I've had mainly good experiences with HSBC. I'm a college student in New York City, and there are plenty of branches located here, so the convenience is a plus. I can also bank at any branch I happen to be closest to. I live in a different area from where my college is, so I love the flexibility that allows me to just go to the bank closest to where I am at any given time.

Since I'm in college, I started shopping around for good checking account deals with various banks. HSBC had the best deal, from what I found. There are no fees whatsoever during the summer months, and there are no fees every other month if you're account balance is at least $200. Also, I can write an unlimited amount of checks per month instead of having to pay a fee for each check I write. However, since I also happen to have the HSBC MasterMoney Debit Card, I don't really need to write checks all that often anyway. The MasterMoney card is very convenient, because I can use it like either a credit card or a debit card, but however I use it, the card will always deduct from my checking account.

I feel that Customer Service has a ways to go in terms of being consistent in what they tell me and how they go about handling my account. I got off to a very rocky start with HSBC when I tried to open my account back in June. I applied for the student checking account online (which I do regret doing), assuming it wouldn't take very long for my account to open up. I then received directions in terms of what to send back to HSBC so that they can open my account, but I figured that I should just bring the materials to the nearest branch and open it up right there. When I got to the branch, I spoke with one woman who told me that I couldn't open up the account with her because I had already applied online. I then asked her about the ways I can send my deposit to HSBC. The instructions clearly stated "NO MONEY ORDERS", but the woman told me that if I sent them an HSBC money order, it would be perfectly okay. I waited for about three weeks to hear from HSBC, and I finally called them up asking what was going on (they said the account would open within 14 days). The woman on the phone told me that since I sent in a money order, they couldn't open up my account. Then I told her about what the woman at the branch told me, and the woman on the phone told me that that other woman was totally wrong. Not only was I angry about that, but I was also angry that HSBC never bothered to call me to tell me that they received all my materials but just needed another deposit. If I didn't call them, who knows if they would have even notified me at all? I was in desperate need of this account because I was in the middle of some turbulent times, but then after begging them to open it and after telling them about my emergency, they FINALLY opened my account up after a month of my initial application. During that month, I had considered cancelling my application and finding another bank, but since I really liked the student advantages with the bank, I decided to just wait and see how everything goes. So far, I haven't been disappointed.

Overall, I'd say that HSBC is great if you're a student, but I've heard so-so things about it not being so great if you're not a student. Just don't expect much when it comes to customer service.



Recommended: Yes