No I did not inform them in writing - just over a phone call and through self-serve online.

I have been receiving mail to the Irish address though and a previous Irish address too.

No I did not receive the snail mail default notice to my Irish address. It may have gone to UK address but I cannot be sure. Last payment on the CC would have been early 2020 (once I can log back in will be able to confirm).

Yes cutting through the waffle I’m not happy about the default or the unapproved overdraft.

Sorry I knocked submit before I had finished but the issues are now posted.

Hello, I am hoping someone can help me with multiple issues I am having with HSBC at the moment. I believe I have a number of cases/complaint points against them but I really need help in framing this and step by step guidance. I am really sorry about the length of this post but I am trying to get as much context and information into it so I can get as much input/help on this. Context: I have been a customer of HSBC for 27 years (Bank Account), 23 years (Credit Card), 15 years on the Mortgage and never had any issues with repayments/unauthorised overdrafts etc. In 2010, I moved to Ireland to live and work and would send money back to the UK to cover off my payment obligations. As like most, my Wife and I were impacted by COVID whereby I was forced into taking a significant pay cut and my Wife was also impacted as she worked for an airline which was decimated, and her income was slashed also for almost 2 years. I took immediate action and I put a payment holiday in place on the Mortgage in April 2020 and after 6 months of trying to contact the Credit Card team via phone, I was able to get through to someone to put in place an arrangement on the Credit Card via live chat option. They agreed to backdate the payment break and also provide a further break. I said that once things return to normal that I would resume payments on the Credit Card (return to normal was 18 months later). The Credit Card was my bigger priority as the Mortgage was only £200 a month but the Credit Card payments were significantly higher as I was at my limit of £14k (worth noting that the card balance is now at circa £16k and I am trying to find out how it got to this). Things started to improve slightly financially, and I was in a position to start paying the Mortgage again, but this was not an option on the Credit Card. On my HSBC profile I had an address for the accounts set as the UK address (same address as the Mortgage) but with a correspondence address set as my Irish residential address along with my Irish mobile number. For further context the UK address was where my Grandparents lived as it was their house but I bought it from them in 2007 to allow them to enjoy their retirement - they weren't paying any rent on this. During 2020 (height of the pandemic) my Grandmother's health started to deteriorate in the form of Dementia/Alzheimer's and she was subsequently admitted into care. In May 2021 my Grandad unfortunately passed away meaning that my UK address was now empty. My record on the electoral roll was also not maintained as this is something that my Grandparents would have done for all of us over the years. It was only in the last few weeks that I knew about the electoral roll which has just been updated in the last week (have an email confirming this). I posted before I had finished but it is a good point to discuss the issues that I have. Following a recent redundancy from my job in Ireland, I decided to start looking to the UK for a new position as well as Ireland and in August following successful interview I was able to secure a position in the UK. The offer was subject to background checks and references etc. I provided my Irish address (worth saying that my Irish credit is clean) and then also my UK address as the role is UK based and they needed a UK address. 2 weeks ago I knew that the background checks were almost complete and I was due to start the role on the 26th September but due to some delays the proposed start date was pushed out to the 30th September. On the afternoon of the 27th September the recruiter called me to say there is an issue on your credit file with a default showing over £16k do you know what this is about - I was shocked and did not know what this was but said the amount seems similiar to my UK credit card and I would investigate and go back to him as soon as possible. I immediately called HSBC to find out if they had put a default on my credit file and they confirmed that they had on the Credit Card. I explained that this is the first I am hearing about this and why has no one tried to contact me. The agent said that letters would have been issued and we did not have a valid phone number to contact you on. I explained that I have received no letters and that there is a valid phone number on my account as I receive text messages all the time from HSBC on it. This led to them passing me to a complaints team member who opened up a complaint and emailed me the reference etc. I had taken some screenshots of text messages received from HSBC to my Irish mobile number and I sent them to the complaints team as a response to their email which they said they would be able to see anything that I sent to them. I made the recruiter aware of the complaint that had been opened and shared the initial complaint email with him explaining the situation and that I was happy for him to share this with the HR team and hiring manager within the organisation as this was as a result of a communication breakdown. He passed on the information and then later called me on the 29th that he will know more by the 5th October as to whether the company would be happy to proceed. On Tuesday the 4th October the recruiter called me and said that the offer had been rescinded. He has told me it is not dead in the water yet but I actually received an email from one of the job boards for the role so they are now actively looking for someone else - this is a major blow and is now causing me major problems financially and mentally as I have a Wife and 3 young children who are dependent upon me. The irony is that I declined another job offer in Ireland as I wanted to take the UK one. On the 5th October, I started to try and find out what had happened here and where the breakdown had happened. I have been having issues with my online Banking where I cannot login to the app or online. I had a support call on the 5th to try and resolve once and for all but this did not work so I was left with no option to start calling HSBC. I know that calls and emails should be restricted but I needed some answers as my livelihood and reputation is at stake here. I found out a lot of information and also identified what I see as some significant issues. It is probably worth mentioning at this point that on the 8th July I had called HSBC in relation to the Mortgage as I believed that a payment would have missed and that as a result of my redundancy I needed a short term option on the Mortgage until I had managed to secure a new role. The agent informed me that the Mortgage payment had not missed and had gone through which I was surprised about but he later explained that it had put me overdrawn on my account. He said we need to do something about the overdraft as it is unapproved and said we can put a "break" for a couple of months on it until my situation changes to which I agreed but on my credit file there is now a marker showing unapproved overdraft. From a call I had with the complaints team on the 5th October they said that they should have done an Income and Expenditure review and they were going to listen to the call to find out what happened because I said they did not do that. The complaints team agent called me back and said that they did not do the income and expenditure review but this will have been down to the fact that there was no income. As part of my conversations on the 5th October, I asked the Financial support team if I could put in place a £200 overdraft (overdrawn by £177) which they said i would need to be approved as part of an application but due to the issue with my Credit Card this would unlikely be approved. I said that I am pursuing the removal of the default and someone from the complaints team is going to call me back and we can make a decision with regards to what I do with the overdraft. I was also explaining the situation with the Credit Card and the agent from the repayments team/financial support team said that there was not a valid contact number hence why no one called me. I said that is probably the 3rd or 4th time that I have heard that in the last week but the number on my account has been the same for a number of years and that I receive messages to that number all of the time. As part of my conversation with the complaints team on the 4th I explained the situation about the job offer getting pulled and that if the default was removed that the job offer would be back in place and I could actually put a meaningful payment plan in place - they agreed to take it away and would come back to me on the next day between 10am and 6pm. The complaints team member called me back and there was a lot of back and forth but here are some of the key things that came out of that conversation: 1) I quote "I had trouble calling you at first as I did not know how to call the number in Ireland. I figured out that I need to use 00353 (international dialling code and country code) to get through to you" I said you have just proven my point there that no one called me about the Credit Card and it is not a case of not having a valid number on the account, it is a case of inadequate process and procedures not being in place to call internationally. I also said if you have had issues is there not a possibility that your colleagues in the Credit Card department of also not had the correct training or have the right process and procedures in place. I later learned that one of her colleagues had to help her with showing her how to dial internationally (I spoke to him on the 6th as a follow up as his colleague was out of the office. 2) Having reviewed the information we cannot remove the default. Some other things were said which I challenged and resulted in her saying that she will take it away and go and listen to the call from the 8th July that I have mentioned previously. 3) Called me back again and said some other things about the call and that the Credit Card was mentioned to which I said it was a couple of passing comments and that if this was as serious as it is now known to be then that should have been explicitly said at the time. The agent also said that emails were sent to me on some dates in April (listed off some dates) to which I asked can you see those emails to which she replied no. To my knowledge I had received no emails from HSBC on the Credit Card. 4) The complaint handler offered to compensate me for the issue. I said I am not interested in compensation and that I just want the default removed so I can take up my new job and then put a payment plan in place on the Credit Card. 5) They again said they cannot have the default removed to which I replied that it is not good enough that not all of the facts are being considered and that HSBC are happy for my livelihood to be severely impacted and that I needed this to be escalated and that the reasons that she had provided were weak and not valid and I wanted to speak to her Manager. The handler said her manager is aware but it could be 3-5 days before they are able to call me to which I said that is not good enough and that is further reducing the chances of me getting the job offer reinstated. I said I need a call back tomorrow (the agent only works part time and is back on Monday) and she said that an email would be sent to her manager before she leaves for the day at 6pm (it was approximately 5.15 at the time). I have been making notes of all of the issues that I was uncovering and also went to check my emails to see if there was an email that I have missed. The following is the points that I sent to the complaints mailbox on the evening of the 5th October of my concerns and further complaints: ESCALATION REQUEST | FURTHER ADDITIONS TO THE COMPLAINT WITH RESPONSES REQUIRED | ADDITIONAL COMPLAINTS CC Requests To: Lynne Owen (Global Head of Complaints), Stuart Haire (Head of Wealth and Personal Banking), Kaye Turner (Head of Compliance, Risk & Complaints), Suzanne Rogers (Head of Complaints Operations), Nigel Coates (Head of Financial Support), Deborah Pinchon (Complaints Policy Manager). Good evening, following on from the 3+ hours of conversations across a number of HSBC departments today, I am now requesting that this complaint be escalated and further complaint items addressed in your formal response. 1. I would like to know how many attempts to phone me on the number that is on my profile were attempted by the teams who were dealing with my Credit Card and also the dates and times that those phone calls were made. The member from the complaints team today was not able to call internationally as they were not aware of how to do this initially and I suspect that this is why I have been told on multiple occasions in the last 7 days that there was not a number attached to my account - it isn't a case of the number not being on the account it seems like a case of an inadequate process and procedure for calling internationally. 2. I would like to understand why when I made a pro-active call to discuss my Mortgage on the 8th July that the HSBC agent did not emphasize that there is an issue with my Credit Card account and that an urgent conversation is required on this matter. 3. On the phone call today with the complaints handler, it was referenced that emails were sent to me in April as an example in relation to the Credit Card account. I asked the handler if they could see the emails but they could not but they were happy to tell me that they could not remove the default on my account even though they have not reviewed all information nor do they have access to all of the information. Explicit response on whether the emails referenced by the complaint handler today - Do HSBC believe that these were written using plain english in terms of whether they were clear on the subject, concise, well structured and provide me as a consumer the opportunity to both understand and take action against those emails in relation to the credit card account (Required in formal response)? 4. What are the performance KPIs of complaints handlers beyond the 6-8 weeks. Are they measured on upholding banking decisions irrespective of the detriment to the Customer? 5. How can a credit card with a limit of £14,000 end up as a balance of over £16,000 when a payment break/holiday was put in place and also backdated in October/November 2020 but charges between that period have not been reversed from what I can gather. 6. When will I be able to log back into the mobile banking app and online services? The attempt to rectify this again yesterday was unsuccessful and continues to see me having to call the Bank as I am unable to review any information online. 7. Significant/New Complaint Point: Why did a mortgage payment go through successfully in the June/July 2022 period resulting in an unauthorised overdraft amount which is now reflected on my credit file and resulting in an increase in debt. How can this happen especially if there was an issue already with the credit card? 8. A copy of the terms and conditions for the Credit Card where it states that we will pass your personal information to a 3rd party who will not be able to contact you at your home address or on your telephone number in the event of a default? 9. Linked to point 8, a new complaint/point to be raised in relation to sharing of personal information with a third party who do not have adequate policies or procedures in relation to the processing of PII data. Additionally, I would like to understand what due diligence and ongoing monitoring of 3rd party suppliers does HSBC perform on "Moorcroft Group"? 10. Due to the Moorcroft Groups inadequate policies and procedures, inability to contact me other than via email, I formally request that this be transferred back into the ownership of HSBC with immediate effect. 11. I formally make a Subject Access Request (SAR) in relation to all data and correspondence on the Credit Card account from January 2020 to 5th October 2022 and with whom my data was shared without my explicit knowledge or permission. 12. Please provide details of data retention policy and how long I as a consumer should be able to view electronic agreements and also make reference to this in the terms and conditions for the credit card account. 13. Acknowledgement in the response that I have offered to clear the credit card balance in full within a 12 month period now that I am fully aware of the issue. I engaged with Moorcroft and agreed a payment plan with them but this will need to be retracted based upon the above and agreed directly with HSBC but I want this noted as part of my response. My only request has been to have the default removed from my account but I have been told twice that this can not be done only for this to be retracted once I have made specific and valid points. This for me is inadequate in terms of a complaint handling process and therefore needs to be escalated to someone who is able to make a decision and is also able to provide the level of support to a customer of over 27 years with almost 20 of those as a Premier customer. 14. Confirmation and acknowledgement that my only request is to remove the default to ensure that employment can be maintained and without the inflexibility from HSBC to work with the customer that they are happy to see earnings of over £xk be lost in the short term but up to £x over the next few years. This is causing me significant distress and anxiety from a Financial and Reputational perspective and I want that to be explicitly known and acknowledged. 15. Acknowledgement that I have now been forced into liquidating a property asset (with significant sentimental value - grandparents house) in order to ensure that I have cash available following the loss of my employment due to HSBC applying the default on my credit file. This cash will ensure that I am able to pay the necessary bills and feed my family over the coming months but this will not be immediate so as a result HSBC acknowledge that my financial position, mental health will deteriorate even further due to the significant pressure that I am now going to be under. Additionally, by selling the property, I will be losing out on the potential to earn rental income over a 5 year period along with the loss of approximately 12% YoY growth/capital gain. The aforementioned property is valued at over £x with only circa £xk of a mortgage outstanding (25%) which supports my point on a deterioration of my financial position due to HSBC not making adequate contact before applying a default on my credit file. 16. Why did HSBC/Complaint Handler offer to compensate me today but still not able to remove the default on my file. The offer of compensation is an acknowledgement of HSBC service falling short but you are not willing to actually rectify the issue at hand - why is this? As I stated today, the removal of the default improves my chance of employment which is adequate compensation. 17. I was told today that it could take 3-5 working days for "a Manager" to call me as part of the escalation process. As I stated, this is too long of a timeframe as this will further reduce my possibilities of taking up my role with this already at risk and advertised through recruiters. I need a call from someone tomorrow (6th October). Upon investigating the emails I then sent this: As referenced in my previous email, it was stated yesterday by the Complaint handler that they are unable to see the email that would have been sent in relation to the Credit Card. To further support my complaint about inadequate contact, I have attached samples of the emails that were sent which I have gone through over the last 24 hours and attached for your reference and should be referenced in the response to my complaint. Specific points: - IMG_5576.PNG is a screenshot of an email received saying please contact us but with no details on why and also no phone number included in the message to make contact. - IMG_5578.PNG is an email received yesterday in relation to the Travel Insurance policy which is provided as part of the my Account. In this email it is clear to see that this relates to the Travel Insurance policy and what I need to know and consider. This is obviously an automated email but it makes the points and is clear. Why are direct requests/emails not this clear especially in relation to the Credit Card? - IMG_5580.PNG is an email received in April which I can only assume is one of the emails referenced on the call yesterday with the complaint handler. The message is not clear nor does it explain why I need to contact HSBC. It is very similar to IMG_5576 which is almost like a spam type email. This type of message does not trigger a call to action especially if there is no phone call to myself in addition to the email. Having looked through my email inbox, there are so many different types of emails in my inbox from HSBC that you cannot even really see if there are any important ones. - IMG_5581.PNG is another type of email which references a document in relation to another account but you can see that I have not read this email. Do you have this ability to track whether emails have been read across the board? - IMG_5582.PNG states please contact us urgently to reclaim the money in your frozen account. Very clear at why you are trying to contact me again this is obviously an automated email but the point is understood. These are all samples of email communication types from HSBC. Having gone through my old email account last night, not one of them said please contact us urgently in relation to your Credit Card. Do agents who are responsible for contacting customers have the ability to send emails similar to the ones that are automated? As referenced in my above, the Credit Card account has been passed to Moorcroft and they have said that they can only correspond with via email as I am in Ireland and they do not have the ability to send letters here or call here. I said we can look at email correspondence but then they sent something to me the other day with the document password protected with my DOB as the password which is not a recommended password and can be sourced from social media and other public sites where my DOB is published. Final couple of points: - I called FOS and lodged a complaint already even though it has only been a week but because of the actions and conversation that I had with the complaint handler who is clearly measured on closing the complaint through compensation rather than trying to fully investigate this. - Called HSBC complaints team again on the 6th and spoke to someone else. I asked him if he could see my emails to which he replied yes I can and I said good and I am glad this call is recorded to acknowledge that. He said there is a lot there and this needs to be passed to the escalation team. I also told him I still want a call from a Manager and he said it could still be 3-5 working days. I firmly believe that I have been treated unfairly here on multiple fronts accounts and want to look at pursuing this legally through the county courts against the BCOBS and anything else that is relevant but also any other means. Reading the other posts I am worried that FOS won't help and that HSBC won't remove the default. I made a SARS request in my email but I can look at a formal letter along with a CCA but looking for some help and support here and also whether I have a leg to stand on. Again sorry about the very long posts but just wanted to try and get all the information out there.