Another banking stuffup, but from HSBC?

*Warning* bitching session approaching!

Here's a tale of woe. After leaving my Australian HSBC account open for a few years while I was working in UK, I finally came back to reactivate my account. Obviously I had forgotten my PIN by now, and I couldn't get into my internet banking. I faxed in three times to reopen my account, but each time they said my signature wasn't right. And of course the bank's always right, and it must be me that changed.

Went to the Box Hill branch nearly 3 weeks ago to fill out forms, and request a new PIN. Since then, I received a security device in the mail, but no PIN... so again, I call up the call centre a few times. Finally, I'd had enough of their f@#king about, so I requested they reset my PIN again and mail it out to me; as I hadn't received it the first time around.

But no... I have to go back to the branch. And of course HSBC isn't a big player in Australia, the nearest branch is 3 suburbs away. Can't I just do it over the phone? Nooooooooo.....

So my take on this is that the bank doesn't really want me to get my internet banking working, and don't want to help me when a problem arises. They also don't really care that even though they don't have any convenient branches in Australia, I still have to go to the branch to fix the stuffup they couldn't fix the first time I went to their branch. What this means for me is I'm going to have to take a few hours off work, go to the branch... but to hell with resubmitting all the forms again, I'm just going to close the account, withdraw all my funds and take it to another bank. Though frankly I'm considering just buying a couple of gold bricks and putting it under my mattress, it's probably safer than a bank and at least I know where my money is!

Back to MBA/MMarketing matters, my team had a final presentation for a client yesterday which went kind of OK. Turns out we weren't as structured as we should've been (fair comment) but I think all 3 of us learnt quite a bit about dealing with clients and working through a consulting case. Still got one deliverable for a Marketing class; a final essay. Problem is, we've got a 3000 word limit, and 3500 words which I don't think answer the question very well. Might have to put in a couple of hours to tidy things up.

Graduation is in middle of May, and have't really got much planned to celebrate. More tired and relieved than in a celebratory mood!

Got a couple of projects in the works; hoping to start up an online homewares/design business with a graphic designer friend of mine, similar to what's going on with 88SPEED.com and JDMSTYLEDECALS.com, but in houses - not cars!


Tim