HSBC: give it up already

[blinkingblinking]

@mhendo

Really?

In my experience, if there’s an area where Australia manages to beat the United States for sheer corporate greed and mendacity, and complete indifference to customer concerns, it’s in banking.

Have the Aussie banks improved since i left?

I have had no problems. There is always a very small percentage that have problems. But there are always whingers complaining about the mistakes they have made. If you sign a contract letting someone access your account, do not come crying to the bank.

[Martini_Enfield]

@mhendo

Really?

In my experience, if there’s an area where Australia manages to beat the United States for sheer corporate greed and mendacity, and complete indifference to customer concerns, it’s in banking.

Have the Aussie banks improved since i left?

Banks here seem to have two ways of dealing with a problem involving a customer:

1. "We are so genuinely sorry for the inconvenience, Your Majesty. We’ll credit the cost of those charges back to you right away, wipe your mortgage fees for this month, and send that attractive blonde teller with the big tits- the one you’ve had your eye on- around to give you a “Massage” to make up for the trouble.

or,

2. Fuck You! We’ve got your money and there’s nothing you can do about it! BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

They’re a lot better than they used to be (the Government apparently slapped them around a bit behind the scenes), but you still have to shop around. I’ve found the Fee Structure ranges from “No fees at all. Honestly, we’re not charging you anything” to “That’s OUR money now, sucker!”

And, AFAIK, deposits and withdrawls are processed in the order they were transacted- certainly, it’s usually instantaneous anyway, so it’s largely a moot point.

[saoirse]

The three-day wait for checks to clear really bugs me, too. It was originally for verification. One bank would mail the check to the other. Somewhere amid the rolltop desks, adding machines and pedestal ashtrays, the amount and the signature would be verified by a young man in a brush cut and a tie who called his boss “sir.” Then the first bank would be contacted and the check would “clear.” Nowadays, though, there’s no reason that a check can’t be verified in seconds.

[blinkingblinking]

@saoirse

The three-day wait for checks to clear really bugs me, too. It was originally for verification. One bank would mail the check to the other. Somewhere amid the rolltop desks, adding machines and pedestal ashtrays, the amount and the signature would be verified by a young man in a brush cut and a tie who called his boss “sir.” Then the first bank would be contacted and the check would “clear.” Nowadays, though, there’s no reason that a check can’t be verified in seconds.

AFAIK some years back banks were clearing cheques faster. But there was too much fraud. So the banks went back to 3-5 business days for clearing cheques.

[Martini_Enfield]

@blinkingblinking

AFAIK some years back banks were clearing cheques faster. But there was too much fraud. So the banks went back to 3-5 business days for clearing cheques.

There are some cheques which you can have “pre-cleared” if you’re nice to the bank staff- anything from the State or Commonwealth Government, some of the more reputable large companies, and

I was told the 3 day clearing thing was actually so the cheque writer had a chance to put a stop on the cheque if it was stolen or whatever- certainly, it seems to depend which bank you’re with. Some take 3 days, some take 5, and I’ve had others cleared in 24 hours.