HSBC > Reviews > Damned Computers

Author's product rating:   

Staff courtesy	Excellent
Promptness of service	Excellent
Efficiency of service	Excellent
Competitiveness of charges/rates	Good

Advantages:	Friendly staff, decent interest rates
Disadvantages:	Total reliance on computers, no personal touch

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I have been a customer of HSBC for some five years now and generally get good service, but over the last twelve months have had some quite serious problems with them.

Twelve months ago I applied for a loan to pay off my computer which I bought on interest free credit. I asked for more than I needed because we wanted to buy some other stuff too. At the time I was told that I could borrow up to £5000 but I decided I only needed £2000, which they duly gave me.

A month later we had a few problems at home which resulted in everything seeming to pack up at once (plus I got a rogue program on my PC that dialled a premium rate phone number, costing me £300. Since then I have had premium numbers locked out on my phone by BT, but that's another story), so I returned to my bank and asked to extend my loan. The computer replied that I wasn't credit worthy any longer, even though the lady before me, after checking my figures said it was easily within my financial reach.

After talking to the manager, I found that his hands were tied, and that if the computer said no, then no is what it was. I admit I was a little peeved (not at the staff), and on the way out picked up an application for a credit card which I filled in for a joke. Two hours after receiving my application I received a phone call asking how much credit I wanted on my card, up to a maximum of £1500. I was also informed that they would give me an overdraft of £1000. This stunned me a little so I went back to the bank to discuss this with an accounts manager. She admitted that she couldn't understand why the computer refused to extend my loan by £2000, but I was allowed to borrow another £2500 via an overdraft and a credit card.

I was still annoyed but that wasn't the staff's fault as they had been friendly and helpful throughout. Figuring it was just one of those things I remained a customer but the latest annoyance has made me wonder whether to take my business elsewhere.

I am paid on a very odd time scale 4 weeks, 4 weeks then 5 weeks. Just before the end of a five week month I realised that I would be a little short of funds in my account, to cover my loan payment, so doing the responsible thing I visited my branch and explained the situation. I asked them whether it was possible to delay payment of the loan by 2 days, until my wages were paid into my account. Not a chance. I had to borrow the money from my mother-in-law, to stop my account going over drawn and incurring a £27.50 fee.

On the whole I am pleased with the HSBC bank. The staff are friendly and informative, but the whole of their policy seems reliant on computers. While I am in favour of computerisation, why have a bank manager that has his hands tied by a machine?