Why I Hate Banks!

Pigs might... oh. well, you already know about that...

Good luck Tony. I hate bank fees too. I just cannot fathom why account keeping fees need to be charged, considering the amount of money these institutions make on the money we leave 'in trust' with them. I'm pretty sure HSBC is an English company, and none of the banks there (that I could see) charge account keeping on basic savings accounts, or even more tailored ones. Maybe HSBC in oz will lead to an overhaul. Cross fingers. I remember I had to close my Oz abnk account because St George were going to take 10 bucks a month out of it. Shameful.

Happy birthday, btw.

You can only try, Rowen. (flap flap, oink oink!)

HSBC is a Chinese bank. (Hong Kong, I think)

St George is what we've transferred from. They're woeful.

We are trying to open a branch of the Bendigo Bank in our small town. I still have to look into the fee structure but at least whatever profits the branch generates are circulated back into our community (and most are in profit in about 3 years)

But I do have to wonder how I can hold a small amount of money in a cheque account in a branch of Lloyds in England and have no fees atall (and therefore no eroding of my pittance) while I get fees taken out of my NAB account here for no discernible reason.

The thing that bugs me the most is that with no ATM available, I get slugged for withdrawing cash from my own branch and slugged extra because it's a 'rural' account.

As the blonde said - on receiving a note about her overdrawn account " I can't understand why they are making all this fuss. I don't complain when they've got my money"

I know how you feel, Sue.

My view of most Australian banks is that they consider their customers to be no more than compliant cash cows.

In my prior St George account, they slugged me $6 a month if the balance went below $1000. One memorable month this happened when a scheduled deposit and withdrawal happened on the same day. I was unlucky because the withdrawal was listed first, taking the balance below the magic grand, and even though the account was topped up in the later transaction, they still slugged me with the fee.

When I phoned the bank and pointed out what happened, they reversed the charge but was told firmly that the bank's policy was that the reversal would only happen once, ie, don't bother to call if it happened again.

On top of the fees, they pay minuscule interest. Even though I kept the minimum balance over a thousand dollars, I received $1 in interest for the year.

It's a joke, and I'm not taking it anymore! And neither should you.

There are alternatives. You should check them out. Nothing will change until the customers start voting with their feet.

Just to get this off my chest.

HSBC should go rot in hell!!!
I had an unauthorised transaction on my credit card account. After they finished their investigation, they found me to be liable for the transaction as the card was presented in person (not by me, but by the thief) and then signed with a forged signature by the thief (not me). The total amount was for $6600 dollars in a bar. that's HK dollars, as i live in Hong Kong (regretably at this moment). After much complaining, which got me absolutely nowhere, i agreed to pay them, but to try and work something out, like an installment plan to help me pay the amount, but guess what?? No! HSBC couldn't do that for me, a 10 year loyal customer, then just screwed me right over! well screw you HSBC, the worse bank in the world in my opinion right now. You're customer service is a complete shambles, serving the customer? don't make me laugh, a bunch of well trained chimps could do a better job!

I know a married couple who will soon have to start to pay $5.00 a month (to Suncorp, in Queensland), a straight-out account keeping fee, which will result in an additional $120 a year for that family. And for what? "Friendly service"? Personally, I'd rather be treated poorly if it meant saving that additional charge!

The insane thing is, that, the minimum monthly fee waive (relative to your balance) went from $500.00 to $20,000.00, which to me simply means that they have completely lost their minds. What, really, can be done about something like this, other than taking the time and effort to switch banks, a situation which may eventually end up with an even worse potential...

Pixie, vote with your feet! There are plenty of smaller outfits that provide a much better deal.

I use HSBC (Online Account) and find them pretty good. Members Equity is another one. Or the Credit Unions.

The reason why these institutions get away with it is because people are too lazy to move.

There's a good list of all the banks at the 'flickyourbank' website.

I am an overseas student in the UK. When I moved out, I had to give a direct debit order due to the terms of my tenancy agreement. I didn t have enough balance for the second instalment.In the following days, I found out that 30 pounds were charged from my account for "Recall charge". ı really dont know what the heck it is. I thought it was my Landlord who charged me. When I called the HSBC call center, I found out that it was the Bank who was charging me. They told me that they took out money from somewhere I dont know where that place is.....!!!!! Anyways, they charged me because I didnt have enough balance on the due date. My landlord didnt say anything because I paid late but HSBC charged me 30 pounds. They say it was stated in terms and conditions but I couldnt find any clause relating to that in terms and conditions either. I am a lawyer and according to the basic principle of privity of contract, HSBC isnt related to my obligation to pay towards my Landlord. Yet, they didnt miss the chance to take some money off my account.
I am very angry at the moment.. I have been here in the UK for a year and they took every chance to rip us off.....
Also, when I called the call center, they kept me waiting on the line for ten minues just to get rid of me after having learnt what my complaint is.
I am gonna write a letter to the customer service at the monet but I am so sure that it will not change anything.
I am totally into making a website to make bad advertisement about these hungry dogs...In fact, I want to alert some authorities. I am gonna go online and check out where to address about banks in the UK.If anybody has another idea as to which authority to address to, please do let me know.
I ve had enoughhhhhh.....
I could have maintained myself for two weeks with 30 pounnds in my own country...
dont trust HSBC...you never know what happens to your money..

Why can't people see that all banks are effectively organised crime?
5 days to clear a cheque? 7days if it's a big, fat, juicy one?
£30 to bounce a debit?
Regulated by the FSA cartel?
BASTARDS
BASTARDS
BASTARDS
I just wonder what these fat pigs enjoy in life.......feel sorry for them in a way.........
Are they immortal?

While it was surely your fault on assuming that your cheque would clear on time (You didn't ask when it would clear? Did a bank representative make a statement otherwise?), sometimes bank mangers are reasonable if you chat with them. When I was in University, I had a few overdraft fees after using my debit card on a weekend - you would think using a debit card meant that if you tried to use the card and you had no money on the connected account, you'd be rejected at the point of sale - but the bank allows you to go over on weekends. If you wanted to spent more than you had at the moment, one would use a credit card. I told this all to the bank manager including the fact that I understood the rules - however - I made him agree with me that the rules were unethical and he refunded the fees.

Hong Kong bank is a bunch of faggots niggers

First make sure you know when the check is going to clear. Assuming the check will clear within a certain time frame and not even checking is not smart.

Second, verify the funds are available before making the debit on the account.

Third, get some form of overdraft protection, almost all banks offer it to one degree or another and it can save you a lot of money if you foolishly spend money that is not available.

Fourth, your assumption on the clearing of the check mostly relates to the other parties bank. Most banks will not confirm whether or not a check will clear and usually have their own processing time as well. Checks do not have a set time period before they must be cleared into your account, always check first!

Everybody, stop rolling over and taking it from your banks!!!

I switched from CommBank after 20 years when their last round of Netbank fee increases was the straw that broke the camels back (incidentally, the bank backed down on these fee increases due to the backlash). I then switched to St George , but gave them the flick when they increased the minimum balance for fee free banking to $3000 from $1000.

I am now happily with HSBC, no fees! I do not know how long this will last, as they recently increased their minimum balance for the high interest rate, but for now it is all good.

Paul, yes I agree and that's the account I use too. But I wonder how long the good times are going to last. The rise of the base account amount to get the decent interest rate may be the beginning of the end!

I work in a bank and I know that overdraft fees can be waived if you talk to the right people, and if you don't have a record of doing it.
Did you know writing a check when you don't have the money in your account is illegal in most countries, its called kiting.
For the rest of the people of the world who complain about overdraft fees think of this, you are spending money you don't have!!! Its not the banks fault you don't have enough. Sure a $35 fee for a $0.30 overdraft seems like overkill, but just imagine if you wrote a check and the bank didn't cover the amount. The store you wrote the check at would probably charge you $30 anyway for writing a bad check. I empathize with your frustration, but as far as the ethic debate is concerned... you are the one spending more than you have.

Darrell, from the USA here. For those who have had good success with HSBC Bank, be cautious. I bought a computer at Best Buy, the electronics store, whose charge card is managed via HSBC Bank, NY NY. Both the Best Buy card and the HSBC's own Mastercard must, in fact, be paid about 3 days BEFORE the due date, as they dilly-dally with online payments, and still try to hit you with $29.00 late fees! Then they say, "If it's less than 48 hours till due, use our Rush Payment option," which is $12.50, and since that looks better than $29.00, people just roll over and take it! The HSBC Mastercard is low limit, $300.00, based upon my credit, and the first thing on it was their damned $69.00 annual fee. I don't think all THAT highly of HSBC.

Westpac slug you $50 if you have insufficient funds for a Periodical Payment to another financial institution.

That's right, they charge you $50 to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and carry ZERO RISK for you.

The NAB has to be the hardest bank to deal with - I just called to switch my Visa points across to my frequent flyer account and now they want me to visit a branch to get a new phone banking password just for that! how archaic!!! I have found their service to be rude and arrogant over the last couple of years.

Ahmed Fahour has a lot to answer for.

Even working in HSBC is bad too. HSBC salary is very low to compare with other banks of its league.HSBC- Holy Shit,Bulls and Cons/Crap

The banks will screw you every which way,
Don't ever trust a word they say,
They'll put on an act, try to pretend,
That they're on your side, your financial friend,
But don't be fooled by the sweetness and light,
Beneath lies amonster, ready to bite,
To rip you to shreds,to leave you forlorn,
Shoul;d you dare to go 1p overdrawn!
They'll sell you insurance that's not worth a dime,
All you will claim is wasted time.
They'll blind you with terms and percentage rates,
Clauses,conditions and paymeny dates.
Until you wonder -'Is it just me?"
'Or do I need a business degree?"
To understand this world so profound,
Of the almighty penny and pound
No - it's just like my interest accrued,
The banks have us all truly screwed.

I hate banks with a passion. Sly, greedy, two faced bastards the lot of them.

We ought to campaign for everyone to withdraw there money and watch the bastards burn.