Consumer complaint received 2019-04-05
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: CA
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Opening an account
Sub-issue: Didn't receive terms that were advertised

Complaint:
I applied for an HSBC Advance Checking account using this link ( https : //www.us.hsbc.com/checking-accounts/campaigns/offers/ ) back in XX/XX/2018 and deposited {$25000.00} to receive the {$350.00} welcome bonus. The terms for receiving the bonus were basically : 1. deposit {$10000.00} and 2. keep the {$10000.00} in the account for 90 days. Their terms also noted that it takes 8 weeks for the welcome bonus to be deposited. After approximately 5 months, which is more than 90 days plus 8 weeks, I still did not receive the bonus. 

When I contacted the bank about it, I discovered a false note had been placed on my account by a customer rep I had previously spoken to. This note claimed that I did not use a valid link to qualify for the promotion. I am confident that I had used the right link. It is extremely negligent of the bank to rely on these " notes '' where the agents can add whatever they want with zero oversight or fact-checking rather than just actually check the source link my application came through. ( I was also appalled that agents were given so much power in altering customers ' accounts without their consent or knowledge. Never mind that the call had been an extremely poor customer service experience where the agent refused listen to what I was saying and kept interrogating me and insisting that I must have used an invalid link -- I vaguely remember feeling very tired of arguing. The fact that agents can go in change things on customers ' accounts just to XXXX them over out of pure malice or personal vendetta is very, very concerning. The last rep I spoke to tried to claim that they don't have this power even though my trouble with getting the bonus proves my point. ) The only other potential issue that might have caused the bank to claim I didn't use the right link was that when I initially applied, my application was delayed because of verification purposes. At the time I had expressed concern to the phone rep I spoke to about the delay potentially affecting my eligibility for the bonus promo. I was reassured that it wouldn't as long as fulfilled the terms ( deposit {$10000.00} and keep it there for 90 days ). This alternate explanation for what happened does not put HSBC in positive light either. In this case, it seems like the bank purposely interrupts the application process and redirects or restarts them elsewhere in the system so that the source of the application no longer appears to be from the promo link. I find it disgusting that a bank would engage in such dirty, shameful tactics to scam customers and get out of paying bonuses that were written in the terms and conditions. 

I see that many other customers have experienced the exact same thing where HSBC claims that they did not use the correct promo link to get out of paying the bonuses. It seems to be standard practice for HSBC to make up this claim in order to avoid upholding their end of the contract. It makes me wonder what other false claims the bank or its customer service agents might make about my banking activity in the future in order to profit at my expense. Perhaps the {$10000.00} that mysteriously disappears from my account one day is apparently a totally " '' legitimate, verified '' '' transfer I " '' asked a rep to help me make '' '' according to some " '' note '' '' an agent put on my account. 

Based on my personal experience, HSBC is at best extremely negligent by allowing their customer service agents to make whatever changes they want to customer accounts without any oversight and follow-up confirmation OR they are extremely dishonest and predatory by purposely disrupting and redirecting/restarting applications so they can cut off the applications ' original connection to the promo link and disqualify customers from receiving the welcome bonuses. 

The last I heard from them is that an investigation has been raised and that this will be resolved within 2-3 business days. That has passed as well. Maybe HSBC coincidentally hires agents who tend to go rogue by altering customer accounts on whim, ignore customers, and/or lie to customers. But reading other reports to the CFPB gives me the sense that this is their standard protocol and perhaps they actively train their agents to carry out these acts so they they can take advantage of customers and get out of paying the welcome bonus. This was my first time banking with HSBC, which I thought was a reliable, trustworthy institution given its global presence. Turns out they're a bank that is prone to lying to customers and altering customer accounts with zero transparency and consent. Really regretting taking the leap of faith in thinking they were a bank with any integrity. Turns out they and their customer service agents have none.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation