HSBC is most recent to suspend ‘packaged account’ income
The financial institution has withdrawn its ‘packaged’ accounts as complaints from customers mount 
Photograph: AP
HSBC has suspended sales of its main paid-for bank account as it prepares to move consumers to a new deal.
The bank’s actions coincide with a swell in criticism of so-named packaged recent accounts, which value up to £300 a year for a selection of insurance perks. Complaints about this kind of accounts have a lot more than tripled in a 12 months, with some clients claiming they in no way knew of, or wished, the positive aspects.
Regulators are keeping a close eye on the way the accounts are marketed, offered and run, and the Monetary Carry out Authority now requires banks to conduct standard checks to make certain customers are getting charged for a appropriate services.
Lloyds TSB stopped providing accounts in branches and in excess of the phone in December 2012 as it “amended” its revenue method, whilst Barclays has altered its accounts so clients voluntarily signal up to rewards they want. Santander final yr ditched the accounts entirely.
HSBC stated halting the promotion of its Advance existing account, which costs £12.95 a month and involves worldwide travel insurance coverage and breakdown cover, was unrelated to any regulatory scrutiny.
A spokesman for HSBC stated it intended to provide a new edition of the Advance account later on this yr, at which level existing Advance customers would be moved to the new deal.
Just 1 in ten HSBC present account customers held a paid-for deal, the organization said, in contrast with an industry average of three in ten. This, the spokesman said, was evidence that the financial institution “was in a quite excellent place in terms of the way our accounts are getting sold”.
In a statement, HSBC stated: “In planning for the launch of the new version of the HSBC Advance present account, anticipated later on this 12 months, the account is temporarily unavailable to new consumers in the Uk. This will let for a smoother transition to the new version of HSBC Advance and reduces the chance of disruption to clients.”
Campaigners have warned that packaged current accounts, which are held by 11 million men and women, could turn out to be the up coming banking mis-offering scandal.
But so far complaint amounts have not been high enough to justify fears of a repeat of the payment safety insurance mis-offering fiasco, which has impacted hundreds of thousands of folks.
The monetary ombudsman said that in the yr to March, it had received 5,667 complaints about packaged recent accounts, up from one,629 the previous year. Of these, 78pc had been decided in the customer’s favour.
The ombudsman only bargains with complaints that have been rejected by banks. This suggests the true degree of complaints every single yr could be nearer a hundred,000, sources stated. An ombudsman spokesman mentioned most complaints have been about the sale of packaged policies, although they also arose when customers claimed on the insurance, only to uncover it offered constrained cover.
Best packaged accounts
Not all packaged current accounts are duds. Right here we search at some of the accounts well worth investigating.
Nationwide FlexPlus Present Account includes Uk and European breakdown cover, throughout the world loved ones travel insurance coverage (like winter sports), globally mobile mobile phone insurance and extended guarantee on family electrical goods.
Pros Pays 3pc in-credit curiosity on up to £2,500.
Cons Costs £10 a month.
M&S Premium Existing Account with Insurance coverage comes with around the world multi-journey household travel insurance coverage.
Pros Good for M & S shoppers as clients get loyalty factors for debit card use, £40 a year in M & S vouchers, £127 worth of scorching drinks vouchers for the M & S café, plus M & S will give new Premium recent account buyers a £50 M & S gift card, and yet another £100 present card to those who transfer making use of the switching service.
Cons Charges £17.50 a month no in-credit interest.
Royal Financial institution of Scotland’s Pick Platinum Existing Account comes with throughout the world travel insurance, mobile cellphone insurance coverage for two phones and United kingdom auto breakdown cover.
Pros Comes with two loved ones passes to Nationwide Believe in Days Out and Tastecard membership.
Cons Fees £16 a month no in-credit interest.