"STAY AWAY FROM HSBC"
Orchard Bank® Gold MasterCard® Review
Written by: garydman on 2008-04-06
Overall Satisfaction
Customer Service
Rewards
Account Management
Delivery Time
garydman's review: 
Nasty company HSBC. Lame customer service (probably from the caves of Pakistan) High fees, they give you a low credit limit and they manipulate your credit scores by posting minimum payments immediatly but when you pay in full they don't report for weeks or months. No way would I recommend ANY HSBC card to anybody for any reason EVER. This company is the bottom of the barrel. Those who are considering opening an account, I would suggest Credit One Bank or Capital One would serve your needs. Trust me, NOTHING says LOSER like whipping out the old Orchard Bank Card.
Nasty company HSBC. Lame customer service (probably from the caves of Pakistan) High fees, they give you a low credit limit and they manipulate your credit scores by posting minimum payments immediatly but when you pay in full they don't report for weeks or months. No way would I recommend ANY HSBC card to anybody for any reason EVER. This company is the bottom of the barrel. Those who are considering opening an account, I would suggest Credit One Bank or Capital One would serve your needs. Trust me, NOTHING says LOSER like whipping out the old Orchard Bank Card.
15 Comments
Comment 1 by hjm331
RE: 
on 2008-04-06
I have the Best Buy Rewardzone Mastercard and it's not all that bad. That's probably HSBC's best product. I don't know what Best Buy was thinking going to HSBC though.
on 2008-04-06 I have the Best Buy Rewardzone Mastercard and it's not all that bad. That's probably HSBC's best product. I don't know what Best Buy was thinking going to HSBC though.
Comment 2 by arod
Ok There on 2008-04-06
Well I'm sorry but yes capital one but you said CreditONE this bank is awful in fee's in fact Orchardbank is better than Creditone
Creditone is full of fee's
Guys stick to CAPITAL ONE OR ORCHARD BANK Unless you want to pay fee's to CREDITONE BANK OR FORMER NAME CROSSCOUNTRY BANK
Take care,
ALEX
on 2008-04-06 Well I'm sorry but yes capital one but you said CreditONE this bank is awful in fee's in fact Orchardbank is better than Creditone Creditone is full of fee's
Guys stick to CAPITAL ONE OR ORCHARD BANK Unless you want to pay fee's to CREDITONE BANK OR FORMER NAME CROSSCOUNTRY BANK
Take care,
ALEX
Comment 3 by garydman
Yes Credit One Has Fees on 2008-04-06
Yeaa Credit One has fees, But Their fees are up front, Orchard/HSBC is just plain lame from the fees, customer service, Paying for CLI's, 2 Cycle billing, late reporting PIF's on down to the practice of letting you apply for their cards, hard pulling your report and then denying you saying you can't have more than one account with them.(didn't they know that before the hard pull)?? They almost guarantee that you carry a balance by making your statement on the 12th or 14th and not reporting to the CRA's until the 31st (if then) Nah, in my experience I would recommend HSBC to absolutely NOBODY!! They are not helping you by doing the things above.
on 2008-04-06 Yeaa Credit One has fees, But Their fees are up front, Orchard/HSBC is just plain lame from the fees, customer service, Paying for CLI's, 2 Cycle billing, late reporting PIF's on down to the practice of letting you apply for their cards, hard pulling your report and then denying you saying you can't have more than one account with them.(didn't they know that before the hard pull)?? They almost guarantee that you carry a balance by making your statement on the 12th or 14th and not reporting to the CRA's until the 31st (if then) Nah, in my experience I would recommend HSBC to absolutely NOBODY!! They are not helping you by doing the things above.
Comment 4 by arod
I Have 3 Cards From HSBC on 2008-04-06
HSBC is a good bank to repair credit and I haven't had any problem with them.
3 cards I have a HSBC - $800 credit line no annual fee
Household Bank $1000 no annual fee
Orchard Bank $500 no annual fee
I mean I don't like there low credit line.
But I will stay with them for now..
Alex
on 2008-04-06 HSBC is a good bank to repair credit and I haven't had any problem with them.3 cards I have a HSBC - $800 credit line no annual fee
Household Bank $1000 no annual fee
Orchard Bank $500 no annual fee
I mean I don't like there low credit line.
But I will stay with them for now..
Alex
Comment 5 by meya
Good Starter Card on 2008-04-06
I think that this card is very good for starters or rebuilders. There fees are no higher than AMEX or anyone else that wants you to pay an annual fee. I have seen some AMEX cards wanting over $100 per year for annual fees, but I only pay $39 for ochards. Credit one is not loaded with a lot of fees. I never paid anything but my $5.75 per month which adds up to the $69 per year. You have a choice of doing this monthly or paying it in full for the year. There are a lot of people in here that needs to depend on Orchard until they can get themselves a better card. Trust me I have been there, done that, and almost finished.
on 2008-04-06 I think that this card is very good for starters or rebuilders. There fees are no higher than AMEX or anyone else that wants you to pay an annual fee. I have seen some AMEX cards wanting over $100 per year for annual fees, but I only pay $39 for ochards. Credit one is not loaded with a lot of fees. I never paid anything but my $5.75 per month which adds up to the $69 per year. You have a choice of doing this monthly or paying it in full for the year. There are a lot of people in here that needs to depend on Orchard until they can get themselves a better card. Trust me I have been there, done that, and almost finished.
Comment 6 by arod
Well Yes Meya on 2008-04-06
Yes it true but I receive everyday offers from Creditone and all I see is fee's.
Amex will charge you fee's I pay for my Amex Gold $125 annual but it has membership rewards and you get a lot discounts by shopping AMEX STORE.
Plus I have enough rewards to fly free this year.
And well I say what ever works for you... We are all here trying to get better cards and it will happen in time..
Anyway Good luck to all
And MEYA I really don't know about credit one but I get a lot of there mail in my shredder.
Take Care,
Alex
on 2008-04-06 Yes it true but I receive everyday offers from Creditone and all I see is fee's.Amex will charge you fee's I pay for my Amex Gold $125 annual but it has membership rewards and you get a lot discounts by shopping AMEX STORE.
Plus I have enough rewards to fly free this year.
And well I say what ever works for you... We are all here trying to get better cards and it will happen in time..
Anyway Good luck to all
And MEYA I really don't know about credit one but I get a lot of there mail in my shredder.
Take Care,
Alex
Comment 7 by sethatco
HSBC IS A BOTTOM FEEDER on 2008-04-06
. This bank is a bunch of cheap British well you get the idea. I have had an orchard bank card for 3 years which is all I could get after being wrecked by identity theft. I put up with their nonsense for now 3 years. I was floored when after 3 years I have never been given a CLI and I am asked to pay a $49 annual fee not to mention the ultimate slap in the face a 26.99% APR. I called them today to explain that I have 2 mainline cards. HSBC Platinum MasterCard with a 0% for 12 months as well as a Reward zone MC with no annual fee, not to mention the 9 store cards I have with them from HP credit to Bergdorf Goodmans. The idiots in Bangalore were useless as usually telling me I could apply for a CLI with a hard pull and I asked the CSR if he was HIGH. My other cards with HSBC have limits of 4 and 7 the store cards range from 2 to 8. I suggest people send these miserable British tools a strong message and tell them exactly what they can do with their fees and APR's. Sadly I will keep this POS card until Dec of 08 when my Macys card will have been open for 3 years and then I can send the card back to HSBC with a kiss my grits. The comedy of HSBC is when it comes to Orchard they do not care if you have a Fico score of 760 or 540 they take pleasure in screwing consumers and bored line abuse of usury laws, you would get a better rate from a loan shark. God save the Queen.
on 2008-04-06 . This bank is a bunch of cheap British well you get the idea. I have had an orchard bank card for 3 years which is all I could get after being wrecked by identity theft. I put up with their nonsense for now 3 years. I was floored when after 3 years I have never been given a CLI and I am asked to pay a $49 annual fee not to mention the ultimate slap in the face a 26.99% APR. I called them today to explain that I have 2 mainline cards. HSBC Platinum MasterCard with a 0% for 12 months as well as a Reward zone MC with no annual fee, not to mention the 9 store cards I have with them from HP credit to Bergdorf Goodmans. The idiots in Bangalore were useless as usually telling me I could apply for a CLI with a hard pull and I asked the CSR if he was HIGH. My other cards with HSBC have limits of 4 and 7 the store cards range from 2 to 8. I suggest people send these miserable British tools a strong message and tell them exactly what they can do with their fees and APR's. Sadly I will keep this POS card until Dec of 08 when my Macys card will have been open for 3 years and then I can send the card back to HSBC with a kiss my grits. The comedy of HSBC is when it comes to Orchard they do not care if you have a Fico score of 760 or 540 they take pleasure in screwing consumers and bored line abuse of usury laws, you would get a better rate from a loan shark. God save the Queen.
Comment 8 by garydman
HSBC on 2008-04-06
HSBC = Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.
They bring new meaning to the phrase "being Shanghai'ed" STAY AWAY for them. You really don't need credit that bad. It is no secret that they are sub-prime slime and have no intention of allowing you to grow and rebuild your credit. Their only goal is to keep you in debt to them either for real or on paper. Either way that isn't helping anyone but them. Just look at the CSR's they use. How can you really get anything accomplished by someone reading from a script and who has no concept of American life and culture? One has to conclude that they don't care. The 3 buck an hour foreign call center CSR's are the same thing you get when you get their cards. Second and third rate everything. Strongly consider other options before applying with HSBC. I say this from experience.
on 2008-04-06 HSBC = Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation.They bring new meaning to the phrase "being Shanghai'ed" STAY AWAY for them. You really don't need credit that bad. It is no secret that they are sub-prime slime and have no intention of allowing you to grow and rebuild your credit. Their only goal is to keep you in debt to them either for real or on paper. Either way that isn't helping anyone but them. Just look at the CSR's they use. How can you really get anything accomplished by someone reading from a script and who has no concept of American life and culture? One has to conclude that they don't care. The 3 buck an hour foreign call center CSR's are the same thing you get when you get their cards. Second and third rate everything. Strongly consider other options before applying with HSBC. I say this from experience.
Comment 9 by stiletto
Orchard Bank on 2008-04-06
I also have an Orchard Bank MC and just received an Household Bank MC. I have not had any problems with either one. The customer service has always been very helpful and nice. This is a great card for someone that is rebuilding or starting out. I also receive offers from Credit One every other day. After reserching them, I have to say I perfer Orchard Bank.
on 2008-04-06 I also have an Orchard Bank MC and just received an Household Bank MC. I have not had any problems with either one. The customer service has always been very helpful and nice. This is a great card for someone that is rebuilding or starting out. I also receive offers from Credit One every other day. After reserching them, I have to say I perfer Orchard Bank.
Comment 10 by garydman
They Both Are Lame on 2008-04-06
Truthfully, they both are lame cards. But in my experience Credit One doesn't pull the lame tricks that HSBC/Orchard does. If you have a $300 limit on a card that reports 18 days after the statement cuts and you use it for just about anything, you are going to have a balance report to the CRS's that hurts your credit score. (a balance greater than 10%) It's almost unavoidable unless you don't use the card at all. It's these kind of hidden tricks they use to deceive people and manipulate their scores so they don't qualify for better cards. My advice is: try to get another card somewhere else, no matter what, you can always use Orchard as a last resort, after all, I doubt that they turn down anyone. lol.
on 2008-04-06 Truthfully, they both are lame cards. But in my experience Credit One doesn't pull the lame tricks that HSBC/Orchard does. If you have a $300 limit on a card that reports 18 days after the statement cuts and you use it for just about anything, you are going to have a balance report to the CRS's that hurts your credit score. (a balance greater than 10%) It's almost unavoidable unless you don't use the card at all. It's these kind of hidden tricks they use to deceive people and manipulate their scores so they don't qualify for better cards. My advice is: try to get another card somewhere else, no matter what, you can always use Orchard as a last resort, after all, I doubt that they turn down anyone. lol.
Comment 11 by sandyekay1
Orchard Bank Isn't Great...... on 2009-01-09
Orchard charges $25.00 for a $100.00 CLI... Also, my friend has a secured Orchard and they still haven't made it unsecured after more then a year.
Also, to give you an increase they do a hard pull... I'm not fond of the 79.00 fee either. I can hardly wait to say goodbye!
on 2009-01-09 Orchard charges $25.00 for a $100.00 CLI... Also, my friend has a secured Orchard and they still haven't made it unsecured after more then a year.Also, to give you an increase they do a hard pull... I'm not fond of the 79.00 fee either. I can hardly wait to say goodbye!
Comment 12 by aimeemme
Just Pay Your Bills On Time on 2009-02-26
Not true. HSBC is fine. Just pay all of your bills on time and they lower your interest rates and their phone people are fine. They even replace defective cards without a hassle and quickly too. No problems here.
on 2009-02-26 Not true. HSBC is fine. Just pay all of your bills on time and they lower your interest rates and their phone people are fine. They even replace defective cards without a hassle and quickly too. No problems here.
Comment 13 by brownfox79
Orchard Works Fine For Me on 2009-03-28
2 weeks ago, less than a month before my one year anniversary, I called to request a CLI on my $300 limit. With no hard pull on my credit(I checked), and no fee for the increase, she gave me a CLI of $600, bringing my new limit to $900. Only advice I can give is to sound really discouraged with their services when calling for a CLI. And have your balance under 50% of your limit. Looks like I'll be keeping my Orchard Mastercard around a little longer.
on 2009-03-28 2 weeks ago, less than a month before my one year anniversary, I called to request a CLI on my $300 limit. With no hard pull on my credit(I checked), and no fee for the increase, she gave me a CLI of $600, bringing my new limit to $900. Only advice I can give is to sound really discouraged with their services when calling for a CLI. And have your balance under 50% of your limit. Looks like I'll be keeping my Orchard Mastercard around a little longer.
Comment 14 by meya
Cool on 2009-03-29
You are the first membere I ever heard from this site recieving such a high cli from Orchard. Keep up the good work.
on 2009-03-29 You are the first membere I ever heard from this site recieving such a high cli from Orchard. Keep up the good work.
Comment 15 by jhs75
Re: STAY AWAY FROM HSBC on 2010-02-25
I went to an bankruptcy lawyer yesterday, thx to my ex gambling online with my credit cards, I have to file chap 7. Because he ruined my lifes work. So, do have an Orchard Bank card, so far it's been fine. Also 9.9% fixed, I contacted cust serv & went through every line & showed card agreement to attorney yesterday also. She said looked ok, BUT did say annual fee's are illegal now, I said, they call them "enrollement fees now" so, simply changing the name took care of the government's legality of annual fee, but, regardless, card has been good, no complaints
on 2010-02-25 I went to an bankruptcy lawyer yesterday, thx to my ex gambling online with my credit cards, I have to file chap 7. Because he ruined my lifes work. So, do have an Orchard Bank card, so far it's been fine. Also 9.9% fixed, I contacted cust serv & went through every line & showed card agreement to attorney yesterday also. She said looked ok, BUT did say annual fee's are illegal now, I said, they call them "enrollement fees now" so, simply changing the name took care of the government's legality of annual fee, but, regardless, card has been good, no complaints
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Disclaimer: This content is not provided by Capital One Bank (USA), N.A.. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by Capital One Bank (USA), N.A.. Review content is powered by Finance Globe.
