HSBC Advance switch

ibanarot

My experience with HSBC so far:
 - applied for an Advance account last week (5.1.2022) - last page said "we've got everything we need, we'll be in contact soon"
 - opted for a switch at the time of application, entered my other accounts details, including card number
 - not heard from them since - no email, no text, let alone anything in the post.

Anyone had similar experience? Are they "working on it", and shall I just patiently wait, contact them or just apply once again.

desthemoaner

ibanarot said:

My experience with HSBC so far:
 - applied for an Advance account last week (5.1.2022) - last page said "we've got everything we need, we'll be in contact soon"
 - opted for a switch at the time of application, entered my other accounts details, including card number
 - not heard from them since - no email, no text, let alone anything in the post.

Anyone had similar experience? Are they "working on it", and shall I just patiently wait, contact them or just apply once again.

 My brother and I had slightly different experiences of the Advance switch. He applied at the same time as I did, but opted for a later switch date. I had a barrage of emails and texts in the week after requesting the switch, which was completed on 16th December. I had my cashback about 8 days later, just two days after depositing 1500 quid in the account. For two weeks he had no emails at all, just one text, but eventually his card, PIN and passcode arrived. Last I heard he had deposited the requisite amount in the account but was still waiting for the cashback a week later. Strikes me that with HSBC, "patience with inconsistency" is the key. 

johnnybaloney

I initiated the switch in the middle of December. Unfortunately managed to convince the OH to do the same, so two switches in progress. I say unfortunately because the level of service we experienced was tragic.

To save you reading this is my summary - steer clear from this joke of a bank.

Let's start from their welcome email. Their marketing team must have been more drunk than No 10 at their recently revealed boozy party when they came up with this idea. The email was so unbelievably long that I was unable to scroll to the bottom of it on my phone. I converted it to a pdf document on a computer out of the curiosity at this madness and it is 74 A4 pages long! That's correct, 74-page long welcome pack. Ridiculous. It kind of set the scene for the subsequent events.

Later on a ream of paper arrived stuffed to a number of letters, 15 sheets of paper in total for one account, fewer for the other. Sadly the missing letter for the other account contained a 'telephone password' and without it you cannot use either online banking or the app. So one account is currently practically inaccessible. The replacement was supposedly sent on the 4th, it's 13th today and still no letter.

Setting up the app for the first account required an assortment of PIN's, passwords, keys, secret answers, magic beans, mind boggles. It didn't go smoothly as the SMS confirmation at one of the steps refused to arrive and they had to post it, a few day's extra delay. Luckily, it was possible to request that paper replacement from within the app without contacting the support.

Speaking of support. On the MSE page listing the top accounts for switching it currently says that the service rating for HSBC is "40% great", the lowest from the lot. You can translate that to their service being 60% rubbish. First, the waiting time. 20 minutes was the estimate they gave last time I called. 15 minutes in the call disconnected. I tried again, similar.

While you are waiting they keep playing a recorded message how you can solve all your problems through the chat in the app instead. So I tried and:

• they welcome you with the customary "they are extremely busy at the moment" message
• once you get hold of someone they will say that they have "limited access via this channel" meaning that they cannot offer any meaningful assistance
• they will tell you to call instead or
• to go and visit a branch (yea right)

In short - useless. On top of that their amazing app keeps disconnecting from the chat every minute, they only way to reconnect that I discovered was to restart the app and log in again.


That's my story. I wish I hadn't applied, so much trouble, not worth it. I'll be moving away as soon as the issue with the other account is resolved. This is banking suited for 1992 not 2022.

northwalesd

I had a similar experince to you johnnybaloney. Never got access to my account and was given £50 'go away' money for their shameful service. I'd never advise anyone to have anything to do with HSBC.

pistonbroke1

Not sure to categorize this as a success or failure of HSBC - Successfully applied for Advance current a/c in early December 2021. Subsequently received debit/card and PIN No shortly thereafter, but didn't receive activation code and/or telephone security no. to enable me to register for on line banking. Since had to make innumerable phone calls to HSBC to try and resolve these issues but due to "unspecified problems at HSBC, to this day have never been able to register for either mobile or on line banking.  My original intention on opening an Advance a/c was to take advantage of the current "switch offer", the time limit contained within the t & c's has expired, depriving me of the switch bonus.  Anyway, following a complaint to HSBC, my Advance a/c has been credited with £150 as "I had expressed an intention to switch"!!!    No further complaints from me!!!

moneysavinggirl40

Applied on 30.12.21, x2 letters welcoming me to HSBC exactly the same 1 day apart (5 pagesx2)came through the post, debit card and pin came through separate days. Switch happened 14.1.22, confirmation text that switch has happened but still waiting for telephone banking security number. Called customer services, unable to speak to anyone, you need your telephone banking security number but if you hold on someone should help. Was holding for 20mins then gave up. Looked up their free phone number and pressed 1 for a call back. She called back, said she could sort out a telephone banking security number but I had to answer a ridiculous amount of security questions, some that I thought they wouldn't even know the answer to as I hadn't disclosed specific information to them, so hesitated when I answered. Anyway I didn't get all the answers correct, so I wasn't given my telephone banking security number, instead she said she'll send it out in the post. So I am waiting for it still, no online/mobile access to my account which has already switched. I've not deposited £1500 in order to get my £150 switch incentive because I don't want it sitting in that account.  I wish they'd hurry up, by the time I get my telephone security banking number my 60days will be up, so will miss qualifying for £150 switch incentive.

moneysavinggirl40

moneysavinggirl40 said:

Applied on 30.12.21, x2 letters welcoming me to HSBC exactly the same 1 day apart (5 pagesx2)came through the post, debit card and pin came through separate days. Switch happened 14.1.22, confirmation text that switch has happened but still waiting for telephone banking security number. Called customer services, unable to speak to anyone, you need your telephone banking security number but if you hold on someone should help. Was holding for 20mins then gave up. Looked up their free phone number and pressed 1 for a call back. She called back, said she could sort out a telephone banking security number but I had to answer a ridiculous amount of security questions, some that I thought they wouldn't even know the answer to as I hadn't disclosed specific information to them, so hesitated when I answered. Anyway I didn't get all the answers correct, so I wasn't given my telephone banking security number, instead she said she'll send it out in the post. So I am waiting for it still, no online/mobile access to my account which has already switched. I've not deposited £1500 in order to get my £150 switch incentive because I don't want it sitting in that account.  I wish they'd hurry up, by the time I get my telephone security banking number my 60days will be up, so will miss qualifying for £150 switch incentive.

and so today I received the telephone security banking number in the post. How excited was I? but then I came across hurdle after hurdle, as HSBC must have remembered me from when I used to bank with them, (no doubt I was with them for their monetary incentive then switched out) it didn't recognise my security key pin, despite trying to set up again with a new activation code. In the end I called customer services setup "my voice is my password"  after holding on for an age, spoke to someone who also had to look up how to resolve the otp problem . I was left holding on whilst she flicked through her manual (presumably), saying sorry I won't be a moment, just trying to find out for you.  Long story short, I was set up with a digital mobile key-thingy rather than using a physical secure key for online banking. I have sent across £1500 after testing it with a £1. Now I wait for my £150, I think I've earnt it!

theonenonly

So I want to make a switch for the £150 cashback, however I'm reading that it's for new customers only. Seeing as I have a credit card with them, do I count as an existing customer?

adamp87

theonenonly said:

So I want to make a switch for the £150 cashback, however I'm reading that it's for new customers only. Seeing as I have a credit card with them, do I count as an existing customer?

Yes I believe it means current account customer 

eskbanker

adamp87 said:

theonenonly said:

So I want to make a switch for the £150 cashback, however I'm reading that it's for new customers only. Seeing as I have a credit card with them, do I count as an existing customer?

Yes I believe it means current account customer 

That should presumably read "no, it means current account customer"!

Anyway, paragraph 2(b) of the offer Ts & Cs clarifies the situation, but the HSBC homepage states that "Our current account switching offer is ending on Friday 28 January", so anyone looking to take advantage of it needs to get their skates on....