Why has HSBC really paid likely 100,000s people £100s in refunds and compensation? And could it owe even more?

We don't know exactly how many people are affected by this; we're guessing it's 100,000s as we've had so much feedback on it. Yet HSBC won't tell us, so we could be wrong, and HSBC not telling us is a theme you'll see throughout this article. Sometimes though, silence can be as telling as answers.

We first revealed in December 2020 that some people who'd been in arrears between 2010 and May 2019 on various financial products, including mortgages, overdrafts, credit cards and loans, had received cheques out of the blue for between £25 and £100. Some had almost binned these, thinking they were a scam, and some have since had payouts of up to £7,000. 

Details on why people are receiving payments and how these have been calculated have been scant, with HSBC and the financial regulator – which has told us it's aware of the redress scheme – remaining tight-lipped. But without these details, concerns have been raised by a former whistleblower, Nicholas Wilson, that people could be missing out. HSBC disputes this, saying it's contacting everyone affected.   

Mr Wilson has doggedly campaigned for years on behalf of customers of HFC Bank and John Lewis Financial Services Ltd, some of whom between 2003 and 2009 were charged a 16.4% 'debt collection charge'. (Both HFC Bank and John Lewis Financial Services Ltd are now owned by HSBC.)In 2010, the Office of Fair Trading ruled that these fees were unreasonable and did not reflect the actual cost of collecting the debt. In 2017, HSBC set aside £4 million to repay affected customers, and in 2019, following Mr Wilson's campaigning, it conducted a further review to contact customers newly identified as having been affected. HSBC has explicitly denied its current redress scheme is linked to this scheme, or to the 16.4% debt collection charge.

We put a series of questions to HSBC, some kindly suggested by Mr Wilson, to try to find out more. Here are its answers (in some cases where we had to ask follow-ups, we've collected its answers on each question into one, and we've also provided some context where helpful)...   

Question: Why exactly are customers being compensated and refunded interest and charges?

Answer from HSBC: "This review across HSBC and its brands relates to customers who were in arrears between 2010 and 2019 and identified that some did not receive a good customer experience from our financial distress teams. As part of this separate exercise we have proactively contacted all customers affected to let them know about instances where historically we could have managed their indebtedness better.

"Examples where redress has been sent to customers include cases where letters that were unclear or poorly worded which are now considered to be disengaging, where greater forbearance could have been provided and where a customer could have benefitted from additional support at the time and where expressions of dissatisfaction may have been overlooked.

"Each case has been looked at individually and an appropriate level of redress decided upon based on different factors. We consider the redress to be fair compensation for the relevant affected customers. 

"[Fees which have been refunded] may include a late payment fee on a card or interest on a loan, for example."

Q: Is the redress scheme in any way connected to HSBC's previous 2017-19 redress scheme for customers impacted by historical debt collection practices?

A: "This remediation programme is not connected to the HFC debt collection charge matter."

Q: Are the latest refunds for a 16.4% debt collection charge, and did HSBC continue to levy this charge after 2010?

A: "No, this is not correct."

Q: How has redress been calculated?

A: "The different factors include, but are not limited to: time spent in arrears, the value of the arrears, the products held, the journey or experience in their dealings with HSBC."

Q: Are customers who've been contacted as part of the latest redress scheme potentially entitled to further refunds or compensation? If so, how do they know if they are and what should they do?

A: "We have identified all impacted customers and are in the process of contacting them. Customers do not need to do anything.

"All customers we write to are provided with a dedicated contact number for any queries or complaints, and we explain the circumstances in which they might want to contact us – there is nothing else required of them."

Q: Is the redress scheme still ongoing?

A: "Yes. Our primary mailing is virtually complete with very low volumes being sent in the coming months. As we have said previously, we will also be issuing follow-ups where the first cheque hasn't been cashed. This will be fully complete by the end of November."

Q: In HSBC's 2020 annual report, there is a reference to "an investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority in connection with collections and recoveries operations in the UK". What does this relate to?

A: "We have nothing to add to our disclosure in the annual report."

Q: How much has been paid out in total?

A: "We are unable to disclose this."

Q: Does the £223m include former redress schemes as well as the latest?

A: "We are unable to provide any further detail or breakdown on this figure, but can confirm that a nominal amount of that relates to the costs associated with the remediation exercise specifically on the HFC brand, which is coming to an end."

Unhappy with HSBC's response? Ask for more details

HSBC told us it believes it has identified all impacted customers and is in the process of contacting them, so it says you do not need to do anything. And if you've received a cheque or payment from HSBC out of the blue, you may well be happy just accepting it, especially if you weren't expecting to receive anything – we think that will be most people's response.

However, if you do want a further explanation of what it is for, you can reply to HSBC saying that you accept the payment but don't want this to limit your ability to claim future redress for the same issue. That way, you can write to HSBC asking for more information in the meantime – and potentially leave yourself able to make a further complaint.

If you're unhappy with the response you get from HSBC or if you don't get one within eight weeks, you can take your complaint to the free Financial Ombudsman Service.