The Credit Card Thread

anonymous · 21st November 2007, 16:45

Surprise!! Surprise!! Surprise!!
For me, ICICI bank is best in Credit card. I have used Stan charted, HDFC, HSBC and SBI Cards with very bad experience. Among these, I found that ICICI offers best services as far as credit card is concerned.
I also think, to get good service from any bank, one needs to have good credit history.

DCEite · 21st November 2007, 16:45

Thank god i don't have a CC.
HSBC tried once, but i ran away.

sushrutha · 21st November 2007, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by DCEite

Thank god i don't have a CC.
HSBC tried once, but i ran away.

Heck I too didn't have till last year.
Fell pray for my friend's words & also to CCE.
Now i'm repenting for taking it.

DCEite · 21st November 2007, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by akroy

No Tanveer, I didnt buy a free card initially, it was only one year free. But I have not paid a penny since last 2.5 years. During my second waiver call, they told me that they will make it lifetime free...SO hopefully I should not be charged next year...lets see

Abhi

Oh so you made a paid card free by 'calling' them?
What if one day they bombard you with all the accumulated fees?

Seriously, not trying to scare you, but you never know what those idiots can do..

vnabhi · 21st November 2007, 16:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by akroy

I am one of the happy customers of HSBC Credit Cards. I am using it for the last 2.5 years.
I got it as one year free but subsequently every year my annual charges get waived. Whenever I see the charges (once a year) in the statement I call the customer care and tell them to make it free. And they waive it without even hesitating.
Abhi

Me too,I have been holding one since 10 years. But I was a fool to get my points adjusted against annual charges. Wisdom dawned on me only 3 years ago, and they have been waiving annual charges since then, based on requests from me on their online portal.
One big advantage is that you can fill up fuel in any bunk without service charges.

v&v · 21st November 2007, 16:52

cut the card into 4 pcs and send them by regd post. if you have not used it dont worry they cant do any thing.
in in c/c until it is written in your welcome kit for life time free, take it for granted you will get the annual charges.

abhilashvk · 21st November 2007, 16:54

Quote:

But its not right, that you have to call to get charged waive off!
When they say free card, it should be free. I don't need to call other banks every year and tell them to waive of my charges.
They should be upfront, that the card is not free, you need to get charges waived off.

Mostly, it is not the Bank that makes the call to sell the CC. Its a third party. They make promises to sell the card and the third part is paid commissions on the number of cards sold. They are not bothered if the customer cancel the same after the card is issued. They get paid as soon as they make a sale. Next time when a CC sales guy calls you and promise to give a free card try asking them to give that in writing. They fumble!

snaronikar · 21st November 2007, 16:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rtech

heck, i've been using my HSBC Gold for 5 years now and paid up the annual charges like a nice guy each time! Now I'm going to tell them to make it free as well! What the heck, no harm trying!

You could have tried this long back. I'am using Citbank card from past 10 years and couple of times, they tried to charge me and one call and they made this card lifetime free. Also ICICI card is good. Using it from past couple of years and they never asked about annual fee. Its free

tsk1979 · 21st November 2007, 17:05

rtech, they will make it free. Just call them and tell them that you wont take card if its not free.
Thats the route many people are following with HSBC. This is actually funny.

sushrutha · 21st November 2007, 17:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsk1979

rtech, they will make it free. Just call them and tell them that you wont take card if its not free.
Thats the route many people are following with HSBC. This is actually funny.

Even I too had told them that i'll take it only if it's free.
But look now

cypher · 21st November 2007, 17:16

@sushrutha, I've heard of many people who have the same complaint. Its a sales gimmick (or fraud, if you will) that their sales agents have been doing for quite a long time.

4 years ago, HSBC offered me a card and told me it was life-time free. When I asked why none of the application papers said so, they told me that they would not mention it in writing.

Everyone I know who has taken the card, is being charged after the first year. Tell them that you are cancelling the card and they waive the charge for that year. A friend of mine has been doing this every year.

akroy · 21st November 2007, 17:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by vnabhi

One big advantage is that you can fill up fuel in any bunk without service charges.

Exactly that is the reason for me shifting loyalty to HSBC from StanChart once fuel bills started to incline after my car purchase

I also got some nice cash backs from some retailers like Tata Westside...

Abhi

amohit · 21st November 2007, 18:10

dont know how they charged you. I have been using this card since last 4 yrs now. Never got charged anything extra.
Once was billed late payment fee as my due date came over the diwali weekend, but when I called them and asked them to cancel my card, the fee was reversed

Actually the best adv of hsbc card is that I can use it to fill fuel at shell. No other CC company has tieup with shell whereas hsbc provides "no surcharge" at all petrol bunks!

bruty · 21st November 2007, 18:19

This is nothing new I have HSBC gold card from last 5 years,its life time free for me also but still some time i get the statement for renewal fee. i give tehma call and tell them its frr ten why are yo charging, they agree to reverse it with out any fuss. call their customer care and tell them.

kuttapan · 21st November 2007, 20:06

I have my salary account with HSBC. They have sent me preapproved credit cards(with very low limit) without me ever applying them, but I never activated those cards.

One fine morning, a lady from HSBC calls up and offers me a lifetime free gold card. I asked her to show me some documentation which says it is free and she said she could not..So I declined the offer.

Same with Deutche Bank, they are offering free, but cannot show any documentation to prove it.

21st November 2007, 16:45	#16
anonymous BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: NCR Posts: 565 Thanked: 25 Times	Surprise!! Surprise!! Surprise!! For me, ICICI bank is best in Credit card. I have used Stan charted, HDFC, HSBC and SBI Cards with very bad experience. Among these, I found that ICICI offers best services as far as credit card is concerned. I also think, to get good service from any bank, one needs to have good credit history.
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 16:45	#17
DCEite Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NCR Posts: 3,417 Thanked: 2,554 Times	Thank god i don't have a CC. HSBC tried once, but i ran away.
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 16:52	#21
v&v Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,545 Thanked: 1,205 Times View My Garage	cut the card into 4 pcs and send them by regd post. if you have not used it dont worry they cant do any thing. in in c/c until it is written in your welcome kit for life time free, take it for granted you will get the annual charges.
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 17:05	#24
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	rtech, they will make it free. Just call them and tell them that you wont take card if its not free. Thats the route many people are following with HSBC. This is actually funny.
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 17:16	#26
cypher BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 153 Thanked: 4 Times	@sushrutha, I've heard of many people who have the same complaint. Its a sales gimmick (or fraud, if you will) that their sales agents have been doing for quite a long time. 4 years ago, HSBC offered me a card and told me it was life-time free. When I asked why none of the application papers said so, they told me that they would not mention it in writing. Everyone I know who has taken the card, is being charged after the first year. Tell them that you are cancelling the card and they waive the charge for that year. A friend of mine has been doing this every year.
	(1) Thanks

21st November 2007, 18:10	#28
amohit BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 451 Thanked: 52 Times	dont know how they charged you. I have been using this card since last 4 yrs now. Never got charged anything extra. Once was billed late payment fee as my due date came over the diwali weekend, but when I called them and asked them to cancel my card, the fee was reversed Actually the best adv of hsbc card is that I can use it to fill fuel at shell. No other CC company has tieup with shell whereas hsbc provides "no surcharge" at all petrol bunks!
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 18:19	#29
bruty BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 238 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	This is nothing new I have HSBC gold card from last 5 years,its life time free for me also but still some time i get the statement for renewal fee. i give tehma call and tell them its frr ten why are yo charging, they agree to reverse it with out any fuss. call their customer care and tell them.
	() Thanks

21st November 2007, 20:06	#30
kuttapan Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne Posts: 1,155 Thanked: 22 Times View My Garage	I have my salary account with HSBC. They have sent me preapproved credit cards(with very low limit) without me ever applying them, but I never activated those cards. One fine morning, a lady from HSBC calls up and offers me a lifetime free gold card. I asked her to show me some documentation which says it is free and she said she could not..So I declined the offer. Same with Deutche Bank, they are offering free, but cannot show any documentation to prove it.
	() Thanks