Upheld: service failure; poor communication; inadequate assistance with PIN change; unfair timing of offer notification complaint against HSBC UK Bank Plc trading as First Direct

Decision detail

Summary

Miss M complained about three issues with HSBC: difficulty changing her PIN after following HSBC's instructions, inability to pay her credit card conveniently after closing her personal bank account, and missing a balance transfer offer. The ombudsman found HSBC acted reasonably regarding payment methods but failed to adequately assist with the PIN issue and provided poor service regarding the balance transfer offer by notifying Miss M only one day before expiry and failing to send details via email as promised. The ombudsman upheld the complaint and ordered HSBC to pay £100 compensation for the distress and inconvenience caused.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while HSBC provided no evidence of error with the PIN itself, HSBC failed to adequately assist Miss M when her PIN change attempts failed by providing unhelpful explanations rather than offering a replacement card. Regarding the balance transfer offer, HSBC's assurance that Miss M would receive offers via email was not supported by evidence, and notifying her of an offer only one day before expiry was unfair and prevented her from considering the opportunity. HSBC's contradictory statements about Miss M's eligibility for offers further demonstrated poor service.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website