HSBC Bank Reviews 125

Very disappointing experience.

After many years banking with HSBC, I decided to leave due to poor service and lack of follow up. A simple issue took weeks to resolve, with no communication unless I chased repeatedly. No ownership, no urgency, and no accountability.

The app has also become worse. The latest version is harder to use and even basic things like viewing accounts are not intuitive.

For a bank that positions itself as premium, the experience feels anything but.

if there was an option for zero star, I would use that. The worst bank in Singapore, customer service is practically not rechable by phone. I decided to close all my accounts.

My sister is elderly and lives 70 miles away. She received what looked like a circular regarding re-activation of accounts after 12 months lack of use. She is incapable of online banking has a current account with HSBC.
She has also has an 18 month fixed cash ISA with HSBC. I suspected from the letter that this was a general flag up that inactive accounts for 12 months would need re-activation process. Her account was an 18 month fixed saver.
I phoned the 03457404404 number and after of 20 mins of wading through the AI. I finally talked to a person by picking the new account start option.
Keep in mind my query is a very general one, regarding confirmation that my understanding was correct regarding the letter she had received, nothing specific to her account. That it was a general letter and my understanding was correct
They would not give me an answer, or an alternative number to phone.

Im with HSBC for 35 Years, the last 28 years in Singapore. The customer service has gradually declined. My worst experience is with their Wealth Management Unit. I can't count anymore the number of dedicated Managers I had the last 12 years, but definitely more than 12. Three of those were good, 1 lady excellent but the rest are acting only in the interest of the Banks or their Bonus but not in interest of their customer. The last one has even not responded anymore to Emails or reminders. Upon complaining I got a call from some Senior Account Manager. He called and I recognised that he is probably the worst soul seller of all. I hope HSBC improves substantially their Wealth Management staff and acts in the interest of its customers.

This is the first bank I dealt with that will clawback any promotion or gifts if you close them within 12 months. No wonder businessmen always told me they avoid banking with HSBC - correct choice.

Been with this bank for 3 years and wouldn’t recommend it awful service

Had gone to orchard and star vista for banking. Very disappointed with the system and service. Will not do banking with HSBC again.

Poor service given by bank bank staff are lazy. I went to consult them they give me an idea to do a dcp plan after handling dcp docs for dcp plan they rejected my application. Inform them of my financial problem, they did not help. When called up to waive late payment charges, they also never did. Now this time they went for legal action without consulting me and force me to pay the minimum sum of big amount. They expect a customer to died fast and they also hard up for money till like this. Solutions was not solve by them despite telling your issue about it. Such a bank pls refrain from having any deposits of accounts etc....No respect with customer at all a poor management group of manager and staff.

Absolute scam of a bank. I received a payment from my partner which was blocked by HSBC. I went to a branch with required documents and proof of property sale and they are still not releasing the funds for no reason. I can't wait to close my account.

Fantastic!!!! Wonderful staff members

Went into a bank and the staff members there Shabeen, Amber and the other person I forgot who has a blonde hair has helped me opened up my personal account and explained every step with patience and kindness. Amazing staff and an incredible job. Thank you HSBC Bank

I had exactly the same experience as Liz Taylor with HSBC Singapore. Also a Premier a/c holder. With HSBC accounts in UK, SG, Indo and CN. Accounts and card blocked with zero communication or explanation. Super inconvenient and really, really bad customer service. Chatline operated in S Asia and operators unable to resolve anything beyond simple transactions. Unbelievably bad service for an international bank. Basically, every time I use credit card for international transaction it gets blocked, then a $50 phone call to resolve. Come on HSBC, you are better than this!

HSBC Singapore – Premier Client Account Frozen Without Warning

We have been HSBC customers for over 30 years and Premier clients in Singapore for seven. On Friday, our accounts were frozen without any prior email, SMS or discussion during recent calls with the bank — only a letter delivered on the same day access was cut.

We submitted all requested documents immediately (ID, proof of address, salary clarification), yet our accounts remained frozen through the entire weekend. We were left with no access to funds, missed direct debits, and had to cancel our children’s activities.

What is most concerning is the lack of communication, accountability, or urgency. We received only automated acknowledgments, casual and unprofessional updates that they were 'working on it', no clear reason for the “safeguarding review,” and no indication of when basic access would be restored.

For a bank that promotes loyalty and Premier service, this experience has shown a complete breakdown in customer care and responsibility. Freezing long-standing accounts without warning, and leaving a family without access to their own money, is unacceptable.

They ignore you...
Freeze your accounts because they ignore you.
Make massive mistakes in transfers
Their "Personal Bankers" are rude, entitled, petulant children.
The WORST premier banking experience I have ever had in 28 years of international premier banking.
Do not use HSBC Singapore they are unresponsive and impose impossible rules to fit their poor service

Service very slow and counter no customer also no call customer, counter staff like wait for each other to call customers please improve service thanks

Raffles branch

Visited Doncaster branch to see Judy. Excellent service, very helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely recommend her.

I am still struggling to believe that HSBC Singapore could be so dysfunctional that this story is true. However, since they have just lost me as a customer over it, I guess that’s the line they have chosen.

I created a bank account when I arrived in Singapore, I needed a way to pay the deposit on my rented house before I was paid and the easiest way (until all the visa processing was completed) was to create an HSBC account with my passport and transfer the money to my new account. I signed up online using my passport and transferred the money to pay my deposit.

Two weeks later my account was blocked and I received a paper letter telling me I needed to provide my tax identification number, I didn’t have one yet, so I sent back this information in the letter, moved house and updated my address online through their online banking app.
One month later, the same letter, but to my old address, I picked it up from the people now living there, apologised and returned the letter with the requested information. I also checked my address online, all good. Each month, the same letter to the old address, sent back the same information to get the account unlocked, nothing. After the third time, I’m annoyed, my account is still locked and HSBC still haven’t updated my address, I phone customer services, who insist I haven’t changed my address on their systems and that I have never returned the forms. My instant response to them is that, the Internet has been mainstream for 35 years and to query why on earth they are still insisting on a letter to update sensitive information, no answer to that and no solution. I have to go to the branch.

After waiting 1 and a half hours for an agent and frankly being extremely annoyed now, the session starts with the clerk asking why I haven’t updated my address, I explain that it has been updated on online banking, same confusion as to why this is not updated on their systems, can I provide a letter to prove my address (I don’t have one, and the online system should work), We move onto the paper form I’ve filled out three times, I ask why my address hasn’t been updated based on the information provided in the three different paper form responses, have they even reached you, where are they? No clue.

I ask to close my account and it turns out there is no signature on my account, well of course not, it’s an online account, who uses a signature nowadays anyway and how would I provide it? Apparently, this is why my paper responses have not been accepted and my address has not been updated and my account has been locked, they cannot check my signature is correct. I’m sorry, in what century are you living? Only the American’s sign for things any more, everywhere else (including Singapore) uses chip and pin and has done for 20 years.

That’s fine, I’ve had enough, I don’t want this account any more, let’s close it. We can’t do that sir, you have to verify your signature! Against what, I don’t have one on file. It’s okay, you just need to provide it now, then we can close your account, I made something up, repeated it 15 different times across 8 different forms and apparently, that’s me verified (against what, I have no idea, I could have signed Mickey Mouse and it would have been fine)!

Apparently there are data protection laws in Singapore, I have no idea how anyone enforces those when everything is printed and photocopied and we’re mailing our PPI to a location that may or may not actually collect it. We shall see what the data commissioner says about that, get ready to prove receipt of my letter HSBC, there’s this thing called the Internet that securely transfers things between locations and can accurately record when they were received and acted on. Might want to look into it.

Horrible ATM machines, swallowed my card and refused to return it. No staff nearby who were willing to help me, I wasted my entire trio to a convention there and coukdn't buy snything because of how incompetemt HSBC is, I hope OCBC completely demolishes them

This is the bank you don’t not want to put your money with. It is a bank that does not provide any services and does not follow with requests through the telephone and the numerous emails which I have sent for past 2 weeks. To reach the customer service telephone line, prepare to wait for 15 minutes, some do not speak English very well so you need to repeat your issues many times. I have a premier account with them that requires you to have minimum $200,000 otherwise they will charge you $50 a month For premier account they will provide an RM which today has never called nor do I know who he or she is
You are better off putting your money with a local bank

Terrible service received from HSBC two times. Last July I tried to create a multi currency bank account and it was taking very long. So I called in to ask about status and eventually decided to cancel the creation since I got a premier banking bank account created with Citibank in just a few days. Multiple times when I called in, the team said they’ll take care of it but nothing was done and bank account creation went through. They said if I didn’t use the bank account and want to close it I’ll get charged a fee. Eventually after multiple complaints they closed the bank account without charges.
This year I tried to apply for a credit card with singsaver promotion. I called in and asked for a reference number, but there was none. A few days later I called and asked about the status and they said the application was cancelled by applicant and there’s nothing that can be done until the team is back after the weekend. However on Monday the team called to say my application was declined instead but not able to get any clarification why. They said subsequent application cannot go through because there’s a one month block and to reapply in one month. I will not reapply again.

Re: HSBC misleading promises of welcome bonus

I had a frustrating experience with HSBC as a new cardholder. They have found every possible excuse to avoid fulfilling their obligations. I met both cards bonus terms and conditions but HSBC made excuses that I didn't qualify for them.

The promoter of HSBC Card during the road show at Bukit Batok Singpost encouraged me to sign up for both the Revolution card and Live card. Revolution promised a $200 welcome bonus after spending $500 for the first month. Whereas Live promised a $100 bonus after a single transaction.

I fulfilled my Revolution card's requirements first by spending $500 within the first month before my Live card. However they chose to give me the welcome bonus of only LIVE card which is the lesser of the two. Reasoning is that I am considered already an existing cardholder after they approved my Live card first despite the fact that I applied both cards at the same time and registration done by their staff. By doing that HSBC only give a $100 bonus( under Live card) and saved the $200 bonus ( under Revolution card). I told them I am willing to compromise to receive only the bonus for Revolution card since I fulfilled the requirements of this card first so they should reward me for that card instead of Live card. But they refused, what a cheapskate bank.

I regret choosing HSBC and would not recommend it to others. It does not uphold their core vaule ensuring they act responsibly and ethically.