HSBC is probably the worst bank and yet it's very popular with expats and around the world.
The bank is a mess, too big to care, too slow and too expensive do any real banking.
Despite claiming to be the World local bank, they can't manage to connect their internal banking network to their own local branches. Basically each branch operates independently and will regard each offshore HSBC customers as any non-local customers. Basically their whole advertising and company customer strategy is a big fraud. They can't operate globally, and even doing simple banking in any HSBC branch as a HSBC customer is a big mess.
Cases in point:
1. Cash Advance with a HSBC ATM card in a HSBC Branch will be subject to the same withdrawal fee as any ATM card
2. Many HSBC Branch will not accept HSBC ATM card for Cash Advance * UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE *
3. ATM Transactions with a HSBC ATM card with HSBC ATM are subject to the same ATM fee as any ATM card
So what's the point of having a HSBC account ? none I guess unless you like to be gangraped in fees.
The latest from them: You will need to maintain a minimum balance of $50,000 USD monthly to avoid the $40 USD monthly fee. FUCK YEAH.
After losing 3 transfers of $20,000 each because of a simple bug in their web interface, they still wanted to charge me for each of the $50 transfer fee if it turned out to be my fault for the lost transfers. Yeah, thanks. It turned out that I was the first to find a bug in their web interface after their monthly software upgrade.
Anyway, the bank is worthless, and yet they managed to become the world biggest banks in assets.
I am done with them, going to NatWest.
Please feel free to share your banking nightmares or horror stories with HSBC. A site should be dedicated to them.