Totally sick of Barclays incompetence!

Elisexxx

Lokolo wrote: »

By all means I would be happy to answer any questions the OP had... but there weren't anyway. It was just a rant on how crap Barclays are

Yes, you are right very stressed and tired im afraid, but to be honest i dont really know what to do anymore more, when on the phone with the fraud team, they tell me to go in my branch, then when i go to my branch, they put me on the phone to the fraud team and back and fourth its gone, if im still not having any luck on Monday, does anybody know if i can complain to Financial Ombudsman ?

By all means if anybody has any advice i would be very grateful. x

Sorry, olly was posting before i could read your post, so should i complain in writing first and maybe send it special delivery?

Marg

I agree with the original poster, I bank with Barclays for reasons I can't go into on here and in my experience they are, with a very few exceptions incapable of providing a proper service to their customers.

Their incompetence recently cost me a lot of money and I complained to customer services. They ignored me for months until I threatened to write to the press about my valid complaints and involved a senior manager to help me resolve the issue. Only then did they take action to sort it out. They eventually sent me a hamper and a letter of apology but they could have saved their money and me a lot of time & distress if they had acted correctly in the first place. It was a most frustrating experience.

I think the OP is quite right to voice their opinion of Barclays on here. It's about time all Bank employees including those in the 'risk' department treated us like valued customers instead of vehicles to provide them with a cozy jobs.

MrsPitcher2b

Hi Elisexxx

I just wanted to second how uselesss barclays are

A few weeks ago i posted on here how i went to the cash machine with my hole in the wall card and the card was rejected by the bank? So I rang the telephone number and was told they could tell me nothing to do with it and i had to go into branch. They wouldnt put me through as the branch telephone line was engaged. When i said i would wait they suddenly decided the branch doesnt have a telephone line, so how it was engaged i dont know.

I then took time off work to go into branch, who informed me that they cannot tell me anything and i have to ring up?!!! When i rang up they again told me it was the branch. I then finally got someone in branch to tell em that my card had been reported lost/stolen. Well i dont know how as it was in my hand?! But the Assistant informed me that it may be because when they tried to deliver the card it was the wrong address. Again i do not know how as i have the card and i have been using it for months.


They also wouldnt give me any more than a basic account - no debit card. Because my bank manager decided i didnt earn enough?! Even though over 1500 goes in there every month. In the end i have decided to switch banks - more trouble than they are worth!!

And dont worry about ranting on here. Its an open forum to share your views opinions, so why not everyone else rants lol x I hope you get it sorted monday!

Elisexxx

Just another quick question, i have a barclays advance loan and a credit card with them, would i just be able to keep paying my direct debits for the loan and my credit card from which ever new bank account i decided to go with or could this stop me from being able to shut down my barclays account? Sorry i know its proberly a stupied question, but ive never opened up another account before as i have been with barclays since i left school

olly300

Elisexxx wrote: »

Sorry, olly was posting before i could read your post, so should i complain in writing first and maybe send it special delivery?

Yep.

Barclays have a complaints procedure and you need to follow that before complaining to the ombudsman. You need to wait 8 weeks between sending your letter and complaining to the ombudsman if the issue isn't resolved.

I would mention in your letter all your previous complaints and the methods of complaining on the issue trying to keep your letter to one side of A4. I would end the letter with the sentence that if the issue isn't resolved then you will be left with no choice but to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The address to send your special delivery letter to:
Customer Relations
Barclays Bank PLC
1 Churchill Place
FREEPOST
RTLA-CSUE-TCHC
London
E14 5HP

Just a word of warning sometimes recorded and special delivery letters are not tracked properly by Royal Mail. However if you do get the stage of going to a judge or ombudsman if you have your receipt, a copy of the letter and evidence of previous complaints to the company then it's more likely you will believed and the company won't. This is because it's common for those involved in legal cases to claim they haven't received letters.

Elisexxx

olly300 wrote: »

Yep.

Barclays have a complaints procedure and you need to follow that before complaining to the ombudsman. You need to wait 8 weeks between sending your letter and complaining to the ombudsman if the issue isn't resolved.

I would mention in your letter all your previous complaints and the methods of complaining on the issue trying to keep your letter to one side of A4. I would end the letter with the sentence that if the issue isn't resolved then you will be left with no choice but to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

The address to send your special delivery letter to:
Customer Relations
Barclays Bank PLC
1 Churchill Place
FREEPOST
RTLA-CSUE-TCHC
London
E14 5HP

Just a word of warning sometimes recorded and special delivery letters are not tracked properly by Royal Mail. However if you do get the stage of going to a judge or ombudsman if you have your receipt, a copy of the letter and evidence of previous complaints to the company then it's more likely you will believed and the company won't. This is because it's common for those involved in legal cases to claim they haven't received letters.

Thanks olly, thats a great help, in the letter though i take it i have to put my bank details ie account number and sort code etc, i just feel a bit nervouse about this for example, if it gets suddenly lost or not recieved

masonic

Elisexxx wrote: »

Thanks olly, thats a great help, in the letter though i take it i have to put my bank details ie account number and sort code etc, i just feel a bit nervouse about this for example, if it gets suddenly lost or not recieved

That's why you send it recorded delivery. Banks send out bank statements (containing your account number + sort code), debit cards, PINs and all sorts of other sensitive information by post, so you shouldn't really worry about doing the same.

It's also worth noting that while you can't compain to the Financial Ombudsman Service at this stage, you can phone them for advice if you need to.

Marg

Thank you & Masonic for providing useful information for the op.

Elisexxx
Once you have your new bank account you should be able to set up payments to whoever/wherever you want (I pay my several credit cards from one account).
I don't know if your loan from Barclays was conditional upon having an account with them so only they will be able to tell you that.

I don't expect your credit card will have strings attached.

Sorry I can't be more helpful..

:rotfl::rotfl: Just an idea - Ifyou don't pay a fee for your Barclays account - don't close it - just keep a few pence in it - then each time they send you a statement you will have the perverse satisfaction of knowing you have cost them money! :rotfl: :rotfl:

shirlgirl2004

I agree Barclays are pants. They bounced a cheque I wrote for the deposit on my house exchange. Why? because they said they didn't have my signature to check it against! Rubbish what about the forms you sign when you open an account? I went into the branch local to where I was working and after waiting 2 hours to see someone I was told I had to go to my own branch 2 hours away! Afterall that they still didn't solve the problem.

I recently closed my Barclays account because I have had enough of poor service. The new account reserve was the final straw. If you phone and tell them you don't want it they'll keep sending you letters about it stating that unless you contact them then you'll automatically have the reserve!

Good luck to the OP in getting it sorted.

olly300

Elisexxx wrote: »

Thanks olly, thats a great help, in the letter though i take it i have to put my bank details ie account number and sort code etc, i just feel a bit nervouse about this for example, if it gets suddenly lost or not recieved

Apart from what masonic said only a very small percentage of letters go completely missing.

However due to the fact some items do go missing all large companies and organisations seem to think they can get away with stating to judges and ombudsman that they didn't receive complaint letters. (Strange how you and other customers managed to receive all your statements etc from them sent via the same method.)

So the fact that you have a receipt for sending and other evidence to show that you did complained to the company before taking you complaint higher, judges and ombudsman tend to give you as the complainer the benefit of the doubt regardless of whether the receiving company did actually receive the letter or not.

It's amazing how many companies suddenly reply to your letters once they realise:
1. You have sent the letter by recorded/special delivery
2. You have started the complaints process with an ombudsman showing that you have sent your last letter direct to the company by recorded/special delivery.