HSBC in OZ
 

Hi Guys, I have a question. I've been with HSBC for 18 years & at the moment they are bending over backwards to lend me money,help me out etc. & I was planning to stay with HSBC when I get to OZ .But will I still get the loyalty,royalty treatment (ie. when trying to get a mortgage, loan etc.) or will the slate be wiped clean. Kind regards ,Pete.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

The banks are all really bad here. The difference ith HSBC is that you don't have to pay for crap service like you do with all the others. There aren't very many branches, though, so if you need to go into the branch a lot, I would consider somebody else (unless you happen to live near a branch, of course :rolleyes: ). The telephone banking people at HSBC are useless.

Jane :)

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

No you won't. You will be treated like a new customer. HSBC there and HSBC have little or nothing to do with one another.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

Agree with all the above.

Especially the highlighted.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

Be prepared and SHOCKED at the bank charges!!!! Just opened an account with HSBC and I couldn't believe the charges, not just this bank... ALL the Aussie banks. You are allowed 5 cash machine withdrawals per month, after which you pay. Every cheque you write.... you pay and the list goes on and on!
There are very few branches in Perth, but as they only charge 10 pounds to send money from my First Direct account in the UK to Oz, I choose to go with them.

The only problem I have had is with the telephone banking, the call centres are in India (I think) and not wanting to appear racist, I just cannot understand the accent! We had Indian call centres all the time in the UK, but they always spoke very good English.... (just my opinion)

If you want more info on opening an account, you can do it in the UK or queue and do it here.
If you open a savings cheque account and deposit $2000 there are no monthly fees, if you open a 'normal' deposit or cheque account, you pay around $7.50 per month to have the account.

If you want to open an account in the Uk... here are the requirements
You need to score 100 points to qualify.....
Passport or birth certificate = 70 points
Overseas driving licence = 25 points
Marriage Certificate = 25 points
ATM card = 25 points
Credit card (different bank to ATM) = 25 points

Requirements NO EXCEPTION'S....
Names on all ID to be the same and no initials except middle name
Must include at least 1 ID with photograph
Front and back of driving licence must be photocopied
Front and back of any card must be photocopied
All documents not in English must be translated and certified by HSBC staff.

All document need to be photo copied and certified by HSBC staff and they need to see all names on the account(s) to verify the signatures.

If you want to contact the branch in Perth (sorry not sure where you're going) They are at 188-190 St. Georges terrace, Perth and you can email Sonja the personal banking representative for info... she's great!
sonjatoutountzis(at)hsbc.com.au

Hope this helps?
Neil.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

We were with Lloydstsb in uk but used HSBC in oz Although there are not many hbranches as mentioned you can use the post office for everything paying in cheques and getting money etc and they do not charge for direct debits as some other banks do and their interest is quite good. I would recommend them but IF you are going to NSW NEAR sYDNEY ask for the George Street branch as they are very good there whereas if they give your the 'nearest' as the crow flys branch it may be difficult to get to (we have Hurstville which is impossible to get to - and also they all speak chinese in this area and it is quite difficult to understand them onn the phone.) All internet banking is very good also and very secure.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

I've opened an HSBC AU account and found them to be pretty good with most customer service. As others have mentioned though, the telephone banking is not the best as (like others) the people on the end seem to not have the best English skills to deal with complex problems. I've been trying to sort out a problem with my witholding tax (or lack of it), but have pretty much given up now. I'll sort it out when I arrive and can speak to somebody properly.

The opening process is fairly painless though, and tranferring money in is easy once you fathom the swift code business.

S

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

We did a comparison with all Aussie banks on their charges etc and ANZ came up the best with charge of $5 pr mth which entitles us to free atm withdrawals etc. We opened an account online from the UK - just downloaded a form, filled it in and sent it off, then on arrival in Aus(Brisbane) unlocked it with our passports. Easy & no probs. You can deposit from the UK but not withdraw until you arrive.
Kaz x

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

The 5 cash machine withdrawals per month that you mention, are actually the FREE ones that you can make at any other Banks ATM's. The other banks do not allow any FREE ones like that, even the banks that say Unlimited ATM transactions would charge for using another banks ATM.

If you are near a HSBC ATM, of which there are very few about, then you get unlimited Free transactions, and this is with NO monthly fee.

The alternative that most people with HSBC accounts do, is to get cash from either supermarkets, Petrol Stations, or even just by withdrawing at any Post Office.

Doing this, and by getting a decent interest rate, you can actually have a bank account that pays you, rather than pay them ;)

You have to work it right :)

I've been with HSBC here for years, and never had to pay fees, except for the odd cheque I write. (2 in 5 years, not the same as the UK, as everything is done electronically now)

I agree that the ANZ is a pretty good account for those needing frequent normal ATM access.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

Although to be fair, we have recently opened an HSBC Online account with the Great George St, Sydney branch and were able to do the whole thing very painlessly from our local HSBC in darkest Whitby, North Yorks. The local HSBC staff seemed very clued up on the requirements/forms/points etc and we were pleasantly surprised when we got $2.335 on the pounds we converted to get the $2000 minimum opening balance.

We spent a lot of time looking at the various accounts that HSBC, ANZ and others have to offer and came to the same conclusion as ABC Diamond. The HSBC Online account will effectively let you bank for free if you use it the right way.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

Another bonus with the HSBC account is that you can then easily open an HSBC Serious Saver account, which gives a stonking rate of interest (5.7%), so really is the place to invest the money from your house sale to ensure that it outperforms the housing market growth in the UK over the next year and until the Aussie market settles out and you can look to buy.

S

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

We use HSBC and haven't had any problems with them at all. We either get our money via the post office or any ATM or via cash back when wo do the grocery shopping. Their charges are one of the better ones and you only have to keep $2000 in your acct to avoid charges whereas Commonwealth you have to keep a lot more.

Lorraine

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

I think that once you have opened the account there is no need to have the $2,000 balance.
I am pretty sure you still get the free banking. You just don't get the higher interest rate.

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

That's correct. There are only two HSBC ATMs in Perth, luckily I work across the road from one of them.:)

Re: HSBC in OZ
 

We went one better - got a Home Smart (offset) loan with HSBC. So it's all in one - we buy EVERYTHING on an HSBC credit card, pay it off each month out of our balance, and you only pay your mortgage based on what's outstanding - so currently pay a monthly amount based on $20k LESS than our limit (as that's how much 'cash' is in there to offset). Plus with the rewards earned on the card we have our car and house insurance through VERO/HSBC - put the points towards your ins. costs (and you can batter them down by getting comparative quotes, they've been cheapest each time for the past two years).

As for cash, only get it out 2 or max 3 times a month from any ATM, don't pay charges as it's within the 5 limit.

So far, free banking for us. Only use the aussie dinosaurs if it suits.