Consumer complaint received 2020-12-19
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: NJ
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Managing an account
Sub-issue: Problem accessing account

Complaint:
A few month ago I opened 2 business checking accounts at HSBC. At the time of opening I was asking specific details on what what business does & sources of income. I explain I do XXXX  XXXX  and my main ( although not all ) source of income will be from XXXX  collected. I then made it very clear to XXXX my Relation Manager that since the state pays via XXXX  for the XXXX  of my XXXX, I will have to submit a form to the state that going forwards they should deposit the funds into this new account which I opened at HSBC, I then reiterated to my relationship manager XXXX that since were currently in the midst of a Pandemic it can take up to 90 days for the state to process my request to change bank accounts, therefore he shouldnt wonder if/that there wont be much activity for the first 90 days. Approx 3-4 weeks after my 2 accounts were opened I deposited in each account a {$500.00} check which came from my personal account I have st XXXX  XXXX. Them until approx a week ago I believe there was no activity. Then approx a week ago I owed someone {$100.00} so ( because HSBC offered me the ability to send wire transfers for free ) I wired that person {$100.00}. Following that I deposited a {$19000.00} check which came from my current places that Im banking at, which is XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and in the check I wrote Transfer, I basically began slowly moving over my funds from XXXX XXXX XXXX to HSBC, that same day I also deposited another check for {$800.00} which was given to me by my mother ( her business ). Then 2-3 days later I deposited another check from XXXX XXXX XXXX for {$18000.00} & again wrote on the check transfer, and the same day I also got a {$2000.00} check from a company I do business with, so I deposited that in HSBC. This is exactly so deposits made into my HSBC account from when it was opened. Then on XX/XX/XXXX, I got a margin call from my Brokerage Firm XXXX  and I had to come up with {$20000.00} immediate to cover the margin call. Now Id like to note that we can all agree that theres absolutely nothing wrong not illegal for a business owner to take out money from his own business account for personal use. In fact if a business owner is not allowed by law to withdraw funds or profit from his business, then we can all agree that nobody on this world would own a business. Back to my Margin call. The fact is, and youre very welcome to verify it, that XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX  dont have the ability to send wire transfers. Do being that I did have this capability at HSBC and being that theres absolutely nothing illegal for a business owner to withdraw funds from his own account, I wired {$20000.00} from my HSBC account I into my XXXX XXXX account to cover the margin call. Then on XX/XX/XXXX I was playing around with the HSBC mobile app, and I realized that theres a feature to send a wire transfer directly from the mobile app. So I wanted to see off it actually works, so I send a {$50.00} wire to the guy I send my first {$100.00} wire, since he was already saved as a recipient on my HSBC account. Of course I notified the guy that he might be getting {$50.00} in his account and explained why. Then on that same day XX/XX/XXXX, it was a free minute after XXXX oclock, and I wanted to login to my XXXX brokerage account to check on my stock positions. But I get a error stating that my act no longer exists. I began panicking and immediately called XXXX, and I was on hold for approx a hour until a representative answer my call, during this hour as I was on waiting to get through to a representative my friend that got that {$50.00} wire called me non stop, so I figured its probably emergency, so I answered, and he tells me that his bank ( XXXX  XXXX  ) froze his account and they ate refusing to release any money from it, and he called XXXX and they told him that the reason is because XXXX called to notify them that my business account seems to be a huge scandals or whatever they were thinking and the believe that hes involved with this scandal therefore they will not release his funds and they restricted his accounts. I then tried logging into HSBC and I wasnt able to. By note a XXXX representative finally answered my call, and in short told me that were informed that my account is involved in a HUGE SCHEME, therefore they can not release my funds and they can not discuss any further info. I need the CFPB t to understand my entire my saving was in my XXXX account. I have this XXXX accounts for 11 years already, my balance is {$75000.00}. 

After this call I called HSBC, and every representative gave me a different story, they were mumbling as if they were trying to avoid answering me. So you called again and again until I was told that I need to reach out to my relationship manager and he will tell me exactly whats going on. So I called him and he had no idea that something is going on, he was shocked as well. I explained him that he must help me because every representative I call tells me that I can only speak to you. He began pancaking and perhaps even felt guilty for this huge damage I had, so he began making up excuses, but non of the things he did was true. I was in such despair that I told him if I dont get a straight and true answer I will not hesitate to bring legal action to the full extent of the law then he began mumbling and saying Ummm Ummm, first I need to understand something, even you opened this account you did its to collect rent checks, an I right? I said OK THEREFORE? He began saying, look your deposited 2 big checks from that other place youre banking with and, after constantly proving his that whatever hes saying in non sense, he began yelling at me and said you anyways threatened me trust youll take legal action, so theres nothing I can do for you, and he hung up the phone on me.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation