Consumer complaint received 2017-07-07
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: NJ
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
I am filing this compliant regarding how HSBC handled my request to transfer the funds in my Roth IRA account. On XXXX XXXX, 2017 ( see enclosed copies ) I reached out to my relationship manager, XXXX XXXX, for assistance with rolling over my IRA accounts ( XXXX XXXX & XXXX XXXX ) to my accounts with XXXX. After no response to my initial e-mail, I e-mailed him again and he wrongly responded that XXXX needed to initiate the process. After several months of XXXX not being responsive, he admitted over the phone that he was not familiar with the process. Growing increasingly frustrated, I asked that he forward me to the appropriate person and he e-mailed me an incorrect phone number that was not available. In XX/XX/XXXX, I proceeded to call HSBC customer service who instructed me to download and submit various forms. I then called almost every day for several weeks ( sometimes waiting on hold for 30 minutes ) to confirm that the correct forms were filled out and received while also communicating with XXXX and requesting letters that HSBC required from them. After much back and forth, a representative named XXXX from HSBC customer service informed me that HSBC was not able to roll over my Roth IRA account to XXXX and that XXXX needed to initiate an ACAT transfer. On a conference call on XX/XX/XXXX a XXXX representative informed an HSBC representative that XXXX does not do ACAT transfers ; therefore, HSBC said the only option was to issue me a check for the funds, which I could then mail to XXXX. I asked for explicit instructions on how to fill out the necessary IRA Distribution Request and then faxed it as instructed. On XX/XX/XXXX, I received a check issued on XX/XX/XXXX for my Roth IRA funds and was shocked that 10 % was taken out for Federal Taxes. HSBC said they attempted to contact me on Friday XX/XX/XXXX. I did receive a message on my home answering machine, which I did not hear until late Friday when I arrived home and obviously assumed I would not be able to reach anyone over the weekend. When I called HSBC on XX/XX/XXXX, they said I did not fill out the IRA Distribution Request form correctly and failed to select the option to not withhold federal income tax. When I informed the representative I was speaking with that I filled out the form as I was instructed by HSBC and asked if I could void the check and resubmit the forms, the representative said it was too late and the funds were already sent to the IRS. I am appalled at how HSBC has treated me throughout this whole process, which I initiated five months ago. I have been misinformed and ignored repeatedly. I have been so upset with my interactions with everyone at HSBC, especially XXXX XXXX, that I have since closed all my accounts with HSBC. I believe that HSBC should return the {$1400.00} taken out of my funds since this was without my knowledge and HSBC never allowed me enough time to contact them and correct the error on the form that was made as a result of their instructions! HSBC should have allowed ample time for me to call them back before issuing the check or they should have attempted to contact me more than once. I have already sent a letter of compliant to HSBC, which they have not responded to.

Company response to consumer: Closed with monetary relief