HSBC banking

[Ecky]

HSBC used to promote themselves as being the worlds local bank - not any more! Any communication with HSBC is protracted and painful. If you're lucky you will get a native English speaker who can clearly understand your query.

After many email exchanges a few years ago trying to resolve queries about a self certification form i advised my relationship manager that i was so fed up with HSBC that i felt like pulling out altogether. Did he respond or listen? No.

I also recently reported a case of fraud at the end of August and was told i would be contacted by the fraud team. I followed up a few weeks ago but still waiting!

Next year i will have moved  the three investments that i held with HSBC to other international and Thai banks leaving only a small fund for UK spending.

So anybody else who is fed up with HSBC i would advise to move funds to a more user friendly bank!

[Bangkok Barry]

On 11/16/2021 at 4:05 PM, kidneyw said:

Just two points.

1) I received a replacement bank card from them via DHL.

2) You can contact them online using Live Chat on their web site.

     This way you save money on phone calls; language barriers and get instant helpful results to your questions.

Hope this helps.

 

Absolutely right. When I adopted their app they were extremely helpful during a 20 minute chat. The keycard had died on me after several years and the replacement took too long to arrive (despite my receiving most mail and deliveries from the UK within two weeks, even now during the pandemic). I usually interacted with them on-line as I like to take a screen shot of my transactions each month, but now that needs a security number sent to your phone to access on a computer (pretty standard these days) so I did need the app. Was confused at first as I downloaded the HSBC app, not HSBCUK, but the Scottish accent lady failed to call me an idiot and sorted it out.

 

Very impressed with them, as I am in them allowing me to keep my UK account despite them having my Thai address. Many banks I believe are no longer allowing that, but I guess I was 'grandfathered' as I've had the account for probably 40 years.

[Funkymover]

no idea if this can help,  but years ago, I had my card frozen by  my bank, and I went to the british embassy explained the situation as I could not get any money out , and they let me use their phone to ring the bank..   situation was solved and did not cost me an expensive phone call. 

[yang123]

My Thai bank has established that my UK to Thailand transfer has been held by HSBC London owing to "compliance issues". 

No indication what those issues are or why they have arisen now against a background of many similar trouble-free transactions.  SWIFT messages galore to HSBC from my UK bank and the correspondent bank have failed to prompt a response.  

Next?  Dunno .....????

[Gandtee]

On 11/16/2021 at 2:01 PM, Robin said:

A friend of mine in UK gave up with his HSBC account since every phon call to them was routed to a call centre in India.  You will be lucky if you can speak to any human being in UK.

That happened to me on several occasions. Expensive phone calls to someone in various parts of the world, to people I couldn't understand. In the end I drew my money out. Plus a bit overdrawn for the phone calls and closed my account. I've read many accounts of people's problems with HSBC. 

[GrandPapillon]

1 hour ago, yang123 said:

My Thai bank has established that my UK to Thailand transfer has been held by HSBC London owing to "compliance issues". 

No indication what those issues are or why they have arisen now against a background of many similar trouble-free transactions.  SWIFT messages galore to HSBC from my UK bank and the correspondent bank have failed to prompt a response.  

Next?  Dunno .....????

interesting, just got a transfer from another institution 3 weeks ago that went missing, and I was told it was blocked for "compliance" reasons, for a very small amounts below the 10K. It seems that something is going on with SWIFT in the last 3 weeks, maybe they got hacked, and chasing Taliban's or crypto criminals money ????

 

after it was "blocked" for no reasons, it went through and never arrived at destination. It's now lost and nobody knows. The sending institution claim it went through, and there is no block, despite claiming otherwise previously. They also refuse to do a trace ????

 

 

I just lodged a complain to a regulator for misleading customers and lost transfers and not taking actions to trace it or send back the funds.

Edited November 17, 2021 by GrandPapillon

[DougSunee]

I can’t help with your signing in problems but I’ve had to phone them a couple of times and I use Skype it costs pennies. 

[Stocky]

1 hour ago, Funkymover said:

no idea if this can help,  but years ago, I had my card frozen by  my bank, and I went to the british embassy explained the situation as I could not get any money out , and they let me use their phone to ring the bank..   situation was solved and did not cost me an expensive phone call. 

British Embassy wouldn't give you the steam off their p**s.

 

That's if you can find their hideaway and they let you in!

.

Edited November 17, 2021 by Stocky

[yang123]

11 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

interesting, just got a transfer from another institution 3 weeks ago that went missing, and I was told it was blocked for "compliance" reasons, for a very small amounts below the 10K. It seems that something is going on with SWIFT in the last 3 weeks, maybe they got hacked, and chasing Taliban's or crypto criminals money ????

Interesting indeed!

My transfer was for a sum much less than GBP 5k.  

I'd be prepared to believe in a hack of SWIFT if I hadn't read so many complaints about HSBC on UK, US and Indian consumer websites over the last few days.  A prominent theme is the reluctance of staff at HSBC to use anything other than SWIFT for inter-bank communications.  And perish the thought of providing a telephone number connected to a human authorised to take action.

[3STTW]

I had exactly the same problem as the OP earlier this year. I called them in the morning from TH (out of usual UK banking hours) and got everything resolved in about 20 minutes. New app installed, face and voice recognition sorted out. The operator was clearly a native English speaker and extremely helpful.

 

AFAIK, the only call centre in India is the fraud protection service (stop sniggering at the back) and I agree that it is a truly [expletive] awful experience. The telephone quality is dreadful and the operators sound like they are trying to talk with a mouth full of marbles. I once asked to speak to a supervisor and the little [expletive] responded by cancelling all my cards. The UK Banking Ombudsman didn't like that and I was compensated accordingly - eventually.

 

From a moral standpoint, I think HSBC are reprehensible but I've had the account with them for ages and it doesn't make any sense to change to another bank just because of mild indignation.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, BKK Chopin said:

BS, I waited 2 months for some mail sent from Europe to Thailand. And it wasn't due to the European mail ????

Hold fire on your BS assertion.  UK is not Europe!   Normal (not Covid-delayed!) time for signed-for Royal Mail from UK to Bangkok is about 5 days, maybe 7 days maximum.  I got a renewed UK driving licence sent from UK, it took 5 days...as per normal.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 11/16/2021 at 2:50 PM, GrandPapillon said:

got blacklisted by US authorities

What does that mean, "HSBC got blacklisted"?   They're not banned, boycotted or sanctioned in the US, they may have been fined for transgressions but most banks have!

[Liverpool Lou]

On 11/16/2021 at 5:29 PM, OneeyedJohn said:

I am beginning to doubt my two phone calls costing nearly 1000 baht have achieved anything.

How long were you on the phone for in order to have to pay B1000 as you are claiming and which phone service provider?   

Edited November 17, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[GrandPapillon]

8 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What does that mean, "HSBC got blacklisted"?   They're not banned, boycotted or sanctioned in the US, they may have been fined for transgressions but most banks have!

they couldn't make certain transactions in USD for a while until the whole thing was settled

[GrandPapillon]

1 hour ago, yang123 said:

Interesting indeed!

My transfer was for a sum much less than GBP 5k.  

I'd be prepared to believe in a hack of SWIFT if I hadn't read so many complaints about HSBC on UK, US and Indian consumer websites over the last few days.  A prominent theme is the reluctance of staff at HSBC to use anything other than SWIFT for inter-bank communications.  And perish the thought of providing a telephone number connected to a human authorised to take action.

just did another transfer, above 10K to Thailand, and it usually takes 24h, but still nothing as of today!!!

 

what the hell is going on ????

[Liverpool Lou]

10 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

So much security nonsense.

Yes, preventing unauthorised persons accessing your money was such a terrible thing for the bank to do.   

Edited November 17, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[GrandPapillon]

2 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Yes, preventing unauthorised persons accessing your money was such a terrible thing for the bank to do.   

they couldn't even get that one right ????

 

they lockout their clients, and let hackers get away with all their customers personal info and credit card information ????

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, Stocky said:

British Embassy wouldn't give you the steam off their p**s.

 

That's if you can find their hideaway and they let you in!

.

Well they're sure not obliged to provide free phone services!

[Liverpool Lou]

32 minutes ago, GrandPapillon said:

41 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

What does that mean, "HSBC got blacklisted"?   They're not banned, boycotted or sanctioned in the US, they may have been fined for transgressions but most banks have!

they couldn't make certain transactions in USD for a while until the whole thing was settled

Wow.  That must have been all over the global financial news and knocked seven bells out of it's stock prices if the UK's biggest bank had it's services suspended in the US, how come there's no mention of it anywhere?     

 

When do you claim that was?  What HSBS operations were suspended in the US?  I believe it is false to state that HSBC's facilities/services have ever been suspended by the Fed.

[GrandPapillon]

2 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Wow.  That must have been all over the global financial news and knocked seven bells out of it's stock prices if the UK's biggest bank had it's services suspended in the US, how come there's no mention of it anywhere?     

 

When do you claim that was?  What HSBS operations were suspended in the US?  I believe it is false to state that HSBC's facilities/services have ever been suspended by the Fed.

obviously you didn't pay attention, and yes it was in the news. Not all their operations, but some ops were suspended. They were also threatened to have their banking license removed in the US, and that's when they surrendered.

[MRToMRT]

Its not just HSBC these days, its all the banks. This is the new norm, banks that are doing themselves out of business because of stupid OTT government regulation. Of all the ones I have had problems with HSBC is not one of them for me though, after going through the government imposed KYC regulations with them everything works very well now.

[fangless]

9 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

obviously you didn't pay attention, and yes it was in the news. Not all their operations, but some ops were suspended. They were also threatened to have their banking license removed in the US, and that's when they surrendered.

Here is a BBC link to the episode;

HSBC to pay $1.9bn in US money laundering penalties - BBC News

In summary'

HSBC has confirmed it is to pay US authorities $1.9bn (£1.2bn) in a settlement over money laundering, the largest paid in such a case.

"HSBC has signed a Deferred Prosecution Agreement for breaches of the US Bank Secrecy Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act and assorted money laundering offences. This is in effect putting the bank on probation," he said.

"But if HSBC had been indicted for these offences, that would have meant that the US government and others could no longer have conducted business with it, which would have been humiliating and highly damaging."

[sandyf]

13 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

they couldn't make certain transactions in USD for a while until the whole thing was settled

More to do with US paranoia than anything else, just look at the reluctance to accept chip and pin. They also prefer the antiquated SWIFT arrangement over IBAN, and then complain about it.

[Expat68]

I have had no problems but I only ever use PC in my home

[Liverpool Lou]

13 hours ago, GrandPapillon said:

obviously you didn't pay attention, and yes it was in the news.

Where?   Which news?  Specifically, if it's true.

Edit:  Don't bother.  Another poster has quoted the decade old link that confirms that HSBC's activities in the US were not suspended, as you falsely claimed, because the bank was not indicted, it just had to pay a settlement to US authorities for it's transgressions.   

Edited November 18, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, fangless said:

Here is a BBC link to the episode;

HSBC to pay $1.9bn in US money laundering penalties - BBC News

In summary'

HSBC has confirmed it is to pay US authorities $1.9bn (£1.2bn) in a settlement over money laundering, the largest paid in such a case.

"HSBC has signed a Deferred Prosecution Agreement for breaches of the US Bank Secrecy Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act and assorted money laundering offences. This is in effect putting the bank on probation," he said.

"But if HSBC had been indicted for these offences, that would have meant that the US government and others could no longer have conducted business with it, which would have been humiliating and highly damaging."

Thanks for that clarifying link.  It confirms that, although HSBC had to pay a settlement to the US authorities, the bank was never indicted and that its operations were never suspended in the US...as GrandPapillon claimed..

 

"HSBC has signed a Deferred Prosecution Agreement for breaches of the US Bank Secrecy Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act and assorted money laundering offences. This is in effect putting the bank on probation," he said.

"But if HSBC had been indicted for these offences  [it wasn't] that would have meant that the US government and others could no longer have conducted business with it, which would have been humiliating and highly damaging."     https://www.bbc.com/news/business-20673466

Edited November 18, 2021 by Liverpool Lou

[Robin]

If you think that HSBC are not doing their job, try making a complaint about it.  You should be able to find the appropriate address on their web-site.

i did this with mar-West when they were messing me about, and, surprise!  Complaint dept. phoned me, in Thailand, dealt with the complaint, and then refunded me the cost of my phone calls to NW.   Banks take customer relations seriously and employees are afraid of getting a complaint against their name.

In UK I have found HSBC better than Nat. West, but it is really down to the people you are dealing with

[Pumpuynarak]

5 minutes ago, Robin said:

In UK I have found HSBC better than Nat. West, but it is really down to the people you are dealing with

Bingo, i found the English lady that i dealt with to be brill, so helpful and got my problem resolved.

[Stevemercer]

I have a HSBC account (Australia) that I used to use all the time, particularly for transfers to Thailand.

 

Earlier this year I got an email asking many intrusive questions because they thought I might be laundering money. After validating the request, I supplied the information. This went back and forth a few times. After a month or so they froze my account saying I hadn't supplied the information requested (I had supplied the information and had the email proof). 

 

I had no luck trying to contact the unit doing the money laundering checks, but luckily had a local branch contact who was able to get my account unlocked.

 

I transferred all my money out and have been a bit wary about using my HSBC account in case it gets blocked again.

[Expat68]

I have had no problems but I only ever use PC in my home. Best thing I ever did was opening HSBC account