Something awful with HSBC

Again, there goes my favorite credit card company.

After a year of being a really good customer and paying my bills on time, they’ve increased my credit limit by 33%. Then, they de-activated it.

Apparently, an online transaction I did last week triggered their system so they had to verify it personally from me. Fine, I sometimes get them phone calls to check if I was really the one who made the transactions and they went without a hitch.

However this time, they called up using my old record (from my previous company) so obviously they weren’t able to talk to me. Besides, I have already asked them 6 months ago to expunge those contact information from their records since I am no longer connected with that company. I know my request for change of billing address and contact information was updated because I regularly get the billing statements at home. So why the hell do they still have that old record on file? It only means they did not delete it from my file even after I told them to remove it.

To make matters worse, since they must have realized I do not work for the previous company, they had to suspend my card until such time I have a new job. What??? Do I need to have a regular day job to be able to pay my credit card bills?

I asked the CSR to review my credit rating and payment history in the last 12 months if they’d see any evidence that I have been tardy in paying my close to 100k monthly transactions. Not a single spot.

If they don’t re-activate my card very soon, I’m switching.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

25 Comments

Sean says:

19 years ago

Curiously enough, you’re the fourth straight person I know who keeps encountering Bad Thingsâ„¢ with HSBC. What is it with their credit and customer support, anyway? And why, for that matter, do they seem no closer to resolving their problems?
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Noemi Dado says:

19 years ago

Goodness don’t they know that credit character matters as well? Yes better switch if they don’t activate it soon.
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alfa says:

19 years ago

I think the same thing is bound to happen to me. They want me to fax them an ITR from my freelance stints?

I told them to redirect my bill to our house instead of making them land to my old company. That’s like two months ago and to no avail.

I guess I just have to wait til they deactivate mine.
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markku says:

19 years ago

That’s plain unfair. Unfortunately, I think you don’t have much choice right now. I hope you get it fixed, or try getting another card that’s tied to your savings account, one that doesn’t require an 8-to-5 job as a guarantee.

Di lang nila alam kung gaano ka kayaman sa mga web properties mo. ;)
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ederic says:

19 years ago

sent an e-mail sa contact ko sa hsbc. tinulungan niya ako dati sa problema ko sa newsletter nila. baka matulungan ka rin niya ngayon.
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Abe Olandres says:

19 years ago

I still pay personal income tax pa rin naman but it’s a hassle since it’s with my accountant. Processing kase ngayon sa BIR right?

I have several backup credit cards – Metrobank, Citibank, BPI – but it’s HSBC which I have the highest credit limit and all of my regular recurring online transactions are done there.

Switched to Citibank most of them and maybe permanently.
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Kaye says:

19 years ago

Di sila naniniwala sa mga pro-bloggers, LOL! Stuck in the 20th century, I guess…
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Bryanboy says:

19 years ago

HSBC declined me for a credit card inspite of sending all of the required documents. Tax returns. Business documents. Passport. Bank statement. Took them 3 weeks to process my application and they won’t tell me why I got declined. I think they got overwhelmed or something because of my age. If they only had an idea how much I spend on designer clothes each and every month…

Standard Chartered on the other hand, to this date, still owes me around P15,000. I made an overpayment prior to closing my account. It’s been OVERa year now. I closed my account early last year and the idiots don’t want to send me a refund check by the mail. HOW HARD IS IT? There’s a Standard Chartered branch in Alabang. Why on earth can’t THEY send a check there and I’ll have my driver pick it up? They simply won’t budge.

I’ve faxed multiple letters requesting a refund. The cunts told me I have to go their main office, IN PERSON, IN FRIGGIN MAKATI, DURING business hours, to pick up my refund check and it’s hard to do so because of my schedule (I’m a night owl).

I hate banks. I really do. Unionbank visa and my BPI Mastercard are the only good cards out there… In fact, I hate cards. I also like my Mastercard-branded debit card that’s linked to my checking account. It’s like an ATM card except you can use it anywhere where mastercard is accepted. Cash debited upfront. Walang utang. No interest charges. Etc.

And don’t get me started on Metrobank. Those retards CLOSED my account because I only made 1 transaction in span of 12 months. Apparently I’m not a profitable customer.

Hay nako. Welcome to the third world
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Bryanboy says:

19 years ago

and to think, the only reason why I wanna get HSBC is because of the philippine airlines mabuhay miles.

i think i read on one of my statement inserts with unionbank that i can convert unionbank points to mabuhay miles but i haven’t really looked into it further.
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markku says:

19 years ago

Bryanboy, where can we get those debit cards and what banks offer them? I think I’d like that. Mas madaling i-control, no overspending beyond what you actually right now.
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