HSBC account....I'm hopeful!!

I went down to HSBC today to see about opening a bank account.  i brought everything i thought i would need with me.  i get down there, tell the girl i want to open an account and she asks me what type.  i told her that i have never had an account in this country before and don't know what my options are (even tho i do know...but i wanted to hear it from her).  she tells me that since i haven't been in this country for 6 months, i can open a basic account now, but will have to wait 6 months from today to upgrade it to a current account with the check book, debit card, etc.  she said that i would wait until i have been here for 6 months and open a current account straight away....i would just need proof of my address....like a utility bill.  i said to her "well...what if i'm renting a room?  i don't have any utilities in my name"  (i'm not renting a room, but i don't have any utilities in my name....i wanted to see if there was a way around it).  she asked me if i have a job...i said no.  she asked me if i had anything from the home office stating that i had the right to work in this country...i said no and that i was sending my application off tomorrow but wanted to see about opening an account first.  she told me to hold on while she pulled up a list of acceptable documents that i could bring in.  i asked her "once i get my authorization to work in this country, can i just bring in the documents from the home office?  will that be proof of my address?"  she said sure.  since i don't need an account right now....i thought i would just wait until april 21st....that's when i will have been here for 6 months. 

It's amazing how different HSBC branches are. I had only been here for 6 weeks when I opened up my account with HSBC last month and I got a current account with checks, debit card and overdraft and a credit card. All I showed them was my passport, my Missouri driver's license with my last US address on it and a credit card bill that had my UK address on it. They did tell me that it would have been different if I had been here over 3 months.

why cant this freakin bank be CONSISTANT!  bah!   

I was so annoyed, I called the international banking department and heres what they said....

If you want to open an account with HSBC in the UK, by mail... you have to have a US account for 6-12 months.  If you just show up to a UK branch with a passport and utility bill (something with UK address on it) you can open on the spot.  No six months wait. 

I honestly think none of them know what the heck they are talking about!

the girl at HSBC was young....but she was nice.  maybe i should try back again tomorrow before i mail off my FLR(M) and see if someone else tells me another story.....

but...like i said...i don't "need" it at the moment....i just wanted to get things going.  the most important thing is the FLR(M)...and i already put it off one day by going to the bank.  so...maybe i'll just want until i get approved for that and then go back.....

that's the story I was told at HSBC too so nice to hear there is some consistency. 

problem is at most HSBCs they have a receptionist who will tell you one thing, let you wait to see a person only to be told by them that what that person said was wrong and no you can't open xyz and at that point personally i just wanted to rip out my hair wasting my lunch hour on this run around!! It really shouldn't be THAT hard if you have the correct documentation.

that's the story I was told at HSBC too so nice to hear there is some consistency. 

problem is at most HSBCs they have a receptionist who will tell you one thing, let you wait to see a person only to be told by them that what that person said was wrong and no you can't open xyz and at that point personally i just wanted to rip out my hair wasting my lunch hour on this run around!! It really shouldn't be THAT hard if you have the correct documentation.

so did you end up opening an account with them?  or going to another bank?  what did they tell you that you needed that you didn't have?  maybe you can help me prepare for when i go back.....

they opened the basic bank account after telling me yes the day before then no twice (once by the receptionist who I insisted asked his manager who okayed it then by the clerk helping me) the next day when i brought my documents. Then I was told it couldn't be opened in branch and I disputed that too and she said she'd "one off" it even though she would have to explain it to her manager... whatever, I told her I was told it COULD be opened and approved in branch... geez after all it is just a basic account, you don't even get a VISA/MC logo just HSBC only.

So they just opened it with my passport and letter from employer.

I ended up closing that account two weeks later when I went back in and was denied an upgrade to a current account... that silly 3-6mo rule. I was livid... it was Christmas eve and I had a month's salary paid in cash because my HSBC account wasn't open in time for deposit and I was going back to the states for a visit and needed somewhere to put it. I walked across the road to Lloyd's who took my passport and letter from employer and opened me a current account with VISA debit straightway. Walk back to HSBC with my worthless card and deposit book and told them to close my account.

To their credit, I was out of there in under 5 minutes! I hated the attitude THEY were doing ME the favor.

I'd say when you are ready to open your account go in with everything and when the person says yes they can do it for you you are prepared will the right things. I popped in multiple times... the one time I was told it would be easy I didn't have my documents so then next day with different staff it wasn't.

Good luck... I hear they are really not that bad.

Hey Jen (jklm),

Good on you to open one at Lloyds!  That is where I am and got an account straight away after walking out of an HSBC branch with no account (on my part).  The problem I am having now is establishing credit.  I have only been here 4 months, and cannot get onto a mobile contract.  I have been told to wait until I am here for six months before I try getting a credit card through Lloyds.  HOpe you are well, call me!

A

Londonitis, I'm certainly not advocating lying, but I got a contract phone with Orange through the Link (online) and just made a wee exageration of how long I had been at my address here. They clearly don't follow it up.... But again, I'm certainly not suggesting that lying is the answer. 

If you just show up to a UK branch with a passport and utility bill (something with UK address on it) you can open on the spot. No six months wait.

Honestly I do think that with a passport and proof of address (utility bill, council tax statement, etc.) you can open a basic account immediately just about anywhere. You just won't get a cheque guarantee card or an overdraft. I got a current account at Halifax (basically a place to keep money and a cash card - no more) with just a couple of pieces of ID. I don't even think I had a job yet when I opened that one.... The six month thing is for more than a basic account. After I had had my current account for 6 months and had regular deposits going into it, they asked me if I wanted to upgrade to one with an overdraft, etc.

Honestly I do think that with a passport and proof of address (utility bill, council tax statement, etc.) you can open a basic account immediately just about anywhere. You just won't get a cheque guarantee card or an overdraft. I got a current account at Halifax (basically a place to keep money and a cash card - no more) with just a couple of pieces of ID. I don't even think I had a job yet when I opened that one.... The six month thing is for more than a basic account. After I had had my current account for 6 months and had regular deposits going into it, they asked me if I wanted to upgrade to one with an overdraft, etc.

I think it's weird that Londonitis couldn't get anywhere with HSBC. I was able to open a full account (overdraft, etc.) immediately at HSBC even without having any regular deposits going in (I don't work).  I really think it's true that customer service reps do not treat situations consistently, which makes it very difficult to give advice and recommendations!

I think it's weird that Londonitis couldn't get anywhere with HSBC. I was able to open a full account (overdraft, etc.) immediately at HSBC even without having any regular deposits going in (I don't work).  I really think it's true that customer service reps do not treat situations consistently, which makes it very difficult to give advice and recommendations!

I agree!  That is weird.  I brought Rich in with me which I think might have helped a lot.  They made him a co-sig on my account as well!

I think it's weird that Londonitis couldn't get anywhere with HSBC. I was able to open a full account (overdraft, etc.) immediately at HSBC even without having any regular deposits going in (I don't work).  I really think it's true that customer service reps do not treat situations consistently, which makes it very difficult to give advice and recommendations!

I believe what she was saying by walking out without an account (on her part) was she didn't want to bank there. She did the "open a US account for 6 months" thing but wanted to go with Lloyds for her own reasons.

This is what happened, I came to London for two weeks prior to moving here to sort out the flat, job and bank account.  I went to HSBC because I opened an account with them in the states for this purpose.  The lady who helped me was okay in the beginning getting my application all ready, then she started going "crazy" on me.  She started muttering gibberish and chanting in a different language.  I got up, picked up my passport, gave her a look and walked out. 

My recruiting agent recommended Lloyds to me.  I went in there and two people helped me get my account open with a visa debit card, cheques, checking account, savings account, all within half hour.  Every bank and every branch is different, just keep branch hopping until you get the right one.

I have no problem lying about how long I have stayed here, do you think that would work?  I know I have no credit here but I heard that any negative credit history on your current place of residence can reflect badly on your fledgling credit report, is this true?  Also, with every denial, it also reflects, I hope this is not the case as I have had about two denials so far.  Once with a credit card application that I didn't mean to sent out and then with the mobile contract credit check. 

Please advise!!  Ta.

Londonitis

I walked across the road to Lloyd's who took my passport and letter from employer and opened me a current account with VISA debit straightway. 

i finally opened a bank account today!!  here's how it went:

went into barclays first...the chick told me that i need to have a national insurance number.  i told her i applied for it, but haven't gotten it yet.  she said i could come back when i had it and they'd open a current account for me.  i said thanks...and walked out.

next i went to HSBC...told them i had my passport and a letter from my employer verifying my address.  she said that because i have been here longer than 4 months and didn't have a utility in my name that i couldn't open a current account.  WHAT???  i told her that last time i came in the chick told me i had to be here for 6 months before i could open a current account....she said that i was told wrong.  she said that once i had a utility in my name that i could open a current account...but until then, they could only offer me a basic account.  i said thanks...and walked out.

next was halifax...told them the same thing...no utility in my name, had a letter from my employer, blah, blah, blah.  the dude told me that i could only have a basic account because i don't have any credit in this country yet and that it works that way for every bank in the UK.  ok.....whatever....said thanks and walked out.

then i came to Lloyds TSB....walked in, sat with the chick, explained what i had with me and what i wanted and she starting typing away on the computer.  she said that once she input all my info. that it would show 1-4 accounts that i could open.  so she types, i wait....and viola....two options came up....and both were current accounts!!  i was in there for about an hour asking questions and getting all the info. about transferring money to my US account, charges for using my UK card in the US, etc.  i walked out with a current back account and should be getting my card on thursday!!

Lloyds TSB gets an A in my book!!!