That's Not How Email Works, HSBC

Summary

I have a credit card with HSBC: you know, the bank with virtue-signalling multiculturalism in their ads. Not long ago I received a letter from them telling me that emails to me were being “returned undelivered” and they needed me to update the email address on my account. “What’s happening?” I don’t know what emails are being “returned undelivered” to HSBC, but it isn’t any of the ones sitting, read, in my email client. I logged into my account, per the instructions in the letter, and discovered my correct email address already right there, much to my… lack of surprise. So I kicked off a live chat via their app, with an agent called Ankitha. Over the course of a drawn-out hour-long conversation, they repeatedly told to tell me how to update my email address (which was never my question). Eventually, when they understood that my email address was already correct, then they concluded the call, saying (emphasis mine): I can understand your frustration, but if the bank has sent the letter, you will have to update the e-mail address. This is the point at which a normal person would probably just change the email address in their online banking to a “spare” email address. But aside from the fact that I’d rather not, by this point I’d caught the scent of a deeper underlying issue. After all, didn’t I have a conversation a little like this one but with a different bank, about four years ago? Perhaps I should be grateful that they didn’t say that I have to change my name, which can sometimes be significantly more awkward than my email address… So I called Customer Services directly, who told me that if my email address is already correct then I can ignore their letter. I suggested that perhaps their letter template might need updating so it doesn’t say “action required” if action is not required. Or that perhaps what they mean to say is “action required: check your email address is correct”. Say what you mean, HSBC! I’ve suggested an improvement to your letter template. So a...