HSBC experience - need your advise regarding good banks

Matt26 · Post by **Matt26** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 9:11 am

I recently relocated to Singapore and have been told that HSBC would offer a great service. So I opened an account and applied for my Credit Card as well... The service is the worst I've ever experienced in my life. Submitted documents got lost and had to be re submitted etc etc
Is there any bank you can recommend that provides a customer friendly and hassle free service for the 'new arrivals' ?
Thanks for any hints

Post by **Strong Eagle** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 9:43 am

None of the banks here offer really great service but I think HSBC is amongst the worst and I would not do any sort of banking with them. Besides massive amounts of paperwork to get anything done, and people never following up, they have plenty of minor annoyances like long teller lines.

CAT777 · Post by **CAT777** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:01 am

i think Citybank provides quiet decent service, the Credit Cards are ready for collection without hassle after 1-2 days from submission date.

Matt26 · Post by **Matt26** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 10:07 am

2 days sounds great - with HSBC I'm waiting already for 3 weeks
Thanks a lot

Barczar · Post by **Barczar** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:30 am

I can't even type HSBC without throwing up in my throat a little bit because I HATE THEM SO MUCH! I have banked with them all over the world (7 countries) and honestly in any other country they are a great bank...but here in Singapore, foget about it! I never imagined that a bank could be so incredibly out of touch with banking an forget that they are offering a SERVICE...which I AM PAYING FOR!! THEY ARE NOT DOING ME A FAVOUR BY ALLOWING ME TO BANK THERE!!!! I HATE THEM SO MUCH!...there...I feel better now having vented!

could use a beer now!

jockney · Post by **jockney** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:34 am

I bank with HSBC and have no complaints, but maybe I am one of the few?
Other employees I know had grief with getting credit cards and other stuff, but I got mine within a week and also a card for my wife within 2 weeks and they told me there was going to be a delay on hers.
Are all banks not similar with high complaints?

Superglide · Post by **Superglide** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 1:00 pm

CAT777 wrote:i think Citybank provides quiet decent service, the Credit Cards are ready for collection without hassle after 1-2 days from submission date.

ouch....

Citibank, the bank with the best marketing and the worst business processes and operations.

Go figure what happens when applying for a credit card with them.

Marketing: within 2 days you will get your card!!!!!

Operations: So sorry sir, can we see you IC, we lost the copy. And sir, can we also have your latest adress? Oh, sir, my colleague asked me to check with you eh: You are PR here, izzit? Can we have your IC one more time please? Thank you thank you. Sir, you interested in a protection plan for your card? Ok, gimme a minute sir, can? Sir, can I have your IC one more time please? Thank you sir, so sorry for keeping you waiting, but please, can you give me your adress in your native country sir?

3 weeks later.

Sir, sorry to disturb you sir, but could you come down to fill in another application? So sorry sir, but we will give you special promotion sir, MP3 player, normally 19.95, now only 9.95 sir. But sir, we also waive your membership fee for the credit card sir.

Just gimme the goddamn card NOW!

So sorry sir, your application still in process sir, sorry lor.

Ok, back to topic, my best experiences here are with UOB and Standard Chartered.

CAT777 · Post by **CAT777** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 3:14 pm

Superglide wrote:
CAT777 wrote:i think Citybank provides quiet decent service, the Credit Cards are ready for collection without hassle after 1-2 days from submission date.

Ok, back to topic, my best experiences here are with UOB and Standard Chartered.

Superglide, you might be right but i spoke of my one experience of dealing with Citybank. As stated above i received my card quiet fast, in a 2 or 3 days even though must admit and agree with you: banking officer who was attending me was highly annoying, kept offering me all kind of funny things and promotions before gave me a card.

I'm a UOB customer aswell and quiet satisfied with their service.

margt · Post by **margt** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 5:55 pm

I banked with them in the UK for 15 years (Midland Bank previously) and in all that time never had one bad experience.

However, I was pre-warned by expats already here to stay well clear so I did.

Matt26 · Post by **Matt26** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:24 pm

Thanks fellow sufferers
Your posts and replies made me at least laugh and I can see I'm not the only one. With HSBC I had so far 4 different customer service people and re submitted my contract and passport for 3 times. Not mentioning all the "I'm so sorry Sir"s "I fully understand your frustration, but ...."

I guess the first words a first grader must learn in school is

I'm so sorry Sir

And once he can write and read it he will be offered an apprenticeship at HSBC in Singapore.

Thanks again for cheering me up, it helped to overcome my frustration with HSBC Credit Card Service

micknlea · Post by **micknlea** » Thu, 27 Sep 2007 11:43 pm

I know a few people who have accounts with them, no problems really except initial set up, but that was no way near as bad as doing the same procedure with some of the local banks

All customer service was handled well after the accounts were set up. Have to admit from personal experience that Singapore HSBC does not serve it's customers as well here as HSBC does in other countries, however it is limited by the protection given to the local banks.

sillingw · Post by **sillingw** » Fri, 28 Sep 2007 2:12 pm

I had a similar experience. Moved to Singapore and was in Serviced Apartment, paid for by company - We find a condo that we want to buy, I have a job with salary paid directly to a bank and I need to transfer funds over for the deposit. OK - go to HSBC - "no probem" they say, give us this paperwork filled in and we can do business.

I get all the appropriate paperwork and take back

HSBC - we cannot open an account when your address is serviced apt
ME - but I want to buy a property and need to xfer the funds to a bank
HSBC - can you rent first
ME - WHAT???????
HSBC -goto statement 1
ME - How about my home adress in the USA?
HSBC - No
ME - How about my work address in Singapore
HSBC - No

repeat the above with various twists and some different words for two hours

Me - I walk out of the bank and goto DBS - Account opened straight away - credit cards no problem, car loan no problem - mortgage no problem - they have all our business and HSBC will never get any of my business - ever

MblSH · Post by **MblSH** » Fri, 28 Sep 2007 7:03 pm

Matt26 wrote:I recently relocated to Singapore and have been told that HSBC would offer a great service. So I opened an account and applied for my Credit Card as well... The service is the worst I've ever experienced in my life. Submitted documents got lost and had to be re submitted etc etc
Is there any bank you can recommend that provides a customer friendly and hassle free service for the 'new arrivals' ?
Thanks for any hints

Strange, I have an account and a CC with HSBC; applying for both was a flawless process; maybe around 2 weeks to get credit cards by mail, but I don't think that's too long.

Couple of times I had to call them over the phone for different stuff they were rather efficient; DBS's phone support was a lot worse.

Probably depends on a branch or on your luck with whoever got to process your applications

micknlea · Post by **micknlea** » Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:47 pm

Yes, I have nothing but horror stories about DBS, will not go near them unless forced to (and would only go fighting).
Then again it is like anything and of course, they are all banks, you take your chances with any, enough said really.

ScoobyDoes · Post by **ScoobyDoes** » Sat, 29 Sep 2007 3:20 pm

I have an HSBC account and a "local" UOB account and so far not had any problems with either. Staff have been quite helpful no matter which problem i had at the time.

Decided to have two banks, a local one giving really good ATM network and a "foreign" one to give good worldwide coverage.

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HSBC experience - need your advise regarding good banks

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