Another Reason HSBC Sucks
HSBC ad from Horton Plains via Shuyu
HSBC is truly the world’s local bank. They’ve picked up all the nepotistic bullshit of Sri Lanka like a sponge. First off, you can’t get an HSBC account at all without a reference. Then, once in, you cannot get an HSBC Credit Card without a cash deposit and a reference. Then, after years of dutifully paying your bills, they need one more family reference to issue a credit card with actual credit. And that family member has to have a landline, not a cell phone. I understand that Sri Lankans are pretty shoddy credit-wise, this is true. However, if HSBC had any decent customer management they should know me by now. Three years ago I sat down with my mother and gave a Rs 50,000 deposit for a credit card. So it’s basically a chequing account that I pay interest on, but whatever. I have had this card for years, and I pay my balance every month (automatically). I have built a credit record over three years with HSBC and they still want to know ‘who do you know?’ I’ve been giving them my money for 3 years and they still treat me like a stranger. If I had anywhere else to go I would tell HSBC to go fuck themselves, but I don’t. So HSBC will keep providing poor customer service because the bar is low and I as a consumer have to suck it up.
In Sri Lanka I am often forced to deal with bad companies simply because the competition treats me worse. Take the UNP vs the SLFP for one. HSBC, for example, is still an international bank. Commercial and Sampath aren’t. I can walk into ‘my’ bank in Singapore or Montreal or whatever, which is cool. Unfortunately, HSBC Sri Lanka adds nothing to the HSBC brand except Sri Lankan bureaucracy and incompetence. In Canada my friend got a credit card at a baseball game with less hassle. I could walk into my branch at the Bank Of Montreal and they’d look at my income and history at the bank and judge me on that. Not who my family was. Not who I knew. I had no relatives in Quebec and no credit history, but I built one over years and they respected that. HSBC doesn’t respect my credit history, they still want to know who my family is. I find that insulting and very unprofessional for a serious bank.
What if I had a willful marriage and pissed off my whole family? Does HSBC not want my business? What if I’m an orphan, or what if my family is too poor (or smart) to have a landline? What if my extended family is abroad, in Jaffna or not talking to me? Is that another class of people that HSBC will not serve?
I always thought banks judged people based on their financial and credit history, but HSBC continues asking about my family. I don’t mind giving HSBC my payslips, I don’t mind them knowing my credit record, but they have no right to ask me for references after I’ve been their good customer for 3 years. I am the reference bitch, I’ve been here. Look up my accounts, I pay my bills on time and that’s all my bank needs to know. I’m honestly tired of pulling strings, I just want a bank that treats me like a customer, judged on my merits as a customer, not based on who I know. I think that’s called customer service. It’s not really practiced here, so I guess the world’s local bank has adapted.
yeah this is some seriously messed up thing. everything in this country has some shit attached to it. in countries like the UK you dont have much of an issue getting a credit card or opening an account if you are a student or resident. and as i see it this bank doesnt respect much of the residents here..
Surprising, I thought they had changed. Are you a SRi lankan citizen? If not I know, its a big hassle, banks will not lend to foreigners, the presumption is that you can fly off leaving them with no recourse for recovery. This is the standard attitude at all local banks.
I had a huge issue with them in the mid 1990′s trying to open an account and finally decided that I did not want one and stuck with BOC, which, to give them their due, consistently exceeded my (fairly low) expectations.
Had a credit card with HSBC since 1994 (without having a bank a/c there).
I opened a savings a/c with HSBC in 2000 or 2001 with no hassle, then went on to a current a/c. Since then service has been pretty good.
I am a citizen.
Dude, I just came from there. The fucksluts kept me waiting for almost 45mins for a cash withdrawal. There were six counters and only two seated to serve the customers during the lunch hour rush. I just told them that they were seriously understaffed to handle the traffic. Fucking retards!!
I was up at Horton plains and saw the ads by HSBC and this particular one i did a double take. WTF. They have a lot of these ads stuck here and there all throughout the place.
Luckily don’t have one of there credit cards and no plans to take one either he he…
Why does this keep happening to you? I mean seriously? It’s quite absurd. Since the last time you wrote about HSBC I got myself an account within a day with no references and no hassle (except having to deposit and maintain about 25k as a minimum balance) I live in a rented house, and have no landline either. Didnt ask a thing about my family. When I wanted to purchase an air ticket online in a hurry I simply told them I wanted a credit card, told them I needed it in a hurry and told them my reasons. They got me the card quick and personally sat down with me and registered me for internet banking. This was at the Bamba branch.
I wonder why they keep harassing you ..
It’s literally a field on the Credit Card application. You have to fill in a relative you don’t live with. I gave them a cell phone and they then called me for a landline number.
The HSBC where I live has great customer service. Its the nature of the people working there (top management included who make the branch what it is).
Hmm another reason why Colombo sucks. Another reason why we should seperate heh?
Indi get the A9 open. Open an account at The Bank of Tamil Eelam, now in its 12th year of service.
You will love the customer service.
And you can rest assured your money will be in good hands and used for moral purposes, incase anyone on this blog wants to make any funny comments. : )
I swear to God. You are the stupidest motherfucker on this blog.
I will give you a dollar if you can make one comment that’s not Eelam related. Just move there man. They’re forcibly recruiting one person from each family now. Volunteer.
OOOH did I hit a nerve there Indi?
EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM, EELAM,!!!!!!
You dumb Fuck!!!
Everything on the island you are living on is Eelam related! From the cleanliness of the air you breathe to the price of imports to whether you are swimming in Eelam or Sri Lankan waters.
Even who becomes president of Sri Lanka is decided by Eelam. Learn to live with it asshole. Regarding the recent news of forced recruitment in Vanni….well I’ll just let you guys figure that one out. HEE HEE.
Smile now Indi. You know we love you over here in Eelam. : )
Dude, you’re in the UK. I can see your IP address.
Funny thing about Eelam is that a lot of people talk about it but no one actually wants to live there.
Sort of like pie in the sky — doesn’t really exist.
So have you ever been to SL, Jey? or to the NE? I mean, Indi’s just shown us all that you’re nothing but a lying numbnut. All your talk of Eelam and the situ sounded so much like it was taken of TamilNet — oops, I guess it was.
“lying numbnut”
Blacker you haven’t produced one post on any of Indi’s blogs that is a credible counter argument to my posts. I am not going to sit here and cus you because its not in my nature. Time to pull that head of the sand and get back to reality.
To which posts? The one where you claimed Scotland was a separate nation? Or the one where you claimed that Tamils invented the crepe? Or was it the one where you claimed that the LTTE wouldn’t let Anandasangaree run for office ‘cos they felt warm & cuddly towards him? I think all those posts of yours got just the counter-arguments they deserved.
So what does it feel like, Jey, to look like a fool online. To claim to have inside knowledge about the life in the NE when in reality your lying cowardly butt is hunkered down in the UK? I told you once before that til you learn to hide your IP address you were treading thin ice. Now the cat’s outta the bag and we all know you’re talking out of your backside.
indi…
do others, like david blacker etc, have access to the IP address???
also, IP addresses are not necessarily a way to tell where a person is…
for example, if i dial into a server from my satellite phone when in Eelam and then post to your website… then i’ll have a UK IP, no…?
blacker you’re a worthless piece of shit…
so Jey is using a satphone to post here? Shoot him for misusing LTTE resources. He isn’t being a very competent troll.
At the very least, demote him to posting on lankanewspapers.
PS: Indi, you might want to report the IPs to SOCA
Hi was in Manal Aru for a week.
Indi just want to add that I was using a free hidemyip software, which only let me have a small number of IP’s to choose from and only from the UK. Got the complete software now.
My IP now shows I am currently in the US. Hope you didn’t send SL Mil Int on some wild goose chase : )
Take care and please smile you scary critter.
LOL!!!!!!!!
oh my science!!!
i was laughing for like 10 minutes!!!!
I guess [when not looking relatively but on absolute terms] the private sector is not a pretty picture after all.
hey indi!
did u walk in in your national dress? if so, that maybe why?!?!
hehhehehe
strange, my experience is similar to janusis. i was in a hurry and my rep took care of everything for me. not only did he speed things up for me, when i came to pick up my card, he personally came out and found a parking spot because the lot was full at the time. i had zero hassle. was very impressed.
I’ve not had an HSBC card for awhile, but I did get a car loan and that went through really smoothly. I did have to open an account but there’s no minimum amount I gotta maintain. They did ask for the name, address and phone number of a relative living separately, but that was for the loan. I didn’t have to go into the bank even once, til the day the cheque was ready, and they were really helpful with all the paperwork needed when buying a car, including organising the insurance. Plus they sent over this hottie to take care of everything right at my desk in office.
Indi,
Disclaimer: I work at HSBC
Sorry to hear about your experience. As much as you try, there are always bad apples that spoil it for everyone else.
However, stop throwing tantrums and talking rot about what HSBC does in Sri Lanka just because you didn’t get a credit card. I understand this is your blog and that you can say what you want but I equally have the right to tell you to grow up because you’re acting like a child..a very petulant one.
When did you last try opening an account at a major bank in the UK or US? – This is for the first commenter ahm as well. Post 9-11, you’d be lucky to open an account without at least 3 references. Try depositing a significant amount of money anywhere..you’ll have to prove where you got that money from. This is the reality of the world we live in today Indi. If banks don’t know their customers, they stand to lose because they’re governed by the laws and regulations of all the countries they operate in. FYI, a single dodgy USD transaction can result in a financial institution’s assets being frozen in the US. For someone who’s come from the US and seemingly well informed, you seem blissfully unaware of these things.
The West has established credit rating systems for individual customers and have a scoring system that is shared among all banks. In Sri Lanka we don’t have any of these, hence the need to check for bills and proof of residence. Anf your statement about needing a deposit to get an HSBC credit card is pure and utter nonsense. It is ONLY for those who don’t have a regular job and need a credit card.
–quote–
Unfortunately, HSBC Sri Lanka adds nothing to the HSBC brand except Sri Lankan bureaucracy and incompetence.
–quote–
Why? Because you were asked for a reference?
My comments above are purely on your ability to use one bad experience to paint a negative picture of the entire company, including on things you couldn’t possibly know about. If ever I had a bad experience with a company here (and you’re right on this…there are plenty of examples of bad customer service here!), I always try to make a complaint, either formally or through someone I know. This is the only way that customer service can be improved at that place. But then again, that would depend on how much you cared so thats upto you I guess.
However, this doesn’t take away the fact that you had a needlessly bad experience, which I am really sorry about. If you give me the details, I will look into it and find out why and see if it can be rectified (I think you have my number).
Azreal – the reason those things are there at Horton Plains is because HSBC sponsors a clean up program there. Staff also go regularly for these clean ups. The posters are part of a campaign to stop littering at Horton Plains. This happens in Sinharaja as well where in addition to staff working there on a conservation project, there is an education campaign in the local schools where the children are educated on the value of the forest and the importance of its conservation. They are also involved in the conservation project there. Thought you might like to know!
The benevolent Dictator,
Nice to hear someone from HSBC. This was hapened to myself at Union Place HSBC branch. (FYI: I am a freelance web developer) When I started my career with accepting foriegn projects, I was necessarily needed to have an RFC account here. So being the HSBC called themselves “Worlds local bank”, my first choice was HSBC. as a matter of policy when I go to somewhere, I prefer to speak in Sinhala, mainly because it always avoids confusions, specially in important matters like I mentioned above. So I spoke in Sinhala, and I think that added some “minus points”. The lady was “Not so arrogant”, and she insisted to produce a driving licence/Passport along with NIC. I dont know what is the relationship with a RFC and a Passport/DL. But fortunately or unfortunately I didnt have both. So lady refuced to allow me to open an RFC with HSBC. But Now I am a happy customer with a “Local’s Local Bank” and I didn’t/don’t have any problem. Transactions are ontime, also without any hazzle. True, that after I informed the incident to “higher positions”, Branch Manager called me and apologized, but that didnt make me their customer. Yet, I am confused about the relevance between RFC and a DL…
Regarding Credit Cards. I am an HSBC card holder, and all I can say is their service is not that bad. But rates are comparatively high.
Nishanthe,
Usually banks can’t use the same document to very both identity and residence. That’s why.
Err…its pretty common practice to have two forms of identification. Out here in the States its pretty standard.
BD, I know you personally and you’ve always been cool with me, so respect.
However, your bank sucks. Please don’t pretend that all the red tape is due to international regulations, because it’s not. I know what an international banking experience is and HSBC Sri Lanka doesn’t even come close. You’re free to tell me to grow up, and I’m free to tell your bank to grow up. The difference is that my facts check out and yours don’t.
With all due respect, bullshit. You’ve mentioned this before and it’s simply not true. I last opened a Canadian account about 6 years ago. I still have that account. No references. The Bank of Montreal still only asks for two pieces of ID to setup an account. I checked Bank of America too, no references required. Talked to an agent over chat:
Checked UK, France general sites. They only seem to require references for loans or overdraft, which I’ve never asked for. So with all due respect, bullshit. If you’re going to make claims like this please supply at least a link. If you’re going to speak for HSBC please avoid easily falsifiable claims. Normal banks don’t require references to open a simple checking account. This is one basic reason why HSBC Sri Lanka is a bad bank. Another reason is that they seem to lie about what the international banking climate really is.
Same thing with that security dongle, I still don’t use one for my Bank Of Montreal account and my parents don’t for their foreign accounts. And your draconian Internet and travel restrictions, those aren’t normal either. HSBC is free to fuck me in the ass, but don’t tell me it’s a blowjob.
I’ve opened a lot of accounts in the UK and US, never had to give references, just multiple forms of ID
BD,
Im not trying to argue with you. But..NIC has all the detials, Identity, as well as residence. I know, you are not the best person to answer all these queries, one answer makes ten more questions, but here is not the place for Q&A session. Only thing I came to know is, HSBC is not a bank for ‘Common people’..its acting against to their slogan. Its just the “LOCALS’ WORLD BANK”. Same shit different ass..
Anyways thanks for taking time to answer :)
Nishanthe,
You didn’t get my point. I didn’t say that the NIC doesn’t have the name as well as the address. I said that generally banks – let me qualify by adding ‘international’ – have to verify the address from a different source from the document they used to check the identity. These are part of what is known as KYC, which is a mantra for most international bank. It stands for Know Your Customer and is a part of the Anti-Money Laundering/Terrorism guidelines. True enough you won’t face this issue at local banks because they don’t yet have to comply with these things. But they will have to eventually because the CBSL is introducing these guidelines gradually. Not just HSBC but you will have this issue with StanChart, DB, Citi etc.
True enough that may not be ‘local’ enough for you but the bottom line is that we do have to follow more regulations than the local banks.
Cheers
Thing is, it’s all academic ‘cos neither NIC nor DL (or even passport) is proof of residence. My passport, NIC, and DL each gives a different address, and I’m actually resident at a 4th address. So what’s the point of asking for it? When I gave my home address for my car loan, I asked that all correspondence be sent to my office anyway, so I guess HSBC took my word for it on my address.
It’s cool to see that HSBC hoarding again. I created that campaign somewhere in 2000 or something when I was at Lintas. Had no idea it was still up.
Indi,
My bad. I should have said proof of identification and not reference, so my apologies for that. I also should have specified that it is only international banks that are usually contrained by AML regulations because they operate across borders. Again, my apologies.
My comment never said HSBC is faultless, did it? If you read the last bit, you’ll read where I’ve written that what happened to you was unacceptable and I offered to put it right. Rather, my comment was about how you tend to judge the entire bank through the narrow prism of your experience. Being upset with the bank over that is one thing, but going as far as to claim that the bank is bureaucratic and incompetent is overreaction. Taking Dialog, your workplace, for example. They still post bills which arrive the day before, or on the day on which you have to pay if you don’t want your line cut. This, of course, doesn’t apply if you have a large limit. Also, Dialog TV still haven’t reconciled my payments for the last 4 months and believe me I’m not the only one who has that problem! I’ve also had issues with some surly and unhelpful staff at the Dialog Future Centres. However, for me to trash Dialog based on these issues would be wrong because Dialog is a fascinating company that has near messianic goal of making telephony affordable to all Sri Lankans. I could disregard all this and trash Dialog to everyone I know of course, but then I like to think that I can look at the bigger picture and I also understand that as much as any company tries to do right, you just cannot guarantee all staff subscribe to that those ideals.
FYI, you need the following to open an account.
HSBC
Current A/C – introduction + two of NIC or Passport or Drivers License + billing proof
Savings – NIC or Passport or DL + billing proof
Standard Chartered
Current A/C – introduction + two of NIC or Passport or Drivers License + billing proof
Savings A/C – introduction (except for employees of large corporates) + NIC or Passport or DL + billing proof
Commercial Bank
Current A/C – introduction + NIC or Passport or DL
Savigs A/C – NIC or Passport or DL
In UK
One photographic ID (like passport) + ID or utility bill that confirms address + 3 months statements from exisiting bank.
I don’t have any information on US and Canada yet.
Also, I think your original grouse was the part in the credit card application that asked for details of a relative who doesn’t live with you, right? If it is, why did it bother you so much? That’s there because sometimes that is the only way by which we can reach customers. The bank doesn’t call this relative for all applicants, just randomly. And leaving it blank for existing customers can’t be done because it’s all automated and all fields need to be filled. You can accept this explanation, or not.
And about the security token, I think I’ve gone to great lengths to explain to you why security is necessary but you don’t seem to buy it. Oh well, you can’t convince everyone I suppose.
Anyway, if you have something against HSBC and want to trash the bank that’s fine. To each his own and all that. But just don’t attempt to mask it behind righteous indignation dude. I expect more from you!
Feel free to get personal, but you don’t really have any moral high ground to stand on. You have repeatedly lied to defend your company. That to me is worse than the shoddy customer service HSBC Sri Lanka provides. I think you’re a pretty cool guy, but based on your history here I can’t really believe anything you say. For example:
1. “When did you last try opening an account at a major bank in the UK or US? – This is for the first commenter ahm as well. Post 9-11, you’d be lucky to open an account without at least 3 references.” [False. addressed above]
2. “Try depositing a significant amount of money anywhere..you’ll have to prove where you got that money from” [False. This is just patent bullshit, I've deposited thousands of dollars without being asked anything. The whole banking system is actually built on being able to deposit money without consulting your nanny]
3. “Anf your statement about needing a deposit to get an HSBC credit card is pure and utter nonsense. It is ONLY for those who don’t have a regular job and need a credit card.” [internally false, you state the case where you do need a deposit, while saying that you don't need a deposit]
4. “The Verified by Visa and Mastercard. It is easy to blame this on HSBC but I just checked and it is compulsory for VISA and Mastercard agents to do so” [False, at best misleading. It may be becoming compulsory, but anyone who shops online know that most vendors do not use it. This is again a rather lazy lie]
Your comments have actually made me lose more faith in HSBC Sri Lanka. Providing shoddy customer service is one thing, I’m used to that. Lying about it is another.
Oh, and there was one more, you said the requirements for SC were as follows:
I went to Standard Chartered today. I specifically asked if I needed an introduction and they said no. The application, however, has a form for that field, so I called and asked. I didn’t call a toilet bowl of a help line, the girl actually gave me her card with a direct number. She remembered my name and told me again that my application was fine without an introduction. So um, thanks again for the misleading and at worst false bits of information.
You know what’s funny, Standard Chartered actually does need references for credit cards, but the girl took the time to explain to me why. That makes all the difference. She didn’t say I was throwing a tantrum, being childish, or self-righteous. And she certainly didn’t lie to make her company look good. She just told me the truth and gave me her card with a real phone number. That, to me, is Customer Service.
Indi,
I really can’t do anything if you want to selectively ignore certain bits of my comments. For your reference, the opening lines of my last comment.
–quote–
My bad. I should have said proof of identification and not reference, so my apologies for that. I also should have specified that it is only international banks that are usually contrained by AML regulations because they operate across borders. Again, my apologies.
–unquote–
Your argument that I lied seems to be based on me saying references are needed. I had already said that I erred in saying reference when I meant proof of identity. I made a mistake and I’m man enough to admit it.
I know this is dragging on but I can’t have you call me a liar machang so here goes.
1. Addressed above.
2. Ok this statement was fairly general I admit, so let me clarify. Bank staff are expected to know your account so if a deposit into your account doesn’t fit into the regular pattern of that account, you maybe, tactfully, asked as to the source of funds. This is done on a case by case basis and I mentioned it in general to give you an idea as to how things are rapidly changing in banking due to Anti-Money Laundering regulations pushed by the US.
3. You’re being pedantic. You said “Then, once in, you cannot get an HSBC Credit Card without a cash deposit and a reference. “..which is not true. You only need it if you can’t show proof of regular income or if you have a bad credit history.
4. Again, this is compulsory but I think I mentioned in that same response that take up is staggered. Naturally banks like Citi and HSBC that are global will be early users.
5. Stanchart – I told you what the requirements are and you confirmed that the form indeed had a field for an introduction. So I was correct. So you’re accusing me of lying there because ‘the girl at StanChart told me I don’t need it’? jeez…
And ‘real customer service is the girl giving you her card with a real phone number on it’? Heck man..I offered to solve your situation for you twice now!
Also, no need for you tell me to feel free to get personal. I try to keep insults to a minimum. But calling someone a liar repeatedly is pretty strong stuff. I don’t lie (well only little white lies…no serious stuff!) and I’m certainly not stupid to lie on a public forum like this about my workplace, so other than trying to upset me I don’t know what you were getting at.
Anyway, I’m sure everyone else is getting as tired of this as they are of Jey’s Eelamist statements. You have my number so if you ever have a situation where ‘HSBC is trying to screw you’ let me know. I will sort it out and you will be doing me a favour by bringing to my attention examples of bad customer service.
Cheers.
Liar is a strong word. I think you’ve, in the least, misrepresented your company and banking in general. I guess the statements above are true in an Alberto Gonzales sense.
As a consumer I think HSBC Sri Lanka is really bad at retail banking. They own the most Sri Lankan stock in Dialog, so I’m sure they’re doing OK on the corporate level. None of the excuses you’ve given make it a better experience for me. It’s all good, free market though. I’m just moving my business somewhere else.
btw, I think the misunderstanding is based on local vs international regulations. However, Standard Chartered is international, but they still make me feel important. Perhaps HSBC is just too big for retail banking.
Indi,
Let’s not backtrack here. You called me a liar so either stick to it or apologise, instead of retreating into semantics.
If I were to make excuses, I would have done so for the poor service you received. I did not. In fact I agreed with you and apologised for it. The gist of my comments have always been that you are wrong to trash HSBC in your blog due to a bad experience, using that to make sweeping negative generalisations.
Anyway, obviously you and I are not going to see eye to eye on this so there isn’t any point continuing this. Like you said, you are free to move your business elsewhere.
btw what did you mean by “They own the most Sri Lankan stock in Dialog, so I’m sure they’re doing OK on the corporate level.” Huh? HSBC doesn’t own stock in Dialog. And Dialog, while being an important corporate customer, is not by any means even the largest customer.
Dude, no offense, but you really don’t seem to know much about your company. You should really stop talking on their behalf. I don’t think you’re lying maliciously, but a great many of your statements are false or misleading at best.
HSBC Intl Nominees Ltd is the listed shareholder of 7.15% of Dialog Telekom Ltd stock. Only about 13% of the stock is out of Telekom Malaysia hands, so that makes HSBC by far the biggest player. I don’t know what ‘HSBC Intl Nominees Ltd’ means but they’re listed as shareholders, apparently on behalf of various funds. They could be underwriters, I dunno. Finance doesn’t talk to me anymore. The relevant portions are in the Management Discussion on page 95 (Link).
Seriously, you should stop talking. Either HSBC shouldn’t respond or they should get someone who can write informed responses.
Called a stockbroker friend and he said HSBC can’t really be said to own the stock. They buy the stock for various funds (T Rowe, Aberdeen, etc) and then either issue synthetic stock to them or pass it on. They don’t have voting rights per se. I was technically wrong on that, though the stock is in HSBC’s name, the voting rights go to the fund.
But seriously, I don’t represent a big company and I do try to research stuff before saying random shit like ‘you need three references’. You should still stop talking, HSBC still has a reputation for corporate competence that you might want to preserve.
I am NOT a stockbroker… I am an analyst.
It’s the same as labelling fillet mignon as roadkill
Analysts are like roadkill? I think we all knew that.
The analogy was clear, sorry you couldn’t understand it… guess you must be a broker.
Most analysts have a good laugh at how incredibly thick brokers are…
congratulations. You’ve been the target of a driveby trolling. Nice to see that the analysts are thin skinned and not too smart either :) Call 1-800-YOUBEENTROLLED to complain.
Have a nice day, porkchop.
not a stockbroker. I just like watching the filet mignon sizzle.
“Call 1-800-YOUBEENTROLLED to complain”
Decent effort pip-squeak… took you long enough to google that comeback though.
Actually there is some semblance of truth in the significant amount of money comment. Depositing a large amount of money in a single transaction or over a certain time period triggers an alert of some sort on the account. I can’t remember the specifics but its in some new anti-terror/money laundering laws that were passed post 9/11 and I had to do a crash course on them when I worked for GE. Not sure if the system is US only or international.
Yes there is a semblance of truth, but that’s not really arguing in good faith. Those regulations are not really relevant to most retail banking. I move Rs 150,000 around at most which won’t trigger any money-laundering response. Excusing my inconvenience by pointing at money laundering regulations meant to catch millions is just misleading.
I dunno bout Sri Lanka but out here I think the trigger amount is $10,000 in a day.
i have heard of Tamils applying for credit cards in Colombo being asked to have a sinhala person co-sign or be a reference for them…
source?
so, indi, do you share your commenter’s IP addresses with the likes of david blacker and co… or are they visible to all?
They are available to all. Just click on “stats” link right above the title of this post.
don’t be silly
That scored a 9.9 on the “Bullshit-O-Meter”
in the end banks extend credit to ppl who can pay it back. plain and simple
delusions, disconnect from reality, lack of judgment, etc. ( see his other posts) and credit do not go together.
Yes, the first thing they asked me was for a print-out of blog posts. Are you fucking kidding me? If I called HSBC racist would that be a mature enough argument for you?
They just want payslips and a credit history. I have both. They approved my credit card and called me yesterday to say it’s in the mail. I don’t like the Customer Service so I’m going to cancel it.
Lovely how you gloss over your mistakes Indi. Since you seem to love being pedantic let me have a go at it too…
You never referred to voting rights..what you said was that HSBC is doing well on the corporate side because they own Dialog stock. Don’t digress.
While you’re happy to tell me to check my fact before writing, you obviously don’t practice what you preach. Hence your statement below
-quote-
Dude, no offense, but you really don’t seem to know much about your company. You should really stop talking on their behalf. I don’t think you’re lying maliciously, but a great many of your statements are false or misleading at best.
-unquote-
Obviously you have friends who understand something about finance cos you quickly followed that up with a disclaimer…where you start talking about voting rights to obfuscate the issue. Again, I you are the one who should check his facts cos the bank doesn’t have voting rights..if it votes at all it is only on behalf of the fund and at its behest. Plus voting rights don’t mean jack…they’re not going to do anything for the bank. Again…check your facts please (or call your analyst friend cos you’re obviously talking about a subject you know nothing about). Oh..and your Finance guys not talking to you anymore doesn’t make it ok for you to spout nonsense mate…
You were wrong to make the statement above and haven’t had the good grace to apologise for that. You’re not ‘technically’ wrong Indi, you’re just plain wrong.. don’t gloss over it. Jeez… you don’t seem to have it in you to apologise for your mistakes do you?
Didn’t really want to reply but you don’t seem to want to give it a rest inspite of me trying to end a few comments ago. I promise this will be my last on this subject.. ;-).
The last word is your mate..if you choose to take it.
indi:
are you saying you are acting a part here and you area totally different person elsewhere?
they did not need the blog posts, you probably displayed the same characteristics you display here offline as well. that will explain your personal experience, which is so different from thousands of others. local hsbc after all is thriving their profits and profit per employee is huge. so they know what they are doing.
away from your presence, payslips from a good company, credit history, and not mention the deposit, and the relatives were enough to override those i am sure. bank can recover the money.
you are welcome to throw away, or boast that you intend to throw away, your sour grapes.
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anyway thanks for the link anyone reading that thread can judge who i basing arguments on facts and who is unable to cite the facts even after repeated requests. :-)
they did not need the blog posts, you probably displayed the same characteristics you display here offline as well. that will explain your personal experience, which is so different from thousands of others
SN:
What on earth are you talking about?
You are clearly implying that Indi’s was treated the way he was treated because of his character.
That’s utter rubbish. Indi’s complaint concerned the way HSBC treats everybody, i.e. their general procedure. His biggest complaint was that it is silly to be asked for a reference from a family member.
HSBC would have asked for references from a family member from anybody, not just Indi.
They’ll ask for a family member reference even if you try to open an account with them. That’s their general procedure. So what’s your point in brining up your assessment of his character?
His second biggest complaint was being asked for a reference from a family member despite being a customer with a good track record for 3 years. That too (according to BD) is their general procedure, not something that only Indi had to go through. So clearly that too has nothing to do with Indi’s character either.
When Indi is complaining about the general procedure of HSBC, then what is the purpose of presenting your negative assessment of his character?
If you are so desperate to discuss Indi’s character, why not write a blog post on your own blog dedicated to that topic instead of polluting the comments of this post which is totally unrelated to what you are clearly so desperate to discuss!
I was wrong on the stock thing. I posted a comment saying I was wrong one hour after.
You, as an HSBC rep of sorts, were wrong about the number of references required abroad, the compulsion to use Verified By Visa, etc. You’ve never admitted you were wrong. You’re speaking from a position of some authority within HSBC, but what you write is very often verifiably false. And you don’t admit any error, you just keep spinning. Makes me lost more faith in HSBC than any bad customer service experience.
So, to conclude, I definitely stand by the statement below.
-quote-
Dude, no offense, but you really don’t seem to know much about your company. You should really stop talking on their behalf. I don’t think you’re lying maliciously, but a great many of your statements are false or misleading at best.
-unquote-
Shame on HSBC for offering poor customer service. More shame on you for lying to cover it up.
there is seem to be some sort or server error here for some days. only some of the comments ( after several attempts) gets published . (i tried to post original version of this almost more than to days ago)
adi
character, in particular indi’s character, and how he want to be perceived by others is in fact the central issue here.
answer me, why do ppl want a reference from relative or somebody ? may be you think it is just bc it is in the regulations bankers follow? why is it in the regulations then ? it was there way before large scale money laundering and terrorism. and why do others ( say prospective employers ) ask for references ?
may be answer would help you to judge the relevance of my comments.
as i said local hsbc is doing well so they know what they are doing. obviously if all ( or even a significant minority ) of their customers behaved as indi is doing here hsbc would not be doing well. so i would assume their experience of hsbc was quite different from indi’s (whether they were asked for references or not ) why is that ?
no matter how politely the benevolent dictator or anybody else explain the regulations and the need for them to indi, it will no resolve indi’s complaints ( as you can see clearly above) bc regulations, or how hsbc treat all its customers( as opposed to one particular) are not in reality the core issues here. if they were this would have stopped after one or two comments of tbd.
may be you should examine your and other’s arguments more carefully before typing in the future . but if you prefer not to that is your right as well :-)
In case you missed previous episodes, Sitting Nut doesn’t like me personally. My issue is with HSBC policy and its distance from average retail consumers. Sitting Nut’s issue is with my character, as he says ‘character, in particular indi’s character, and how he want to be perceived by others is in fact the central issue here’. So it’s personal. Snut just doesn’t like me and won’t send me flowers : (
lol. at last some indication about the real identity of a certain blogger who caused such an effect in 2006 march to june, from the horse’s own mouth so to speak :-)
when some ppl get affected they let slip things they have more or less kept concealed (from general blogosphere) for so long. initially i didn’t believe the rumor and wrote so. then more and more indications started flowing in. now this . :-)
this is too sweet to be missed esp if ppl start editing comments. so even though i am in hurry at the moment i decided to post a short note.
adi
will get back to you about your next two(?)comments soon. when i have some time. meanwhile feel free to post all the points no matter how many separate comments it takes.
Yes, untangling the mess you create by bringing up all sorts of issues instead of answering or dealing with the question I asked directly does take a bit of work, more than can be handled with one comment.
No need to explain why you need time, I do understand, sometimes it does take time for you to think out ways to obfuscate the issue. Take as much time as you want! :-)
Yes, I am Pada Show.
Or wait, could it be that everyone already knows the flower story? You don’t send flowers to a young actress without half of Colombo having a good laugh at your expense.
ps or whatever :
?!
once the cat is out of the bag it is hard to get it back in. whole of colombo (let alone “half of colombo”) even if they are interested at all ( let alone interested in helping ) , which i doubt, will not be enough to get the cat back in . :-)
adi
somebody is touchy :-) i wasn’t being sarcastic ( really ! :-) ) when i said you should get all the points out in as much comments as possible. it wouldn’t help you to forget some now. just a hint.
yes i will take my time. you took your time i will take my time. if you are padashow or a “young actress”, i would certainly take less time. but you don’t pretend to be either when you are posting comments here, you are just “adi” who nobody ever saw in blogosphere before, unfortunately.
besides when one has ‘homes here’ all riled up, one should take full advantage so that he let slip all sorts of things. this is certainly better than getting to work on him with “a pair of pliers, a blow torch” etc. to get information. it’s more fun than all that for all concerned no doubt. and your getting touchy has an effect on him too, i noticed.
but if you want if you don’t have any more points( hint! hint!), while you wait you can prejudge even more on the type of comment i will eventually write in reply to your two comments. :-)
Sittingnut, I am really not interested in discussing things that belong in a pile of junk with you. If you have a reply to the simple and direct question I asked you, and if you have a simple and direct reply (unlike the obfuscating non reply you provided earlier) then I am prepared to hear it.
I am not going to help you to avoid the issue raised by my question by discussing anything else :-)
Thing is, the ‘cat’s been out of the bag for awhile, but it takes Snut usually about a year to actually find the cat.
Also, he seems to have mixed up Adi & Indi. Ha ha. Hilarious. Snut, both name’s end with an ‘i’, we know, but is comprehension so difficult for you?
Still waiting for the answers to the questions I posed you. Need more time for that too? :)
Oh, and I didn’t know you were aware of sarcasm in the world.
adi :
i generally give priority to entertainment :-) with your hurry you are close to turning into part of entertainment here.
why the hurry? you took your time so wait until i am really at leisure. answer will come as i promised from the start. if you see below you will see that some ppl are still commenting on threads going back to 2005 and 2006, that is generally the case in most blogs. but don’t worry you wont have to wait that long. :-)
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hopefully david blacker will see the “adi :” part at top and realize that this is addressed to adi and not indi and not make the same silly mistakes as above acting like indi’s not too bright slavish blog doggy ( while his master is still in denial, though rumor started immediately.)
on other hand it is best that they act out their inbred instincts. as i said when ppl are riled up they or their dogs let things slip.
in any case i will let the attention starved poor dog some crumbs when i reply to adi :-)
I guessed it slipped Snut’s entertainment-driven attention that it was Indi who claimed to be Pada Show, but that Snut’s comment was addressed to Adi. ha ha. Guess some of Snut’s “entertainment” involves inhaling certain substances.
Not only do “some ppl” refer back to past defeats from past years, but also to now disfunct blogs on which they attempted to engineer traffic for their own sad blogs. I guess Alexander isn’t the only one who wishes to slay his enemies again.
wonders of partial comprehension and dog sized brains.
“some ppl” (sorry only some ppl and dogs) would be so stupid as to read only part of their own master’s comments and come barging in to defend their master. :-) after that of course it was too much to expect dogs to differentiate between top, middle, and where “adi :” was, let alone irony.
dog must have been mad with hunger and mention of crumbs probably did more than any substance its master is in the habit of abusing to bring on the delusions . which explains the rest of the comment as well.
well hope this crumb will bring on some more delusions so that it will come out with rest of its tricks for our entertainment :-)
Ha ha ha. Guess it’s not Indi who’s touchy around here ;) Hit a nerve, did I, Snut? Tsk tsk. I’m surprised that all you can come up with is more anecdotes (about dogs, etc). Still no traffic on your blog is there? Ha ha. I guess you’ve got to waste your time somewhere. I wonder whether Indi’s flattered yet.
BTW, I’m still waiting for the answers I posed you in the “Balls” thread. Guess you just don’t have the balls, eh?
Perhaps you should wait for Indi to post something new so that you can actually comment. Much easier than actually having to maintain your own blog. Ha ha.
did a dog bark ? wanted to play ball ? wanted crumbs with the ball? it’s master doesn’t want to play or feed it? its master is pissed at it bc it admitted what master denied ?
cant help, prefer cats. they are independent and certainly less servile.
though will send some more useless crumbs if it admits to some more. :-)
Oh yes, pussies generally prefer cats. Ha ha ha. But keep up the doggy stories, Snut. It’s hilarious, especially since you’ve just got your arse kicked in three separate threads on this site, but instead of admitting you’re wrong or coming back with a regurgitated argument, you prefer to call people names. Aww, what happend, Snutty? Daddy wouldn’t give you a doggywoggy when you were a babywaby? Ha ha ha.
doggy it seems is still trying hard get in to its master’s good graces again after the way it spilled the beans about indi being padashow
more crumbs will come its way if it spills more beans here.
N Snutty, you seem to be trying to scrape up scraps for your blog. Are you telling us that you didn’t know who Padashow was all this time???? Ha ha ha. You ARE a moron. I guess u should visit this site more often since its helping to educate your sad arse.
Oh, still not found out my details? Maybe you should stick around so that someone can spell it out for you. Or are you practising the testicle biting pose?
doggy it seems is still trying hard get in to its master’s good graces again after the way it spilled the beans about indi being padashow
Can’t even think of anything new to say, Snutty — resorting to cutting and pasting your own posts? C’mon Snot (I mean Snut), at least put in a few anonymous comments like you do on your own blog.
in order to train dogs one must do the same thing again and again . some times their small brains will understand what is required that way. may be that is why this indi’s dog’s went wrong . if his master followed the standard training methods for dogs it do would not have betrayed his hidden pada show identity or now be running after me like an idiot begging for crumbs
“One definition of insanity is to do the same thing repeatedly but expect a different result.”
:)
not with dogs
You’re a dog? Ha ha.
?
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i doubt that indi’s former blog doggy, now in the dumps bc it spilled his masters padashow identity bc it didnot get irony and cannot tell top from bottom ( see above)will understand even that mark. but slave dogs like him don’t deserve anything more than such crumbs.
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bark some more about your master’s hidden skeletons, doggy and i will send another crumb.
I think it’s you who’s begging for crumbs on this blog since your own is rather bare. :)
I’m flattered that you think I spilled the beans when Indi himself posted it. Looks like it’s you who can’t find his own bottom. Maybe you need a guide dog. Ha ha.
Should I take ith that you have no answers to the questions I posted on the ‘Balls’ thread — or should we all take it that in fact you have no balls, just a pussy as you’ve already claimed?
Ha ha ha.
doggy still tries hard to cover up. even though the facts are plain to see above . shifting the blame on to its master wont do. but then master should have known that dogs don’t get irony and will spill on his padashow identity in earnest .
as usual the slave dog tries to run away by referring elsewhere. and it seem incapable of understandings that it got beaten almost to death while playing “balls”. if it wants more beating it should just reread the previous comments which covered its questions already. but its dog brain cannot process that.
expect another doggy bark soon requesting i play “balls” bc its master is angry and is neglecting it. sorry as i said i prefer cats
Cover up what, Snut? The fact that you’re a sad ol’ man with a blog no one reads? Or that you’re an illiterate moron who is unable to comprehend questions? Or that you’re a IQ-challenged idiot who can’t differentiate between truth and statistics. You’re right, it’s better to cover those things up.
Meanwhile we all await your answers to the questions posed to you on this blog? Or should we expect more doggy stories from Snut (aka Pussy)?
prediction made in my last comment came true: again -)
dog tries again to cover up his all too clear ( see above )spilling of indi’s padashow identity . and its own inability to get irony or understand where top or bottom was which led to the spilling.
slavish animal seem to be highly annoyed and close to spilling some more
it seems to have got confused about some balls and questions .all questions were answered before the last comment there ( which was a repeat ) was posted. dog as expected from such a small dog brain thinks order of posting all important, not the content, which was dealt with several times earlier .
i predict again that dog will not understand any of that and bark again here
What prediction, Pussy — that you will continue to use anecdotes about alleged incidents on other blogs to avoid answering the questions posed here?
Pls link to where you’ve answered my questions, or we’ll assume you’re a liar as well as an idiot.
Also, could you post in English please?
I suppose we’ll hear more doggy and pussy anecdotes from your family life instead of answers to the questions.
I guess no one’s posting on your blog at all, that you seem to have moved house over to this blog?
Ha ha. Maybe you should change your blog name to Lanka Loser.
what did i tell. right again. dog is predictable.
hopefully will reveal some thing more about its master indi’s ‘ hidden padashow identity
it seems unable to move from its master’s blog and still barks about some long answered questions. seem to thinks that repeating questions deserves repeated answers. dog brain !
it goes without saying that dog will bark again shortly
Move where, Pussy? To lanka loser? No thanks. But what are YOU doing here? Waitaminute — we know! Nobody visits your blog anymore boo hoo. So instead you”re over here, showing us exactly why no one visits Lanka Loser anymore.
Sittingnut, I would challenge you to find a specific quote from Indi’s post where Indi complains about anything other than HSBC’s general procedure.
character, in particular Indi’s character, and how he want to be perceived by others is in fact the central issue here.
No the central issue raised in Indi’s post is whether it is correct for a bank to ask for a reference from a family member and whether it is correct for a bank to ask for such a reference form somebody who has been a client for many years.
Indi’s character might have come into play if only a subset of credit card applicants are asked to provide such references, but since all HSBC credit card applicants are asked to provide family references regardless of how long they’ve already been customers, Indi’s own character is totally besides the point.
answer me, why do ppl want a reference from relative or somebody ? may be you think it is just bc it is in the regulations bankers follow? why is it in the regulations then ? it was there way before large scale money laundering and terrorism. and why do others ( say prospective employers ) ask for references ?
Okay I’ll answer you: partly to assure themselves of the person’s character.
Now there is a direct answer!
And I always knew that and never thought it was “just bc it is in the regulations bankers followâ€.
But how is this relevant to the question I asked? Do you think that the mere fact that the concept “character†comes into play in some tangential manner means that it is so relevant to bring up Indi’s character into the discussion?
All credit card applicants are always asked for such references, not merely Indi, so how does Indi’s character specifically come into play?
The question that I asked you specifically was:
When Indi is complaining about the general procedure of HSBC, then what is the purpose of presenting your negative assessment of his character?
Do answer it, instead of evading the question by presenting me with another question that has the words “character†as the answer.
You are trying to steer this discussion into whether or not Indi does in fact have a good character and whether or not it is in fact a good idea for banks to ask for references and various other issues.
I am not interested in discussing Indi’s character and personally I think there are entirely valid reasons to ask for a reference from a relative from anybody, even an existing customer with a good record. I don’t think that HSBC is a bad bank either, and the things pointed out in Indi’s post aren’t sufficient to convince me otherwise. So you don’t have to convince me that they are a good bank by pointing out their profits.
So you don’t have to bring up those issued, but you probably will since you are so keen on muddling everything up since it appears that you have no way of answering the question I asked you.
Sittingnut,
One of your points was that Indi was treated differently by the staff at HSBC because he (supposedly) comes across as one who has lousy “characteristicsâ€.
You had said:
they did not need the blog posts, you probably displayed the same characteristics you display here offline as well. that will explain your personal experience, which is so different from thousands of others.
Given that Indi is complaining about being treated in the same manner as any one of these thousands of others would be treated, (i.e. being asked for a reference from a family member even after being a customer for many years) your claim that Indi’s experience was because the staff at HSBC detected in him the “characteristics†that he “displayed†in his blog is a baseless and empty claim with nothing to back it up other than your imagination.
I HAVE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THEM WHICH IS HSBC FINANCIAL THE OFFICE IN MONTREAL QUEBEC HERE IN CANADA KEEPS BOTHERING ME MORE THAN ONCE A DAY I DO NOT ANSWER THE PHONE CAUSE I KNOW IT IS THEM IT IS GETTING SO BAD NOW THAT THEY KEEP CALLING ME AT WORK. AND EVEN CALLING MY SUPERVISORS AND THREATENING THEM HERE IN CANADA THEY ARE ONLY SUPPOSE TO CALL YOU ONCE AT WORK AND THEY KNOW THIS THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW. AND THE PERSON THAT IS ON THE OTHER END LEAVES A MESSAGE AND THEY DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH BARELY THEY EVEN ASKED ONE OF MY SUPERVISORS FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ON HOW MUCH I MAKE .ANYBODY FROM HSBC FINANCIAL IS READING THIS DO NOT CALL ME AT WORK CAUSE I WILL CALL THE AUTHORITIES FOR HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE WHICH IS AGAINST THE LAW AND MY SUPERVISORS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PERSONAL CALLS.
I worked for HSBC and most of their managers are packed with racism. My experience with them, i have one conclusion, there is no difference between a racist and terrorist. they are both driven by the same force – hate and aim for the same objective -elimination! only strategy differs
96 comments! I won’t even bother to read them, most likely ( I may be wrong) the comments have veered off the original post and become a bitching match between the commentators. All I wanted to say, is that, I LOVE YOUR LAST SENTENCE.
oh..cmon..i would love to read more ppl voicing their strong opinions for or against HSBC & even its off shore global resourcing centres…having worked there for 4 years & now no more…i wana have my past rekindled a bit…so dont stop continue
Can’t agree with you more. HSBC Sri Lanka truly sucks ! There customer service is useless. Their so called 24hr hotline just kept me on hold twice for 10mins each time, playing some stupid Pizza Hut offer and then got cut.
They use highly unethical means to make money off the customer. But when they are clearly at fault they somehow brush it under the carpet using some lame excuses. I think a local bank such as Commercial would serve us better… although I haven’t tried banking with them yet.
I’ve been with HSBC since ’98… and they were not like this back then. I’ve been waiting 10days now, to get some problem with my internet banking to be sorted out ! They have absolutely no concern or loyalty towards even their longstanding customers. HSBC Sri Lanka is probably the worst local bank… truly global ? Rubbish !
I will definitely change to another bank.. but not before I “use” them and then dump them !
If you are considering banking with HSBC Sri Lanka – STAY AWAY FROM THEM !!
all crock visit http://www.getoutofdebtfree.org