowed one for £1250 so who knows. HSBC are average, a lot of overseas offices on the phones, often struggle to understand me. They did give me the money back. Still hoping HSBC sell it off, UK arm wise.