HSBC

I finally got my account. I have the most basic account one could have. I've looked at the website and I'm not sure what account I should be looking for. All I want is a visa/debit card, but I don't want to pay £10 for the plus account. I'm going to go to HSBC tomorrow, so any advice?

honestly I wouldnt bank with them. I use to work for them in America. They charge too many misc fees and penality fees.

honestly I wouldnt bank with them. I use to work for them in America. They charge too many misc fees and penality fees.

uh oh. I've heard really good things about them from people on here. I hope I'm not screwing myself over.

Been banking with them all my adult life,even when it was the Midland before HSBC took over never had a problem.Just get a basic current account,then for your savings get a building society account.

Dave

I'd like to vouch for HSBC, too. They've been really great!

Perhaps it is just the HSBC in America,

Been banking with them all my adult life,even when it was the Midland before HSBC took over never had a problem.Just get a basic current account,then for your savings get a building society account.

Dave

Showing my age along with Dave's (Midland yellow and black, first account whilst at college, £100 overdrawn felt like £1000 does now!)

A big thumbs up for HSBC, I hold accounts with them and the other evil force that is NW! NEVER Lloyds (used to work for them) and no way jose to Barclays. HSBC are the only ones I've never had a problem with and the internet banking is updated very quickly and they believe in a much more personal service, they're trying to brand themselves like a store. I have always had a good response if I have needed anything extra, a copy of something and staff being helpful in branch on a Saturday.

The *only* thing going in NW favour would be that they have made the committment to keep call centre jobs in the UK and not outsource- that is commendable, but not enough to keep me with them (ie: as a long term customers with excellent credit, we can still never get a loan amount as advertised and so on, it's always higher with no satisfactory explanation.

I agree from reading past posts about being an expat trying to set up an account as well as my own not so good  experience with another bank (Barclays).

HSBC seems the way to go!! 

I have been banking with them for 14 years.I think the customer service has really gotten bad. They have shortened the hours at the window from 5:30 to 4:30. The branch near my house is no longer open on Saturdays.If I need to go to the bank I have to leave work early.  And the call center is in India.The last time I was on the phone with the call center they had to keep putting me on hold to talk to someone back here in London! I would quit them tomorrow if it were'nt for the fact that I have quite a few accounts with them. I miss Midland bank.

I have been banking with them for 14 years.I think the customer service has really gotten bad. They have shortened the hours at the window from 5:30 to 4:30. The branch near my house is no longer open on Saturdays.If I need to go to the bank I have to leave work early.  And the call center is in India.The last time I was on the phone with the call center they had to keep putting me on hold to talk to someone back here in London! I would quit them tomorrow if it were'nt for the fact that I have quite a few accounts with them. I miss Midland bank.

Well that isn't just HSBC, to save money both UK and USA and probably several more countries, gets India to handle all their calls in the call centers because they can pay them very cheap compared to what they would pay us. I use to work at Household Bank which got taken over by HSBC about a year ago, and hundreds of jobs were cut because of the India situation

Well that isn't just HSBC, to save money both UK and USA and probably several more countries, gets India to handle all their calls in the call centers because they can pay them very cheap compared to what they would pay us. I use to work at Household Bank which got taken over by HSBC about a year ago, and hundreds of jobs were cut because of the India situation

Yes, a lot of HSBC staff are finding the same, some are being offered positions in India to do the training and a lot of the jobs are being conducted in India and then being "checked" by more experienced staff here.....

I wouldn't bank with HSBC as I don't like where they invest their (and your) money...do a little research...they have some unethical investments (IMO).

But if that doesn't bother you - then I suppose they are expat-friendly....

I wouldn't bank with HSBC as I don't like where they invest their (and your) money...do a little research...they have some unethical investments (IMO).

But if that doesn't bother you - then I suppose they are expat-friendly....

Is there anything you can show?

Asia Pulp & Paper - they log Indonesian rainforests.  The pulp and paper industry in Indonesia have been responsible for destroying 835,000 hectares of high conservation value forests.  A number of well known UK banks including Barclays, HSBC and NatWest have arranged finance for APP.

More recently they have acquired Household International (for $14 billion) which is being investigated in the states as a "predatory lender" to the poor in the USA.

Although some find it ethical - HSBC is heavily invested in tobacco companies, but so is Abbey National.

HSBC's website does list what it's doing for the environment - it's the stuff they don't say on their website people should be aware of.

A google search can provide more information as well.  (ain't google grand?)

HSBC = EVIL SPAWNS OF SATAN!

I've only been in the UK for a little over a month but that's enough time to convince me that HSBC has horrible customer service.  Our relationship started out quite well. On the day after we arrived in London, we walked into the bank and opened an account with no problem. But then it all went downhill from there.

I was supposed to receive my debit card, credit card, checkbook and pay-in slips within 5-7 days.  About 3 days later we received our checkbook and pay-in slips. Great. Then nothing.  So about 10 days go by and I go to the bank to complain. Turns out they had sent our cards to our US address (we still own that house but are renting it out).  They promised to send new cards to my London address. The only bright spot: they paid me 20 quid for my troubles.

Another week goes by and I'm told the card is ready for pick up...at a bank branch far from my flat. I go anyway and pick up the cards. But my wife's cards were AGAIN SENT TO THE US!  This time, the bank deleted all records of our US address so it wouldn't happen again.  So they again issue new cards to my wife.  in the meantime, I received a PIN for my debit card but not my credit card. As of today, I still have not received a credit card pin.  And to boot, I cannot get my debit card to work for Internet purchases.

Last week, we get another letter from the bank. My wife's cards are ready for pickup...AT AN HSBC BRANCH ABOUT TWO HOURS NORTH OF LONDON!!!  I forgot the name of the town, but even my local bank manager had never heard of the place.  He calls the bank and gets the cards sent directly to our local branch.  As of today, my wife has received the PIN number sfor both cards, but still no cards.

Keep in mind also that every trip I've made to the bank took at least an hour. It took nearly 3 hours just to open the account on our first visit whilst they asked overly-person questions like our moms' maiden names, etc.  The attendants are just down-right rude. Nobody ever seems to know what the other person is doing. Turns out the original lady who opened my account has since left the company (hopefully fired) so the could not quiz her about this situation.

And by the way, I paid the extra fee for the Premiere Plus account. So much for premier service. I'd hate to see what the regular service is like!

P.S. HSBC clerks have awful uniforms. Whoever designed those hideous pink checkered shirts and ties ought to be strung up by their own necktie.