Hello, After reading Haricane000’s review, I promptly clicked the ’’Write Review’’ to post my experience with HSBC Visa credit card.
To start with, we had one of their business associates at our place literally pleading us to take new cards (that offer 0% surcharge on fuel, no fee for first year blah blah blah). Infact we took it just to get rid of that feller (who also promised that we would get ’beautiful’ watches as compliments upon registration, which no one in my office receive). I’ve rarely used the card and when I used it for the first time, it was for a small amount. The next month, I made purchases worth Rs.1430 and verified the same via their Netbanking.
My Bill’s due date was 4th of April 2005 and I dropped a cheque (issued by HDFC bank, where my salary goes) on 24th March 2005. I was busy with other things and suddenly on 28th when I was casually checking my HDFC bank account I found two entries (one debit and one credit) for the amount. It read: (the first one is the re-credit and the second one is the debit).
26 Mar 2005 I/W Chq Ret-ALTERATION REQUIRE DRAWER AU 000000523692 26 Mar 2005 1430.00 ...
26 Mar 2005 Chq Paid-MICR CLG-HYDERABAD 000000523692 26 Mar 2005 1430.00 ...
So, clearly, there is some confusion with regard to an alteration made by me. But I remember writing the number wrongly and correcting it and signing at the correction. I waited for a few days to get an official correspondence from HSBC about bouncing of the cheque but got none ( I got only two calls: one from their Car Loans section and one from their Personal loans section asking me if I am interested to avail the loans). In desperation that my due date might approach, I wrote to their netbanking officer and received a reply that my cheque has bounced due to ’’ALTERATION REQ SIG OF DRW’’. (I am forbidden even to copy their mail and paste it here). I immediately dropped another cheque for the fear of being levied the Over-Due fine.
After all these days (when I toured etc) I finally could make it to their bank today. One person asked me to go to the first floor and when I reached there, the security after calling the in-mates, led me into another chamber where a handful of people were busy with earphone/mic sets (obviously looking like call-centre executives). One man (whome Im supposed to meet, Mr. Ashok) was busy over a phone and when his conversation ended, he asked me what I wanted. I explained the situation to him.
Firstly, he did not bother to answer my question, Why no one from the office called me up to inform that my cheque bounced. Then, he was trying to explain to me the fact that any alteration on a cheque requires a signature (even though I told him that I knew it). Then, visibly angry, I told him that I wanted to see the instrument (cheque) and he verified its date and told me that since it was issued last month, I have to wait for a minimum of 2 working days to see it. Then, another of his collegue, in the most disgusting tone told me that I could go to HDFC bank and check the same as they are legally supposed to make a copy of the same before returning back. This advice was to avoid any probability that I be promised to get the same in 2 days and if it doesnt happen, it is an awkward situation for HSBC......
Now, I dont understand, why are they boasting of customer service? Is this what HSBC means by customer service, that they dont even show the instruments issued by the customers when they bounce and talk in the most stupid manner (without even offering a seat to the customer all the while), dont inform the customers when something unforseen happens, because they can levy extra bucks owing to late payment????
Shame on them.
Harsha.