Thousands of HSBC customers in the UK are disgruntled due to their inability to access the bank’s mobile and online banking services. Reports from the Downdetector website indicate that more than 4,100 customers had trouble logging into their accounts. This technical issue hit on Black Friday, a day when shoppers secure big discounts from retailers. Regrettably, the bank is yet to determine when the problem will be resolved. A team is working to address the internal system issue, according to a statement from the bank. The bank has apologized for the challenge and stated that it is “really sorry for the inconvenience”.
Other reports from customers reveal that the issue was significantly frustrating because it was impossible to buy things online. Consequently, transactions were blocked, leading to purchases not being made. Marius Acsinte, who banks with HSBC, spoke to the BBC to share his experience on facing challenges in his account. He stated that his account was unavailable, making it impossible to pay his rent due for that day. He made an inquiry on why it was inaccessible but received no message or email explaining the issue. Instead, he found out online. He stated that HSBC customers should have been informed beforehand about the issue.
HSBC has around 14.8 million customers in the UK, with the majority of transactions made digitally. Nine out of ten transactions are made through digital means. The bank previously stated that it would shut down 114 branches in the UK in 2023 due to increased online banking use. HSBC UK customer services were primarily impacted, with no effects on other branches. HSBC stated that customers affected in such a way could choose a one-time passcode via Short Message Service (SMS). However, at the time of publication, it was unclear how many users had been impacted by the service interruption because account holders must check their accounts to know if the system was working or not.
Many HSBC customers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, with many complaining about being unable to pay bills through their account. HSBC updated its service status page, which indicates the availability of the bank’s digital services, around 11:00 while receiving thousands of reports of interrupted service since 07:00. With HSBC up and running again, its customers are hoping that such incidences will not be repeated soon
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