After eight years of being a loyal customer of HSBC it is once again that they prove that their customer service team is quite possibly the worst in the world.
When I opened my accounts at the bank, I was given a savings account for my salary transfer, a mastercard, viascard and insite credit card for telephone and internet purchases.
A few years ago I received notification that the internet card would no longer be a service on offer, so I finalised my bill and discontinued using it. Unfortunately I had previously signed up for small monthly charge of approximately 12dhs per month on a public speaking website. This continued automatically being charged to this account and because I was unsure on how to cancel it, I proceeded to pay the charge each month, transferring money from my savings account. In August 2010 the internet credit card details dropped off my internet banking and I assumed that it had been closed for good. I had no way of viewing any details and I never received any hard copy bills in the mail. Fast forward six months later and I start receiving calls from collections telling me I owe them over AED 500 in charges and asking if can I pay that today? After questioning them what I owed them for, it was approximately 70dhs in accrued charges and the rest late fees that had been accumulating each month. I asked them how I was expected to pay the account when firstly I was unaware that I had any charges and secondly the account didn't exist on my internet banking so I has no way of transferring the funds. I advised them I would agree to pay the amount that had accrued from the charges but had no intentions of paying the late fees. After several weeks of harrassing calls, talking to deaf ears I had a customer service representative agree to credit back one late fee if I made the payment of AED395 and cancel the charges from the Public Speaking site. At this point I was sick of the phone calls so agreed to make the payment on the provisor I'd never hear from them again. Firstly i was told I could do this by credit card...but no I couldn't use a HSBC card, then I tried my Mashreq debit card which seemed to be fine but then a few days later the phone calls started again (this didn't process even though the money was in the account). They tried this again, then a few days later they are calling again. I decide then to go to an instant deposit atm, planning to deposit into my savings account and then transfer it to the card. The result, the machine eats my card as the account has been dormant for too long. As a result, this required a visit to the branch, involving taxi fares and time wasted in my schedule which consists of a full time job, studying and volunteer work.
I deposit the amount agreed to and do not hear anything more for three months. Then the phone calls start again, I am furious and demand to speak with a supervisor immediately, after I have been told I need to pay them another 500dhs in charges. This time consisting of only late fees that have been accruing on top of each other. I advised him that I would not be paying them and that someone needed to take ownership of this problem and they were harrassing and thieving from me and none of these charges were through any fault of my own and a result of nothing other than the banks incompetencies.
The supervisor was extremely apologetic, agreed with me and confirmed that he would sort this out for me and credit any charges back to my account. The phone calls stop...for two weeks and then they start again, nothing resolved. The customer service representative asking me once again, if I can pay the charges today. I aske for a faxed copy of all the transaction details from August last year, apparently this can't be provided - he told me to check online (after I had just told him I had no access to this account online.) The branch itself told me they don't have the record either as it has moved to collections, so at this point I am being told that basically no one can provide me with a copy of my statements, which I am almost certain, legally I have the right to view. I was also told that he couldn't tell me who I spoke with two weeks ago as he didn't have access to this information, however he could contact the supervisor and get him to call me back (total contradiction going on in that sentence.) What frustrates me even more, is that I have worked in a call centre in the past, so I know how the systems work, more to the point how it should work.
It has now been two days, I have not received a call back from the supervisor or anyone else. I'm wondering how many days this will last and who will take ownership of this problem.
Can anyone offer any advice as in my own country there are procedures to follow if you want to make complaints. I don't want to speak to anyone over the phone. I want to document this in writing or have a third party involved. Any recommendations would be appreciated. :-)

The branch in Abu Dhabi ignore all my communications. I pay to have thd service of a Personal Relationship Manager who ignores my emails. I have an internal HSBC security protected email service - my emails are ignored. The web site publishes no contact mail address. I have written to close my accounts. My instructions are continuously ignored.

Recently i have experienced one of the poorest service in the Banking industry from HSBC UAE. My call was about recalling my fund which was done thro wire transfer. As per bank regulations normally the cancellation takes 15 days for getting the money back. Thats what i have been told by the Telephone banking. But after 15 days of registering the complaint they came back to me by message saying that they need the details of transfer which i furnished thro Phone banking. I was really surprised to know even the complaints department were not able to track my funds and let me know a status. Its been almost more than 20 days and till now i haven't got my funds back. Moreover if they come back to me for details after 15 days, My funds would have been used by now and i will have no option to get back... I regret to say that HSBC - Once the best bank is totally degraded in the customer service and as well the responsiveness towards any complaints registered.