Complaint Review: HSBC AccountSecure

I have a MasterCard with HSBC Card Services - Household Bank/Orchard Bank. I elected to sign up for the AccountSecure Plus package when I received this credit card. AccountSecure is administeed through BFC Insurance Agency of Nevea, located in Bridgewater, NJ. AccountSecure provides protection on your account if you become unemployed or hospitalized/ disabled.

I called HSBC Card Services in late July 2008 to inform them that I was laid off in late June. They gave me the number to BFC Insurance to call and apply for the "unemployment activation," benefit. BFC mailed m a claim form to fill out. I also had to mail them copies of my last 13 weeks of employment check stubs. I sent them everything from the state unemployment office I had received. I completed and mailed all this information back to BFC the same day I received the application in the mail.

On August 28, 2008 I was denied the unemplyment protection on my account because I "did not respond within 120 days," whic is not logical in the time frame. I called BFC numerous times to just be told they don't understand why I was denied. They told me to type a letter asking the "Document Examiner" to look at all my documents again. BFC phone reps could not let me talk to the document examiner directly. I faxed a letter to BFC on 9/6/08, explaing everything to the examiner and asking them to look over my case again.

While this is all going on, im getting called everday from HSBC telling me I need to make a payment and that my account is past due, which it is. HSBC also tells me that BFC Insurance is a seperate department and that they cannot expalin why BFC is denying my claim. Im also told by HSBC that if my unemployment activation is granted that it would take at least 1 billing cycle to take effect on my account!!



Jason
Lodi, California
U.S.A.