I would like to warn my twitter followers: never, ever bank with #HSBC.
When I was in NYC in summer I opened an HSBC account because it was possible to have an international account, unlike my existing bank, transferred some money in. They were supposed to send me checks & bank card etc.
never arrived. I called now and asked why. They said they sent it to another address. I said I've only ever had the address I have now. They said sorry no we have a different one. I asked what it was. They said, nope, sorry, we're not allowed to tell you.
I said, well, can I switch it to my actual address. They said yes but we'll have to send you to someone else to cancel the card we sent to the wrong address (which I've never seen and presumably no one has ever used). I said ok. All this required endless confirmatory info
so they send me to someone else who says, well, someone will call you back. Two days later the phone rings and it's someone in India, a private contractor to HSBC. Once again I am asked to provide endless personal data to confirm I'm me.
so I do, and they again won't tell me the wrong address they used but keep trying to make me guess what address it might be (could it be a PO box? could it be a work address? I never gave any of these things). Finally I say who cares I just want you to send it to my real address
they're like "oh we can't do that, that's a different office" and send me to another person. I'm on hold for fifteen minutes. Finally I give up and hang up. They call back, and say sorry you have to remain on hold. I say "why aren't you sending it to my address?" They say "no"
I said "you provide the worst service I have ever heard of and I am going to have to go back to NYC to cancel my account and get a new bank now."
