I fully agree with Peter Zammit (The Sunday Times, January 18) regarding the outrageous decision by HSBC to charge its customers a 'nominal' fee for using the internet.
The concept behind this announcement is shocking. HSBC want to charge customers who want to access their own personal accounts. It is just another 'take it or leave it' declaration from our 'local and caring' bank.
A high-ranking HSBC official retorted that since we access the bank from the comfort of our homes, we should pay for it, conveniently sidelining the fact that internet users are in fact contributing to relieve their overloaded/under-staffed branches. With this kind of aggressive 'creaming', HSBC's customers will probably soon have to pay for entering an HSBC branch.
This is unacceptable. It is the typical stance of a heavyweight toying with its petty and annoying subordinates.
If we are to put a stop to this continuous nibbling of our hard-earned savings, then a loud and clear voice from all HSBC customers is urgently needed. We all have to respond to HSBC's offensive new year e-mail with an emphatic "not acceptable".
Who knows? It may even be enough to appease our overweight bankers!