URGENT Free £100 Loophole discussion: MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

martin71

Bockster - Yep, I got both the series of Equifax questions plus the need to go into the branch with ID.

Perhaps I got some of the questions wrong!

The chap in the branch asked me what prompted me to open the account - when I told him it was the £100 bribe he just looked interested. He obviously knew all about it and he certainly didn't say "Well, in that case you're ineligible because your application was not completely online."

We shall see - interested to hear all these experiences from everyone else.

Martin

emlofr

Well not impressed with Barclays at all!! just had to log on to vent anger :mad:

Got standard letter asking for me to go into branch with my ID, which I did on Saturday - very frustrating process in itself - had to wait over half an hour just for someone to copy it!!!

Phoned up help line today just to check all being processed smoothly and qualify for £100 and lo and behold they cannot trace my details at all they have vanished into thin air!! Funny seeing as they have both managed to write to and email me. Spoke to an very unhelpful supervisor who basically said couldn't help me and that she would investigate and get back to me in 5 days - I await to hear from them.....not holding out much hope of getting this £100 all far too much agro so far and definitely put off Barclays for life - so it seems they are cutting their nose off to spite their face with the manner in which they are dealing with this issue.

RDA

Patr100 wrote:

I'm just checked via the Experian online trial - Barclays did a check on the 27th jan -
Now How do I cancel the trial ?- It says i have to cancel the CC authority.

-

You can't cancel a CC authority - only the merchant concerned can do that.

Just send an email to CustomerService@CreditExpert.co.uk and ask that your account is closed at the end of the trial. They quote an 8 day response time to emails, so bear this in mind.

I cancelled mine this way and they responded telling me that the account would be closed at the end of the 30-day trial.

innovate

RDA wrote:

You can't cancel a CC authority - only the merchant concerned can do that.

Just send an email to CustomerService@CreditExpert.co.uk and ask that your account is closed at the end of the trial. They quote an 8 day response time to emails, so bear this in mind.

I cancelled mine this way and they responded telling me that the account would be closed at the end of the 30-day trial.

I cancelled mine on the phone - the confirmation letter should contain an 0800 number for the Experian CS, and there was a special option (3) for cancelling when I cancelled. Very pleasant CS person, no questions asked, just cancelled my subscription.

Spud_2

Spud wrote:

I don't know if this helps anyone, but I happened to register online for a copy of my credit report yesterday from Equifax (this was FREE - see Martin's article about it here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/viewnews.cgi?newsid1132671851,54269,).

I noticed that on my report, there is an entry logged on 18/1/06 (the date I applied for the £100 Barclays offer) showing that Barclays Bank did a search to authenticate me.

Now I still haven't heard anything from them since the "10 day email" that was sent, but I understand people are having problems proving to Barclays when they applied online.

It may help if you can provide a copy of the part of your credit report which logs the search and the date it took place - they can't really wriggle out of that one! Hope this helps, I'm certainly going to use mine if I come up against any problems.

Fingers crossed for us all!

An update on this.....I applied online today for my credit report via Experian. This shows a search from Barclays Bank dated 26/1/06. So I've concluded that the Equifax report shows the actual date of application - as the security questions asked as part of the application were from Equifax - and Experian shows the date Barclays started to process/check your application. Therefore, if proof is required you only need to concentrate on Equifax. HTH.

sarbre

Went into a Barclays branch today with my letter asking for proof of ID. The staff member told me she could complete the application in the branch as it would be quicker. I told her about the £100 offer and said I needed to make sure I would still be eligible. She phoned the helpine who told her that I wouldn't be eligible for the £100 offer as I didn't pass the credit check and therefore had to bring in documents to the branch. The letter said nothing about this, and simplly told me to visit the branch in order for them to "finalise the opening of (my) account". I never have any problems with credit checks.

lisyloo

I never have any problems with credit checks.

Did they ask you a question about the balance on one of your accounts?

This could be the problem.

They asked me about the balance from my "latest statement" for one of my credit cards. I happened to have a fairly recent credit report and the latest statement balance was 2 months out of date.
I think this is an unfair question because credit reports are updated in arrears and there is no way you can know the answer (unless you pay for an on-line report at the time).

Their question is flawed which may be why so many of us have flunked the test.

Sooler

sarbre wrote:

She phoned the helpine who told her that I wouldn't be eligible for the £100 offer as I didn't pass the credit check and therefore had to bring in documents to the branch. The letter said nothing about this, and simplly told me to visit the branch in order for them to "finalise the opening of (my) account". I never have any problems with credit checks.

There is nothing in the terms and conditions about having to pass any credit checks to be entitled to the offer.
To be entitled you have to open the account within 30 days.
Barclays have processed your online application as you fully completed the online application form as required. You need to pass credit checks to finalise opening of the account. You're entitled to the £100 offer for opening the account, not passing the credit checks.

Try phoning the 0500 and push as far as you can and register a complaint, politely but firmly as the staff can only reply what they've been instructed to.

They may try saying you do not qualify and the letter is an invitation to open an account in branch. It is not. The letter is to finalise the opening of the account applied for online.

You may get passed to a supervisor, who may say they can't offer anything else as they do not have access to the online application forms to check anything. The people who do have access are not 'there', they are 'somewhere else'. Ask to be put through to someone who does have access, if that is what is necessary.

etc. etc. .... don't get fobbed off.

Just ensure they register a complaint, they will say how many days in which they will respond to it. Was 48 hours but seems it may be now 5 days.

I never got a response within the time but when I went into branch with ID to finalise the opening of the account it was registered as being entitled to the £100 offer.

Try going back to branch in a few days to finalise the opening of the account, if it hasn't been resolved inform them a complaint was reigistered so you need an answer to that as well.

It can't be quicker to apply in branch anyway as all they do is take copies of ID and a sample signature. They access your application on their screen and register the ID. Done.
You do not need to fill in any forms in branch.

northerngeezer

Me and my wife received our account details on saturday. We set up our accounts online and I deposited £1000 into my account via the local branch (Pudsey).

I have checked my account online and the balance shows the money has been deposited.

If I now transferred the full amount to my wifes account online, would that make them suspicious or should I transfer my £1000 to a third account and then move that amount to my wifes account. Also should I leave a small amount in my account ?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

fatboyonadiet

lisyloo wrote:

I don't have the number to hand but it's on the website.

Why do you need to know when the offer closed in order to tell them when you applied? It closed 19th Jan at about 11a.m. (not precise time).
There are 2 ways to find out when you applied
a) search for the cookie on your PC
b) get your credit report from Experian and see when they did a credit check. If you haven't used their free trial before you can get it for free (but remember to cancel).

Cheers, gave them a call and I have been accepted and paperwork was sent out yesterday so everything should be OK - £100 here I come!