If you have Hong Leong credit cards, I urge you to terminate your subscription. If you have outstanding balances on them, I recommend that you do a balance transfer. If you are contemplating applying for Hong Leong credit cards, I suggest that you don’t. Why? Hong Leong doesn’t respect your rights as a card holder and a customer.
My SO and I were victims of a scratch and win scam almost a year ago. As soon as we’ve discovered that we were conned, we immediately put in a request to Hong Leong to stop the transaction via their useless Dispute Form, along with the Consumer Claims Tribunal reference number, to their so-called Customer Service department.
To sum it up, Hong Leong Customer Service is a fallacy. There’s no such thing. I had to discover this the hard way.
When we submitted the dispute form, the transaction wasn’t even posted yet. They had ample chance to flag it. But what did Hong Leong do? They decided to side with scammers than a long term customer! Hong Long reps even blatantly lied to us by saying that the transaction had already gone through. Why do I say they are liars? Because another rep said that the transaction hasn’t gone through, contradicting what her colleague said earlier. See their incompetence? Even they don’t know what’s going on!
What follows on for months was an endless trail of lies:
- The transaction was allowed to proceed because we need the credit card statement as evidence for the tribunal hearing; Lie! We have the receipts and items from the scammers, and those were enough to be used as evidence
- We just need to pay for the initial purchase price without the interest once we’ve recovered our monies; Lie! Until today, one year after 100% full payment was made for the initial purchase price, Hong Leong still charges the interests
- Hong Leong reps will get in touch to solve this issue; Lie! Nobody from Hong Leong bothered to assist properly. Instead, we were made like slaves trying to contact them and being put on hold for more than 30 minutes at any one attempt
To date, I’ve been waiting for them to give the final decision letter for me to proceed to bring this case to the FMB, for more than two weeks! Still no action, typical Hong Leong incompetence at its finest.
You can find this out by yourselves by trying to contact their so-called Banking Services Division through the contact details provided here.
Even though the interest now stands at almost RM200, I won’t pay a single cent! I’d rather bring this issue to court and let Hong Leong be exposed as the incompetent bank it really is.
April 11th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
Card companies want you to believe that credit cards give you better control over your life. If anything, the opposite is true. Its not because you’re unable to control expenses but because you bring variables into your life of which you have no control over, like scammers for instance. Call me extreme but your case is an excellent example of why you shouldn’t have a card.
April 11th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
maybank credit card is the best. i had bad experience with ambank cc
April 11th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Hahahaha, my friend hit the same problem. It is the mayban finance back then. Maybe some local bank tighten the anti-fraud policies. But I will avoid ALL local banks for all cost, unless they public their anti-fraud policies.
Bryan : You comment has little help on learning the RIGHT way to handle credit card. Indeed, credit card are suppose to help protecting consumer in fraudulent purchase, NOT OTHERWISE. Credit card company grace transaction period is indeed for a purposes. Credit card is a finance tools not implement by 3rd world country, but 1st world industrial country.
A TRUSTWORTHY credit card company are suppose to offer such protection, that’s why people like Ken Rockwell advise people to do online purchase using credit card. Should a site doing scam business, you can recover 100% of your money. On the other hand, imagine you purchase stuff using cash/bank draft from a scammer.
April 12th, 2007 at 4:37 am
Uhm… ok… one of my credit card are Hong Leong. I applied for it mostly because I love the design.
Guess I better be looking for another better designed credit card…
April 12th, 2007 at 7:44 am
Bryan,
Yeah, everything is painted wonderful when you’re a prospect. All sorts of “benefits and priviledges” are thrown in when you are a “normal customer”. But the one area where the good companies shine through is when customers need assistance. Hong Leong is definitely NOT one of the good companies.
But I won’t paint other banks with the same brush as well though. Most banks have good customer service, unfortunately Hong Leong is not one of them.
kucau,
Thanks for sharing
moo_t,
Agreed! Hell, I never had any problems with other banks’ credit cards personally. Hong Leong is the worst and I feel the world should know about them before more and more people are victimised by their incompetence.
cindy,
I hope you do. I love Southern Bank’s gold cards. They also gave a virtual MasterCard that can only be used online. The plastic ones cannot be used for online purchases. A good security measure should you misplace any transaction slips.
Now that they’ve merged with BCB to become CIMB, I’m not sure if the card is still being offered.
Thanks guys for your feedback. And remember Hong Leong is incompetent.
April 12th, 2007 at 10:07 am
[...] Do Not Use Hong Leong Credit Cards!If you have Hong Leong credit cards, I urge you to terminate your subscription. If you have outstanding balances on them, I recommend that you do a balance transfer. If you are contemplating applying for Hong Leong credit cards, … [...]
April 13th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
A lot of people complain of Citi services. Many credit companies provide credit protection. That is why when you choose credit card pay special attention if it has protection.
“I applied for it mostly because I love the design” Gaaaarh!!! It is very very irresponsibly! Cindy, it is your many! I think you can imagine another way to spend it then to give it to bank!
April 19th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
[...] I get my credit card statements, I do my own matching process. I keep all credit card related receipts until the [...]
May 1st, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Never heard of that card company. If you are looking for another, however, (a competent on this time) preferably the best balance transfer credit cards, you can always check online and look for familiar names, not some unheard of card companies who are probably just out to get you.
July 27th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
[...] Do Not Use Hong Leong Credit Cards! - HTNet … Credit Cards!If you have … best balance transfer credit cards, you can always check online and look for familiar names, not some unheard of card companies who are probably just out to get you. Have … http://www.heritage-tech.net/418/do-not-use-hong-leong-credit-cards/ [...]
August 14th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
[...] scammed by a Welley Corporation subsidiary Wijaya Marketing, I was unfortunate enough to be using a Hong Leong credit card. When I discovered I was scammed, Hong Leong Bank refused to co-operate, and choose to side with [...]
September 24th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Dear kuchau,
Maybank is terribly worse. My bro. is working in New York and his credit card is utilise in Malaysia. I made a lot of complaints and submitted all relevant doc after seeing so many staff and in the end they take the easy way out by “robbing” my bro’s fixed deposit account for the amount that was signed. Do you still think they are professionals? I think they are professional thieves. I still have all the doc with me. I want to make a police report and they told me not to as it can be easily settled. Easily settle by “robbing” internal account. Such cowardly approaches.
October 20th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Deal all,
Please give me advices, which bank / company provide the best credit card?
I am looking forward to apply my first credit card.
Thank you very much.
October 26th, 2007 at 9:13 am
Yeah .. its true that Hong Leong Customer Service is a failure! I called to change my mailing address but then for 3 months i have not getten my bills and they call me up to remind me of my outstanding amounts. I’ve even faxed 3 times to change address but nothing has been done till i finally lodge a report and then only it was changed.
The best is MBF Cards ….
October 30th, 2007 at 11:59 am
[...] Single Bookmark Category List Widget 2.0 Released, which is also PR5. On the other hand, this page; Do Not Use Hong Leong Credit Cards!, is a [...]
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Diana, agreed with you!
But my case were not seding me the bill for 4 months and keep calling to tell me my payment were due date and then charge me for late payment!
Well I am terminating their credit card this afternoon! LOL
November 12th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Please stop using Hong Leong credit card. You will be in trouble soon or later !!!
My husband credit card was clone, 6 years ago, when he realise his credit card was clone, he make a police report and bring the report to the bank for further action.
Year by year, with very busy lifestyle we forgot about that and moreover no news from the bank and he though that, all is over. But, last month when he want to withdraw money (salary) from the bank, the account was freeze without any letter or notice. When he check through the counter, they said that my husband own them (5 digit) using credit card.
We are very angry and want to know what going on. They ask us to go to the first branch he was open the account. Then we straight go to Banting branch. After few hours waiting, and few minute discussing they ask us to go to HQ at Jalan Raja Chulan KL. We reach there hour later, than wait almost 2 hours for them to entertained.
They ask us to write a formal letter to bring up to their head. But until now, no feed back and every time when we call, they just simply answer “STILL IN THE PROCESS”.
Unfortunately, my husband account still stuck and we almost die !!!
January 2nd, 2008 at 6:45 am
I use Hong Leong card, it is doing ok but the sad thing is their naive and offensive promotions. Once I received an offer to spend RM6k in exchange of a tiny electronic duster!
I wrote a lengthy letter to Hong Leong to stop giving such offer. The rep called me and got an earful, but I don’t think they have stopped now.
January 4th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Every credit cards have some ups and downs and when compared more of them have more down side catchs than benefits.
February 5th, 2008 at 9:10 am
I was googling for Hong Leong bank card centre email address because I want to report to BNM and cc to them but I found this blog.. haha..
I’ve got tons of issues with HL credit card.
1. My wife got her first statement weeks before she even got her credit card. How is that even possible?
2. I wrote a 2-page letter to their Manager in Credit control department, cc’ed to the GM of HL Bank Card Centre explaining their incompetence… a) I didn’t get any statements for few months (contrary to my wife’s problem when she got her statement even before she received her card).. b) They charge interests without any calls to pay outtsanding payments. c) Asked them to give ALL statements so that I can pay all and close the account. d) They gave me some statements with an initial outstanding balance. With the letter I enclosed the cheque to pay what I want to pay and wish the account to be closed. e) The cashed the cheque and they didn’t call or send any statement, letter whatsoever after that.
Now, 3 years later, I got a call from debt collector saying I still owe them RM1000+.. WTF!
They have not been calling me or communicating with me for 3 years, now they say I still owe them… (+3 years of cumulated interests).
I called Bank Negara earlier this week. They said many complaints have been made against Hong Leong credit card. I’m sending an email to BNM as they requested, cc to Hong Leong’s whatever email address you can find.
Send your complaints to bnmtelelink@bnm.gov.my
February 5th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
hoong leong bank is not good,
April 2nd, 2008 at 2:43 am
Thanks for the advice here…I have been having trouble with Hong Leong, now I know why!
April 21st, 2008 at 3:02 am
hong leong owner - singaporean kia su attitude lead to this management.
hahah no comment. Be my own credit card company..
April 21st, 2008 at 11:52 am
It is very true H.Leong customer dept and credit dept go down the drain. I don’t know what type of people they are hiring in these dept. After talking to them, your blood pressure surely go up.
When I wrote a letter to cancel my c.card, after 2 months their credit dept called me and ask why I need to cancel and ask for my IC, and personal details. Is that necessary to cancel a c.card? Then, what is the reason I wrote a letter to them, which they required in the 1st place? They really like to make their customers life difficult. Just ask them to call back later because I’m busy.
FORGET ABOUT Hong Leong credit card and have a life…
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:59 am
Sorry to hear about your story.
I have VERY BAD Experience with them as well.
Dispute on January till now even not received one call from them. The first time fax and i call after few day to check the status, they said dint received the fax. i fax the second time and call after 1 week, they told me they got the fax, but dint keyin to the system and i have to fax again. My GOD, can you believe how foolish is me to using their c.card.
STOP USING THEIR SERVICE and avoid more and more victim fr HL.