Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The HSBC Credit Card trauma continues

I thank my friends who egged my on to continue the fight against the bullying. And I apologize to all of you because I caved in, agreed to settle up by paying up for something some thief bought (proved by the charge-slips sent to me by HSBC, which obviously the retailer didn’t verify):

There is still a part of me which winces at the thought of paying up. Just encourages them to continue doing what they do (just try looking it up on the Internet you’ll find more cases than you’ll have time to read through), but I have my reasons:


  1. I do not have the time, money or energy to fight through the courts.
  2. I do not want to start another year with a debt in my name (no matter who was responsible).
  3. I have had ENOUGH.

     I do not want to spend everyday of the rest of my life talking someone calling on behalf of HSBC. I have developed a high degree of HSBC phobia-I do not want to do anything with that name again.

    So much that when a guy popped up from behind the grocery counter at a supermarket with forms for a “free” credit card on which I get points every time I shopped there-the HSBC logo was the first thing I spotted.

    NOOOOOOOO! I don’t want a HSBC card.

    Ma’am this is the Supermarket card. It is free. You will get special offers………

    Yeah. But the credit card company is still the same. They have been harassing me for the last six months. You want to know how many other victims have faced the same.

    It’s ok Ma’am. 
    He pops back behind the counter just as fast, as he notices other potential targets paying asking me for more details..

    I tell them. And I also tell them not to go by just my story.
    Before you sign up for any credit card, please read through all the fine print on the form and also on the respective website (the forms don’t have it all).

    And read all the reviews and user experiences on independent web sites/blogs/forums...... wherever.

    Had I done that I would have never signed up for this one!



    As for the bank, I am sooooooooo done with them that even when they wrote to me to say they are reporting me for default, and that they have reduced my credit limit to zero, I didn’t write back telling them what they can do with their credit limit.


    Just wrote this hoping that this is closure, and I and anyone else for that matter, never have to deal with this organization ever again.

    5 comments:

    1. You should know they are still calling me for the same thing. I've stopped taking their calls and when I do, well I hang up. The system of HSBC Bank and the Indian Courts is so horrid that I don't even want to waste my time in calling them names.

      ReplyDelete
    2. I posted your links on my FB. If we must cave in, people must know about HSBC too.

      Now spreading the word is a motto, a cause.

      ReplyDelete
    3. Have u already paid up. If no pl dont and just handover ur documents to me. I dont respect u caving in to this matter.

      ReplyDelete
    4. Ramit: I admire your persistence. I don't want to hear from them ever again.

      Poonam: Thanks a ton! I am still not convinced that settling my account was the right thing to do-just did it so I can put this chapter behind me. But I am definitely committed to spreading the word-people must know what they are signing up for if they ever chose this credit card.

      Raj: Actually as I said above-even I don't agree in principle to paying up. But I am just putting the harassment behind. Will continue my fight in other ways.

      Thank you for your support.

      ReplyDelete
    5. http://thebeachedshark.blogspot.com/2010/01/heres-why-hsbc-bank-sucks.html

      Hi, another blogger wrote about HSBC troubles.

      ReplyDelete