HSBC Reviews 160

Don’t go near the NO PERSONAL SERVICE BANK
After freezing my account, & needing a full update of all my personal business, such as how much did you pay for your property, how much is it worth today, have you any savings, how much have you got, have you any investments, what are they, then wanting to close my account and move away, now give me your 10 digit number then your six digit number to someone in timbucktwo who could hardly speak English I gave up after 20 years of banking.

I’m writing this as a friendly warning to others to stay the hell away from this ‘bank’ - they’re one big scam. I held an account for 13 months, 12 of which saw my account under review ( I never did find out what this really meant! ) I did eventually get my funds returned after a lot of pressure and after I reported it to the CIFO ( Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman ) For anyone facing the same difficulties I had, I’d suggest you do the same as it sped things up significantly. Otherwise HSBC Expat and their team of inept, incompetent and utterly useless moron staff will drag it out for as long as possible. For anyone having the displeasure of dealing with Mark Rabet, I feel your pain. He’s an absolute cretin and how he in banking baffles me! I wish you all good luck in getting your money back.

This bank is not fit for purpose. Despite being “Premier” the customer service is non-existent. Impossible to get accurate certificates of interest, even to find out the name of my “Account Manager”. Avoid.

This is the worst banking experience I have ever had.

Despite me thinking I was covered by UK Banking Regulations with an HSBC Expat Account, it turns out they " hide behind Jersey Banking regulations" as such they are not signatory to Contingent Reimbursement Code which protects investors when payments made are found to be fraudulent. Most UK banks including HSBC UK are signatories but not HSBC Expat. So despite our government telling us that banks will protect us from fraudulent activity, "HSBC Expat is not a signatory to that code".

I have a Euro current account but it does not support SEPA transfers, so I have never been able to transfer any money into it. Whenever I have attempted to transfer money in from a different Euro current account the money gets returned

HSBC expat is useless, they freeze your account for no reason.
Mine has been blocked for 10 months already and they are not able to give any feedback or any timeline when it will be restored.

If you plan to have your money back sometimes in the future, don't open accounts with this bank! My accounts were locked because I have been inactive for few months. I have asked for my accounst to be reactivated. I had to chase HSBC many times to finally receive a procedure for my accounts to be reactivated. I have followed the procedure and HSBC did nothing, my accounts were kept locked. II chased them again, received the same procedure again, filled all the required documents again and HSBC did nothing again, my accounts were still locked. So i complained and they are sending me the same procedure I have done twice already once again. My accounts are locked since many months and have lost countless time chasing them and I am still at square one. Either they are totally incompetent or they want to seize their clients assets or more likely both.

This bills as HSBC expat - purportedly for people who live overseas. Yet when I try to open a bank account with them, they insist I provide all documents in English. When I phoned their customer service, they told me if I don't have original document in English, I need to find a solicitor to translate into English. When I told them there's no such concept as solicitor where I live - they were silent for 10 seconds, and told me they can't open a bank account without English language documents.

Basically this is a traditional UK bank who tried and failed miserably branding itself as a bank service for expat. Anyone who got fooled by this should be aware.

Banked with them for 30 years but last 10 years they are in decline now not able to do a basic bank transfer keeps going to fraud center who then says try again in 30 mins and again rejected
Waste of time you speak with them and i often have trouble understanding the accents
relationship manager changes every 6 months
zero service now shame used to be decent but will find a better option

A new relationship manager every year on average. Now they can't even tell me who my relationship manager is despite having the highest status within HSBC. Requested callbacks on numerous occasions which were promised but never happened. Disgusting service levels so i have withdrawn my funds. AVOID AVOID AVOID. I will be raising a formal complaint with their regulators

This company is an absolute nightmare to deal with. I say that as someone who comes from an Investment Banking background. This review relates to HSBC Expat (though I've also had problems with HSBC New Zealand and HSBC UK). I closed my accounts with HSBC Expat and expected to have the balance of the accounts transferred to my local bank account. Only half the funds have arrived and now HSBC Expat customer support refuses to talk to me about it because my accounts are closed. How nonsensical is that?

I have been a customer of HSBC for 30 years since it was the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. I have been a Premier customer for almost 20 years, with Premier accounts in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and this Expat account.

When I first joined HSBC, the customer support was amazing and I gave glowing reviews of HSBC to others. But things have changed so much that I no longer wish to be an HSBC customer. Every interaction is hugely painful. Even for the Premier customers the customer support team is terribly substandard; the teams are based offshore and they don't have the tools or systems to even see what's going on. The conversations are very painful. They really want to help but clearly don't understand banking, don't have the systems or training they need, and just tell you that they can't help you. What am I meant to do when I asked for my accounts to be closed and half the funds in those accounts has gone missing, and the bank's response is "We can't help you because your account is closed"?

UPDATE: I tried raising a complaint but the customer service team told me they can't help with that, and gave me an email address instead. I emailed that and got an automated replay saying that I can't contact the bank via email, only via the modes listed in the 'Contact us' page. I go there, and see my options are via Online banking (which I can't access) or the phone number of customer support. So there's literally no way I can even lodge a complaint. HSBC Expat is a total clown show.

It’s been so frustrating. You can’t speak to anyone unless they call you. I uploaded so many different documents, they kept refusing and wanting to repeat it all again. Phone number doesn’t work, although on their email they give you one for further queries. When they called me, I said I had been trying to call on that number and the lady said it’s not possible, only communicate via email. Been trying to open an account for 2 weeks. Finally, I read the reviews and stopped right then. Waste of time.

HSBC Expat in Jersey and their staff in their protect/review team are part of an elaborate and fraudulent scam where they freeze customers funds for any reason and treat you like garbage until you contact the Jersey Channel Islands Ombudsman. Only after complaining to the Ombudsman they release your funds, which indicates they are operating in a sinister and most egregious manner. I cannot believe this franchise of HSBC is allowed to operate in Jersey as it is tarnishing the whole banking sector there.

They are supposed to be a professional institution, but its clearly being managed by inept fraudsters.

Look at why HSBC was thrown out of Canada for allowing mass mortgage fraud on an unbelievable scale, which caused a housing crisis in Toronto and other major cities in Canada, where HSBC was found to be providing mortgages to thousands of Chinese nationals illegally.

#See article and investigation by The Bureau, Sam Cooper, Feb 06, 2024:

"Fake Chinese income mortgages fuel Toronto Real Estate Bubble: HSBC Bank Leaks"

"I found out a huge mortgage fraud showing borrowers with exaggerated income from one specific country, China": The Bureau investigates whistleblower provided documents.

If you have ever read the CIFO report about complaints on HSBC for the past 5 years, you will find out that HSBC expat have been on top of most complaint bank of all times, suprisingly they have been able to run business this long. with other bank have 2 complaints with CIFO every year, HSBC can achieve 383 complaints a year, such a suprising number!!! other 20 banks wont even sums up half of the number HSBC expat can achieve, what a scam bank! if you are reading this, please consider open your account with other banks, seriouly, there are so many other banks appericiate your business.

HSBC Expat's "Premier" service is a joke. The online and phone support is useless, requiring outdated phone banking codes that are nearly impossible to retrieve. Even basic services like certifying my identity for a mortgage were refused, despite being a client for 20 years.

It's ironic that they send out warnings about scams while they're basically a scam themselves with their investment products:

1. Cash ISA: Rates dropped to near zero right after signing up.
2. EUR Certificate: Received 0.5% interest but HSBC charged a 7% exchange rate fee.
3. UK Certificate: They automatically rolled over my certificate into a new one with a 0% interest rate without my consent. This locked up my money for an entire year, preventing me from accessing it or moving it to a more profitable investment.
4. CHF Account: For nearly a decade, they provided 0% interest on my savings. When I finally tried to move my funds, HSBC Expat (Jersey) claimed the account was "unclaimed" due to inactivity and now refuses to release my money. Despite endless calls, forms, and hoops to jump through, they keep stalling.

My experience echoes other reviews, like one describing accounts being frozen for 17 months, with the bank providing no clear answers or resolution. They treat customers like criminals, with unfriendly and evasive behavior. This kind of conduct is outrageous and unacceptable, especially from a supposedly reputable bank. The practices of HSBC Expat (Jersey) border on fraudulent and are possibly illegal.

If you're considering HSBC Expat, especially in Jersey, think twice. Their actions are a highly regulated financial scam or pure theft. Save yourself the headache and avoid them!

Have frozen my accounts and keep asking the same questions like a broken record player. Even the managers are unsure whats going on. They are a law unto themselves if you are not a local from the island you might as well throw your money away.

They outright lie and deceive their local CIFO Ombudsman, so don't expect any integrity or professionalism on their part. Don't take my word for it just look at their reviews here and globally. Being a legitimate law abiding person who banked with HSBC in the UK for decades prior, I think this sort of thing should not be allowed and it should be called out as criminal behaviour.

In any event I strongly stand by everyone's reviews on here in that they treat you like a criminal with their unfriendly and disturbing scammer rhetoric, when they are the actual thieves themselves.

Please take the time to lodge a formal complaint with the (CIFO) Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman (Jersey), local newspapers, and the (JCFC) Jersey Financial Services Commission with reference: 'HSBC EXPAT FROZEN ACCOUNTS Investigation' and write your experience here.

As one guy said above which I think is very fitting for HSBC Expat: - IT SEEMS ITS A HIGHLY REGULATED FINANCIAL SCAM.

Again they are trying their hardest to scare you or bully you into them keeping your money don't fall for it., go straight to the CIFO Ombudsman. Use Chatgpt or some other AI to assist you on what to do.

I’m a pensioner I receive a pension I needed an account to put my pension in. I explained this to the bank when I opened the account. This is what a did . Once it was open I discussed it with my personal manager 7 months later they froze my account because it’s an account where I put my pension.
I send them my pension details ..my P60….my statement etc they still blocked my account. Don’t try contacting anyone they don’t answer ..I one day I made 14 phone calls …sent many emails. …I tried to get the CEOs email ..no one will tell me …ditto the chairman etc etc. please please don’t trust them with your money.
In October they unblocked my money. After 72 emails and 28 phone calls. I needed cash to pay for an operation despite them telling me in I would have my accounts either unblocked or they would send me the money to pay for this they didn’t. …I missed this operation.
On 5 occasions they promised the money in 2-3 or 5-7 or 5 working days it never arrived. Eventually they released only one account with 97 GBP in it when they realised their mistake the whole process started again
I was accused of missing a validation call to validate information I only sent the day after ……
Everyone I spoke to there expressed horror at the way I was treated but did nothing
The boss who I finally spoke to did the same and promised to get back to me two days before the operation was due ….when she didn’t I rang and discovered she had gone home.
I am not sure if they are just bad people but I chose to think they are just incredibly incompetent, lack basic training and their systems don’t work.
Anyone putting money with them is risking losing access to their money at a critical time in their lives and whatever they promise you don’t believe it they always fail to deliver
By the way they are still sending me emails saying they are sending the money despite having closed my accounts.
I should complain to to the Jersey Banking Ombudsman by I am so sick and stressed by the whole experience I cannot face it and what will I get some compensation…nothing ro give me back the time and get rid of the stress
If this prevents anyone opening an account with these people I’ve done my job
Warwick Long should be ashamed
Why did they block my account no one knows ?

Another frustrating experience - after 30 minutes I found out that they could only transfer reward points to M&S and Amazon and not to my air miles account. It was not an option online with HSBC Expat. Funny that I was able to do exactly that with HSBC UK in less than one minute! As for the numerous Filipino platitudes and greetings, simply more frustrating. This is not a racist comment as Amex also have a call centre in Manila which is highly efficient and when I asked one of their employees why he thought HSBC's was so poor, he confirmed that his friends had heard of horror stories from those who worked there - probably second rate expat management then or cost cutting to the bone.

Excellent service at hsbc red houses and a great thanks to Mrs andreea was very helpful and professional at her work overall 10 on 10

I want to caution prespective customers of HSBC Expat about my prolonged and frustrating experience. Over the past year, I have contacted an overwhelming number of calls and emails from the Customer Review Team—over 60 calls and 76 emails, to be exact. Many of these communications have been useless, with repetitive questions and answers, leading to a lack of progress in resolving the issues at hand.

I am disappointed by the apparent lack of experience and professionalism displayed by the individuals representing the Customer Review Team. As a result, my account remains frozen, and I have been unable to access my funds till now June 2024 despite persistent attempts to address the biggest scam in my life.