HSBC Horror Stories

DN in Georgia said: “3/9/08 - A couple of weeks ago I received a letter in the mail from HSBC Taxpayer Financial Services, Inc., out of Delaware. I’d actually never heard of HSBC so assumed it was someone trying to sell me something in tax season. Inside was a letter indicating I owed a $1400+ balance on what was called a refund assumption loan (RAL). Their only means of contact they provided was a automated number to make payment. Taking the matter seriously (as I was a victim of check fraud many years previously), I called the number to see if I could get a live person to clear up this matter of obvious mistaken identity, for I never knew this company existed, much less have my taxes prepared by and borrow money from them.

I got an automated response asking me to key in my Social Security number. When I wouldn’t do that, I received my first automated-voice browbeating about how they needed my SSN. Eventually I’m transferred to a live person, who I tell I was contacted in error. After a reasonable exchange, she actually reads me four SSN digits which I immediately affirm is not mine. She then tells me she is going to transfer me to their Fraud Department, but actually just puts me back in the automated system, whereupon I go through the process two more times with two separate reps who insist they cannot assist me without me giving them my SSN.

The fact that I affirmed the partial number as not mine with the previous rep, was clearly of no concern to them. I contacted a local consumer advocate office in Atlanta, who advised me to send them a don’t-contact-me- again letter, which I did, simply referencing the account number they had for me. The consumer office also advised me under no circumstances to provide them my SSN.

Just a few days later I noticed (via caller ID) some calls coming in from a toll free number that looked like the number I had called initially. Once I decided to answer in an attempt to once and for all clear this matter up. I told them, once again, they had the wrong guy. This rep gave the same last four SSN digits which I again affirmed was not mine, and also told her I had just sent a do-not-contact letter to them. She said she would settle this. I thanked her.

The following Sunday (today) I got a call from another rep. She was playing hard ball, telling me no matter what I’ve asserted, they have no way of knowing that this debtee isn’t me, and that I would need to provide her with at least the last four digits of my SSN, otherwise, the phone calls and the letters wouldn’t stop, and my credit score would ultimately be negatively affected. Basically, although I didn’t know this company from Adam, the burden was on me to prove to them that I wasn’t lying about all this. Her implication was that they had my phone number and address (which was actually off a bit but it got to me anyway), therefore it has to be me.

I told her I intended to re-contact the consumer advocate office in order to be advised how to proceed. At this moment my intent is to get on Clark Howard’s (in Atlanta) live daily show to get HSBC further into the spotlight and see if Clark has heard of shennanigans involving HSBC. I’m also thinking of contacting the GA State Attorney General’s office.”