UKNM: hsbc online banking

[Ian Tester]

<rant>


I discovered yesterday (by accident, natch), that I can finally bank online

with my bank, HSBC, without having to resort to buying more crap TV. Not

that they told me, i happened to see a banner ad on their site when I was

trying to find the stupid new central switchboard number (they've changed my

branch's number and won't tell me what it is any more, so now I have to

spend 10 minutes on the phone rather than 2. . . ) . . .


Now, quite apart from the fact that they didn't even tell me it was live

(and it's an OK service . . . not world shattering, but anything is better

than the trek to islington - it's grim up north london), they just do not

seem to learn from the other guys. . . .


1. not allowed to choose a username, instead i am given a handy mixture of

12 random letters and digits - hello, hello? anybody remember the egg

launch??? To make sure that it's really secure, they advise me to print it

off, and tell me they will send me a card with it printed on (rather than

allowing me to choose something i might remember, but might make hard for

other people to guess, as it's like, my money)

2. i have to log on with the pin i use for phone banking, rather than

something hard to guess i could choose myself. when using phone banking,

they advise you never to give out the whole pin, even to HSBC employees,

instead they ask you for specific digits inside it. .  .online. . . . all

the pin, all the time (i have to login twice???) - another high security

measure. . .

3. If I connect over a LAN (i.e at work) i have infringed terms and

conditions, ditto if i leave my computer when logged on. If i don't touch

the keyboard for a few minutes (like when I make a cup of tea), it bumps me

off. . .


Oh well, I should be grateful for small mercies. . . but after waiting so

long, it seems a tad silly. Anyone know who was involved with their

front-end? Go on, name and shame. . . .


</rant>


i


Ian Tester, Business Accelerator, EMAP Digital

http://www.emap.com

Exmouth House, Pine Street, London EC1V 0JL, UK

T 020 7868 7574 F 020 7868 7514 M 07880 557692 E

ian [dot] testeremapdigital [dot] com

AIM iantester



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