Linkou branch.
Based on their Google Reviews, they’re not exactly known for providing the best customer experience:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/G63mrwVgpqThFztTA?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
The entire account opening process was already a bit surreal:
I had made an appointment via phone and already sent copies of my ARC and passport as requested by them.
When I arrived, the security guard stopped me. The exchange that followed was roughly like that:
- What’s your business?
- I have an appointment to open an account.
- Oh. So you want to open an account?!?
- Yes. I have an appointment.
- Which employee do you have an appointment with?
- Uhh, they didn’t tell me the name…
- I need to know the name of the employee! Was it XYZ?
- Uhh…
At this point, the woman at the entrance counter took over and guided me to an empty room and told me to take a seat. After one minute or so, another employee came inside, put the application in front of me and just said: “Your name!” while pointing to the form.
Maybe I was expecting too much - I thought because I came to open a “Premier” account (through my Premier account in Jersey with HSBC Expat), they would at least offer me a glass of water or something. But instead, the entire process felt more like a police investigation… Especially, when - after writing Taiwan as residency - they told me I need to change that to Germany. It felt more like being lectured how I can be so stupid to write Taiwan there although I am obviously a foreigner…
At least they were fast - after half an hour they already told me “Okay, finished”.
Then, I was brave enough to ask if I can directly open a credit card. I handed them my income tax statement from last year.
Her first reaction was: “How can you have this kind of document?!?” - “???” - “You said you have an overseas employer. Why are you paying taxes in Taiwan?” - “Uhh, it’s the law…”
They checked a bit and told me that they cannot accept my application because they need a local employer. A tax statement would not be enough.
I then pressed further and asked if foreigners without a local employer can not open a credit card with HSBC. The employee was already telling me that this is the case when I told them that I know several foreigners who have successfully applied for a card. She then told me that I would need to prove a deposit at a Taiwanese bank.
(Unfortunately, my bank passbook wasn’t up to date so I couldn’t use it. So I headed straight to the next E.SUN branch to update my bank book. I also made the mistake of asking for a account statement. The employee at E.SUN was very friendly (just such a difference to HSBC staff…) but didn’t speak much English, so it took some time for her to understand what I wanted. She promptly got to work - and it only took her 45 minutes to produce said statement… Seriously, ESUN staff is mostly friendly, but just so slooooooow…)
Anyway, once I had the documents, I headed back to HSBC and handed them the documents. Then, they handed me the credit card application form and told me to fill it out.
Once I gave it back to the employee, she checked and noticed that I had written my Taiwanese address as “home country address”. She handed me a new, blank form and told me to write my address in my home country. The exchange that followed was roughly like that:
- “Uhh, I live in Taiwan. I don’t have any address in Germany”
- “But you need an address there. It’s the policy!”
- “But I don’t live there. I live in Taiwan.” (Showing my passport which says “Residency: Taipei”)
- She checks a bit and discusses with her colleagues
- “You need to have an address in Germany. Otherwise, we can not proceed”
- “Uhh”
- “Do you have any friends or family in Germany? Just use their address”
- “But I am not really living there…”
- “…”
- “…”
She then put the form in front of me slightly pissed and told me to write the address. I then wrote the address of my parents and told them again that I don’t live there. They didn’t care and told me the card should probably arrive within 3-5 weeks…
