Consumer complaint received 2021-11-01
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC.
State: IN
Product: Checking or savings account
Sub-product: Checking account
Issue: Closing an account
Sub-issue: Funds not received from closed account

Complaint:
Everything started off with a check that I received in the mail. I received an email telling me to expect one for the contract I signed up for months ago that offered me money for putting advertisement vinyls on my vehicle. They said the amount they were sending me would be for the cost of putting the vinyl on my car. I receive the the check, deposit it into my HSBC checking account via mobile deposit around the middle of XXXX. ( I dont have the exact date, youll see why later. ) 2 days go by and nothing has been deposited in my account. I go to log in through the mobile app and an error message pops up saying that my account was suspended. I called the next day to talk to customer service. The customer service team could not help me because the security team is only open from XXXX to XXXX. I call the next morning at XXXX XXXX  and speak to customer service again and they forward my call to the security team. The lady on the phone confirms the deposit I made and said that my account is under a 5 day review and that I do not have access to my account during this time. She mentioned that it was a fraudulent check. I signed up for an advertising company and had no clue that this was going to be a scam. After 5 business days, I call back and ask for an update. Customer service team forwards me to the security team again and a different lady tells me that my account has been recommended for closure. I did nothing, but as long as I get my money, I dont care. ( The money thats previously in there, not the deposited check. ) The lady that I spoke to said that as soon as the account was marked recommended for closure the closure team receives a notification and a check is immediately made out with the remaining balance of whats in the account. She said to wait until Wednesday to receive the check. Then, on Thursday ( due to COVID-19, I gave the USPS an extra day ) I called back asking if they sent my check out yet. I was forwarded to the security team once again and the lady told me that after the closure protocols take up to 30 days. It went from 5 days to check written immediately, to up to 30 days. I call in today ( XX/XX/2021 ) and ask to see if it had happened to be sent out yet ( 15 days into the review ) and they said no and that they are still completing their closure protocols. After asking how long that takes just to confirm I would get the same answer, the agent tells me she doesnt have a clue. I asked if she could give me estimate, a day? A year? She said not a year but couldnt narrow it down any more than that. When I started asking her more questions, she forwarded me to the agent that was handling my closure account process. All this did was let this member of their team tell me how irresponsible it was to deposit a check that I didnt know the funds were good for. Im sorry, but no one calls the bank to make sure EVERY check is good before depositing it. Every time I asked him a question he would continue to ridicule me about how reckless I was for depositing that check in which I said I have clearly learned my lesson and that I would just like my over {$2000.00} dollars in my account to be sent to me. He said it takes about 30 or more BUSINESS days. Again, no definite timeline, but with the added business element to the date. So from 5 days, to immediately, to 30 days, to I havent a clue, to 30 OR MORE business days. I just want the money that is owed to me. This is causing my bills to be late and will inevitability cause credit score issues. I just want my money. I dont care about this fraudulent check with this fraudulent advertising company. I just want HSBC to send me my money.

I sent in a complaint via cfpb and they replied with something that didnt give me ANY information really. Just an apology for the frustration basically. 

UPDATE : I called today ( Monday, XXXX XXXX ) and they are telling me it could take up to 90 DAYS???? Is this even legal???? 

So now, from 5 days, to 10 days, to 30 days, and now its 90 days! Seems convenient. Next time I call in Im sure it will be 180 days. I dont know how a bank is allowed to do this.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation