I have had the following experiences while using HSBC cards:
Hand-delivered letters with instructions to the bank branch in Bangalore get invariably ’’lost’’ and nobody in HSBC seems to know (or care) about what happened to them;
In the event of incorrect charges, the bank sends a letter (acting on your complaint) that the charges have been reversed; however they are not actually reversed even two months down the line and service charges and finance charges start getting added to it.
Do not expect a timely (if ever) response on any issue that you have.
I applied for a ’’free’’ add-on card and was promptly billed for it in the next month’s statement. I don’t really understand what HSBC means by free.
I recently ditched my HSBC card and upgraded to a Stanchart gold card. Have been using Stanchart for nearly five years and customer service is the best I have seen. Every issue is tracked and promptly acted upon by SCB unlike HSBC.
If you still decide to go ahead or continue with an existing HSBC card, here is a tip:
They are definitely not worth paying annual fees for and you can bargain and haggle the fees down - CSRs actually ask you how much you would be willing to pay.