Below is my VERY VERY VERY BAD experience towards Hong Leong Bank CC application processes.

I applied leave on 7th of March purposely in order to go to Hong Leong Bank to apply for credit card - Essential CC. A young guy served me on that day. During the process of filling up the cc application form, that guy dont know how to spell some english terms such as "commerce" & "engineer" so i told him the spellings he checked my pay slips and i'm eligible/meet the requirement of salary 30k per annum, so i submitted related documents(photocopy of IC, pay slips) to the guy. That guy told me to call the customer service if i didn't receive any news on the application.

Then i want to apply for a CDS account and another lady gave me the aplication form. After I have filled in the form and submit to her, she told me that NO REMISIER/AGENT in that branch and i STILL HAVE TO GO TO HLE main office at jalan ipoh. so i didn't apply the CDS account at Hong Leong since it is so TROUBLESOME

After 2 weeks plus, I still haven get any news from Hong Leong then i call the customer service. Then the person in charge checked on my status and told me that my DOCUMENT IS INCOMPLETE. Then i'm wondering how come Hong Leong didn't inform me about that. Is is I HAVE TO CALL only then they will tell me why my application is pending Then only there come a person called me and asked me to fax my IC, driving license to her. So i faxed to her. After a few days NO NEWS AGAIN Then i called this person to ask for the status and she promised to find out whats the problem. Then she said my fax copy is NOT CLEAR ENOUGH and asked me to fax to her again so i faxed ANOTHER TIME to her. Then NO NEWS AGAIN and i called her again and she asked me to send soft copy to her. So i sent to her. After a few days she smsed me told me the application is approved, do i want to proceed. Of course i told her to proceed. The whole process is sooooo troublesome!!!

Then i've decided to apply for Maybank Card 2. The person who serve me is so nice and I RECEIVED THE MAYBANK CARD 2 WIHOUT ANY HASSLE on the 1st day of the 3rd week from the day i applied. MAYBANK IS SO FAST & EFFICIENT

By the end of April, i received a letter from Hong Leong saying that my application was rejected as they required additional information/docment BUT the date of this letter is 11th of April. So i'm wondering shd i follow this letter that said i'm rejected or shd i follow what she said that ask me to proceed.

Today, 5th of May (which is almost 2 months) i received the CC from Hong Leong. When i opened the envelop, i found that Hong Leong did not give me the card i applied(Essential Card), Hong Leong gave me a CLASSIC Card. WHAT IS THIS !!! AFTER TONS OF HASSLE AND THEY GAVE ME THE WONG CARD !!! Then i called the customer service immedieatly and ask about this. Then the person in charge told me that "Essential card is same category with Gold card. While for the classic card, the annual income is ONLY 18k." -- she had some kind of meaning that i cant meet the requirement thats y i get Classic card Then i told her i know that Essential card requires 30k salary per annum and i meet the requirement, then she ask me to wait(she is going to ask some1 bout that). Then do u know how she answer me? she said "THE APRROVAL IS BASED ON THE MANAGEMENT DECISION ". i'm eligible to apply for the card and now she told me THIS KIND OF ANSWER !!! Then i suggest Hong Leong to include a note there stated "IT IS SUBJECT TO MANAGEMENT DECISION ALTHOUGH YOU MEET THE REQUIREMENT" WHAT KIND OF EXCUSE IS THIS. GIVING THE WRONG CARD THEN SIMPLY FIND AN EXCUSE TO COVER UP THE FAULT

Besides, if Hong Leong feels that i dont meet the requirement, why they approved my application and ask me whether want to proceed. Actualy they can reject me directly and eliminate all the hassle.

Hong Leong Bank = TONS of HASSLE + GOOD in MAKING EXCUSE

This post has been edited by ken_ng: May 5 2011, 10:00 PM

bro hye, i did not act/talk rude to the CS at all because i know it is not her fault because she is not the 1 approved my application. So i controlled my emotion when i talked to her. But the way she talked is abit like look down at me that i din meet the salary requirement. Besides, she dont even know what is the requirement of salary for the Essential card because she asked me to hold on and asked the other ppl.

I totally agree that different people will have different experience. So what i complain is just the CS shd try to find a solution for the customer and not looking down to those who dont have $$$$ salary per annum. In addition, if Hong Leong rejects my application of Essential card, then Hong Leong shdn't simply send me a DOWNGRADED card (from essential -> classic) which i did not apply.

Besides, the Hong Leong Bank (Pandan Indah branch) which is the place i applied for CC is soooo UNPROFESSIONAL. As i said, the guy who filled in the application form for me didn't know how to spell some simple words. And the environment in the bank is just like a MARKET (PASAR), those staff communicate in cantonese LOUDLY like they are in their own house. WHAT A BANK!!!

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Added on May 6, 2011, 10:16 amya, i agree that roadshow is much better because as we can see that majority of them are so desperate to persuade us to apply for the cc

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Added on May 6, 2011, 10:22 amyup, i agree that we cannot judge the whole CS by an individual...Of course i believe there are who treat us nicely...somemore may b the sound is so sweet hahaha...

Last time i called HSBC cc CS before. The 1st thing the CS did when she pick up my phone is she intro herself, telling me her name. Then only ask how can she helps me. She's very polite, sound is sweet and i can listen to her clearly. Then i tell her my problem and she said she'll call me back. Few minutes later, i received her call. SO EFFICIENT & EFFECTIVE!!!

This post has been edited by ken_ng: May 6 2011, 10:22 AM

bro, your "her" is from which bank ah? hehe

mind to intro me ah? haha... or she's from which branch? coz i hardly see HLB got roadshow...

ok, let me settle my current card problem these few days. then i pm u my number, k? thanks bro for kindness, cheers

i din use the card, i called the CS directly when i received the card. bro thanks for the valuable info.

wow, it's a pain...if some1 is not able to pay the amount, then the interest will be $$$...

oh, Essential card is unavailable dy? when i apply, the staff didn't tell me at all.

besides, the reason y i choose Essentaial card over Fortune card is because:

Essential card - 1% unlimited cash back. According to HLB website, it said "And there's no cap on how much you can get. The more you spend, the more cash back you get." extracted from (http://www.hlb.com.my/pfs/cc/ccessential1.jsp?flag=ccessential)

Fortune card - 1% Real Cash Earnings on your purchases* (http://www.hlb.com.my/pfs/cc/ccfortune_f.jsp?flag=ccfortune) I noticed that there is an extra symbol * there so i try to find out what are the HIDDEN terms & conditions. According to a blog, it said "in order to earn the 1% cash back one has to spend minimum RM1K/month with the card". In addition, "cash back is capped at RM50/month". extracted from (http://creditcardsmalaysia.blogspot.com/search/label/Cash%20Rebate)

So i have decided to go for the Essential card. The CS said they will investigate and call me on Monday. So i'll wait and see.

This post has been edited by ken_ng: May 7 2011, 01:01 PM

ya bro. I already have the Maybankard 2 I use the Amex on weekend only. So i need Essential card for my weekday usage to earn cash back

bro, thanks for suggestion. but minimum income for OCBC titanium is 36k per annum. I'm only 33k per annum so i'm not able to meet the requirement.

Lester, my suggestion is you better check whether they have charged u rm50 GST. If you are charged and you are not aware of it, then the interest will be growing and you have to pay more at the end. I say so because my past experience was i called to the customer service to cancel the card(on the day i receive the card) and she told me she is cancelling for me on the spot. But after a few weeks, i received a statement stated i'm charged for the GST. Then i called to the customer service and they told me the card is not cancelled, it's active Then after much arguments, calls and time spent in weeks, the person who contacted me all the while pay the rm50 by herself to eliminate all the hassles.