Consumer complaint received 2020-05-11
Product: Credit card or prepaid card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement — Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement
Company: HSBC NORTH AMERICA HOLDINGS INC. (NY)

In XX/XX/2019, I applied for a balance transfer card. On XX/XX/XXXX, I left town and went to XXXX XXXX for a few days. While there, I got an email saying the card was on the way, and that I could go ahead and activate the account via my phone in the meantime. On the XXXX, I got a notification saying the card was being used in XXXX, NY. It was charged for {$1800.00}. I was physically over 100 miles away from the point of purchase, was still not in possession of the card, and had knew this had to be fraud. I called HSBC to report the fraud. They said " don't worry, well put a hold on the account and clear it up. '' Sounded hunky dory ... 

I got back to XXXX XXXX XXXX on the XXXX, and went to the police station to file a report soon after. I thought HSBC was already taking care of everything, but we wanted to make sure we reported the crime in any case, so the police might track the person down. I also filed a report with the USPS since the card was stolen in-transit through their system. 

When my wife and I followed up with HSBCs fraud department, we were told they denied the claim. We said we have a police report now, and would like to escalate. HSBC said okay and that theyd need to get in touch with the relevant detective at the police station where we filed the report. We gave them the contact information. HSBC told us theyd call the detective, and then would follow up with us. They didnt. Throughout all this, we asked for written confirmation of everything, but we never received any. No calls back, no confirmations, nothing. 

Time went by. Every time we followed up, HSBC said they couldnt get through to the station yet. But every time we called the same station, we got through right away. They have someone at the phones 24/7. So then we physically went over to the station, picked up a copy of the report, and sent it to HSBC 's Fraud Investigation Unit directly, and waited again. When we followed up again, they said they got the report, but they still wanted to speak to the detective attached to the case. When we called the station again to try to help this along, they told us the detective had XXXX  XXXX, so was out of the office. They couldnt transfer the case to another detective, so we waited. Once she recovered and returned, we called her and asked her to please call HSBCs fraud department since they really want to speak with her directly. She told us thats weird, but that shed call right away. We soon got a call back from the detective. She said that HSBC had told her they have no need to speak with her! 

Meanwhile, the account was never frozen throughout out this. Credit scores are going down and down and down. Collectors keep calling. As you understand, paying the dues would not help our case here, so were holding out. But its burning our credit record. 

After we got back in touch with HSBC again, they now informed us the claim has been denied again. Why? Because the police report was filed too late. Actually the police report was filed RIGHT after the crime. But HSBC failed to retrieve it like they said they would. Now they are claiming that the date we personally sent it to them is the date that it was filed. Those are two different things. The date it was filed was right after the crime. You can see that, if you look at the police report. Which is in front of them. Because we sent it to them. 

Throughout all this, we talk to a different person at HSBCs fraud department every time. Weve also shown up to the neighborhood branch and begged for help there, hoping that an in-person interaction could resolve this. But the representatives there just pick up the phone and call into the same abyss of overseas call centers, and talk to other employees that have no power to do or explain much of anything. 

We keep going around in circles. Earlier today, we were talking to the fraud department again, asking how we can escalate the claim. They redirected us to the collections unit, and the customer service unit. Both of those direct us to the fraud department again. When we get angry, we sometimes get a supervisor, sometimes not. When we do, theres a slightly more empathetic voice on the other end of the line. But the promises of calling back and sorting this out are just as empty. We have not received one call back. Or one piece of written confirmation from HSBC whatsoever.