Internet Banking using Ubuntu and Firefox

Hi After installing Ubuntu on the weekend at the install fest, I tried accessing my internet banking service with HSBC. I got an error message saying that I should use IE or Netscape. I contacted the bank this morning and received the reply below. Could someone using Ubuntu and Firefox check whether they can access https://ebank.hsbc.co.nz to see if its just my computer or a general problem. Could someone recommend a way of getting around the customer services people at the bank and through to the IT guys? As an aside, I could access this banking service using Firefox on my WINXP setup. Cheers Justin Hyde Dear Andrew, RE: HSBC Internet Access We thank you for your email. Please be advised to access the HSBC Internet Banking you will need to use one of the following: Web Browser Version PC's Internet Explorer 5.5 and 6.0 Netscape Navigator 7.0 MAC's Internet Explorer 5.1.7 for Mac OS 8.1.9.x Internet Explorer 5.2.3 for Mac OS X We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience. If you require further assistance please call our Direct Service Centre 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on 0800802380 (within New Zealand) or 09 3660366 (from overseas). Kind regards, Tatiana Mendoza Customer Service Consultant Direct Service Centre www.hsbc.co.nz --Original Message-- I have a new computer at home that has the Ubuntu version of linux as its operating system and Firefox as its web browser. When I tried accessing HSBC internet banking I was not allowed by HSBC to log on saying that I needed to Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. I believe that Friefox and Linux are widely accepted in the IT community, so I am puzzled as to why HSBC is not allowing access through these systems. I had to log into my old computer that has Windows XP so I could send this message from HSBC internet banking. Cheers

On Mon, 2005-05-09 at 13:22 +1200, Justin Hyde wrote:
Hi
After installing Ubuntu on the weekend at the install fest, I tried accessing my internet banking service with HSBC.
I got an error message saying that I should use IE or Netscape. I contacted the bank this morning and received the reply below.
Could someone using Ubuntu and Firefox check whether they can access https://ebank.hsbc.co.nz to see if its just my computer or a general problem.
Assuming you meant https://www.ebank.hsbc.co.nz/ then yes, I too get an error message.
Could someone recommend a way of getting around the customer services people at the bank and through to the IT guys?
The only way I can think of is to ask the customer services people. I find email often works better than phone for these sort of problems.
As an aside, I could access this banking service using Firefox on my WINXP setup.
Now this is strange. What version or Firefox were you using under WinXP? They are most probably doing their browser detection using the UserAgent string that your browser supplies which I would have thought would have been fairly similar between Linux and Windows. Perhaps not... You could try going to http://www.showmyip.com/ in both Windows and Linux, and recording the Browser (UserAgent) string it reports, I'd be interested in seeing how they differ. Regards -- Matt Brown matt(a)mattb.net.nz Mob +64 275 611 544 www.mattb.net.nz
participants (3)
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James Clark
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Justin Hyde
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Matt Brown