URGENT Free £100 Loophole discussion: MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

lisyloo

when I telephoned Im told to send passport etc in the post. Not happy about doing this, anyone been able to get round this?

They should accept a certified copy.
I'm not sure who can do it but people like a mortgage broker or an IFA could stamp it and sign it to say it's a proper copy and then you send off the copy.

Don't criticise Barclays they are only following the law.

oscarhugo

Patr100 wrote:

Never got asked about balances -but how am I supposed to remember to the month/year when I opened my present current account that I have had for years......?

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Why not give a rough guess - that's what I did. Are they gonna check to see if it's spot-on? I don't think so.

oscarhugo

newfoundglory wrote:

Has anyone still not got any response yet? I got the email... but have still had in the post? :mad:

I had the "10 Day" e-mail last week & had the appli-form in the mail yesterday.

Patr100

oscarhugo wrote:

Why not give a rough guess - that's what I did. Are they gonna check to see if it's spot-on? I don't think so.

I did give a rough guess but why ask the question if they have no way of checking it's accuracy for ID purposes?

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oscarhugo

It's probably so they know 'roughly' how long people have had current accounts. Either that, or sheer bloody-minded irritatingness ! (That's a word I 've just invented, evidently..)

Groundwork_2

Had my letter through from Barclays which said "Before we can finalise the opening of your account, please take additional identification from the lists below, to a branch convenient to you" (big list of ID) "Please take the above documents and the contents of this letter to a branch and they will be able to complete your application and open your account" etc etc "thank you for choosing Barclays. I look forward to offering you many years of service."

I felt chuffed that I had apparently been accepted and could look forward to my £100 in 2 months' time.

I took my ID to Barclays today. Handed it in (after an hour's wait in a queue). The girl was adamant I would receive my £100 even though I had come into the Branch - how she knew this without checking any information is beyond me.

She then preceded to cancel my original application and make out a completely new one in my name with all the details from the original brought across. I could see 2 applications on the screen. One was cancelled the other one with failed ID. She went through my ID again. She claimed the reason was that I hadn't put my middle name on the application (!) and went on and on about this fact.

After spending 20 minutes going through more details that I had already entered online she ran the credit score which came back saying I had failed. She put in the details again (again saying how I hadn't entered my middle name on the application) and it came back failed again. I asked her to stop keep putting it through as it could have an adverse effect on my credit account. She offered no explanation as to why it was turned down when I had been asked to simply come into branch with ID where "they will be able to complete your application and open your account". I asked her to stop what she was doing and cancel the application.

I rang 0500 007 234 after I got out (after trying to calm down) and they offered no reason either. It was only after I read out the contents of the letter, explained that it could possibly be due to the address not matching up with Experian and that surely if I had received a letter from Barclays at my home address and taken ID in with the same address (driving licence and credit card bill - Barclaycard by the way) then that should have been positive ID.

The operator said she would list it as a complaint and asked if I wanted to receive notification by phone or email. Since I am now paranoid I have 2 failed credit application requests on my record obviously I want to hear back.

Good luck to anyone who gets the £100. In terms of stress and time I definitely do not want it and would not bank with Barclays for any money now. I've asked for a credit report from Experian to see if it's done any damage to my account. I shall wait and see.

lisyloo

I did give a rough guess but why ask the question if they have no way of checking it's accuracy for ID purposes?

Are you sure that was one of the identity check questions?
All of mine were multiple choice which made them easier to answer.
I still think some of them were flawed though.

Spud_2

Are we all absolutely sure that we will meet the T&C if we deposit say £500 twice in one month and the same again the next? The T&C specifically states £1000 and I'm concerned that they'll wriggle out of it by saying you only deposited £500 twice and it doesn't count? Just need to be certain as I have been accepted and am almost ready to deposit the money - don't want to fall down over a slight technicality!

Has anyone asked this of the helpline? Thanks

Money_Man_Steve

As with "Groundwork," I got the letter asking me to take ID in to the bank to finalise my account opening. My middle initial is also wrong so I'll see how I get on... In the meantime, here's my story so far:

I went to my nearest branch last weekend with my ID but they couldn't help me because "there was no personal banker at that branch."

I just left work early to get to another branch before 5pm today, and got there just after 4.45pm. It did cross my mind that, by going at this time, they wouldn't keep me waiting for long. Bad mistake! After waiting 10-15mins, the assistant told the manager why I was there. The manager said to her (within earshot) "well we're not doing it now, tell them to make an appointment."

Nowhere on my letter does it say that I would need an appointment, or even may need one. So when the assistant relayed the manager's comments to me, I asked to speak to the manager. In the meantime, the manager asked another customer if they wanted any help. The customer said that she had a query on her account, and the manager took her off to an office to discuss it.

Then, a personal banker (who had just finished with a customer) came over to see if anyone who was waiting needed any help. I said that I wanted to finalise the opening of an account. He said that I would need an appointment - and that he couldn't do it now as his had to go and collect his kids.

He said the same thing of a colleague, and checked with a third person to see if they could help me. I saw a ray of hope and thought I might be getting somewhere, but the third person was also unwilling/unable to stay after 5pm to process my details.

I asked why I would need an appointment, to which he said it would take "about half an hour". I said I thought I was just providing ID, and pointed out that it didn't state that I would need an appointment on the letter. He replied that "I'd have to take that up with head office" and that they "would have to go through all of my details again" as well as check my ID, to which I replied "so what's the point of filling all the details in online then?" He then seemed a bit bemused, so I had a rant about being a new customer and that my experience today had not filled me with confidence about the bank. I asked for a copy of the complaints procedure and left the branch.

I called the 0500 online application helpline once I got home to discuss the matter. The woman I spoke to accepted that the letter sent out by the applications department should state that an appointment may be needed, and logged a complaint for me. I asked her to add additional comments regarding the fact that Barclays sent a printed copy of all of my personal details with the letter (name, address, date of birth, income, bank account details, mother's maiden name, phone number, work phone number full address, etc). I pointed out that this was hardly secure and that the information would be like gold dust to someone wanting to steal my identity.

She said that there was "no way round" this, but added it to my complaint, and found me the number of my next nearest branch (I couldn't face going back to the previous one) so that I could make an appointment to go in with my ID.

So - I am no closer to getting my account open and left work early for no reason, other than to be made very angry by Barclays. Still, I am now even more determined to pursue them for my £100 and put them to as much trouble as I possibly can in the meantime.

Oh, and regarding the "sending personal info through the post" thing, I'd consider taking my complaint to the ombudsman if Barclays refuse to change their procedures - it is ridiculous in the extreme to send all of that personal information through regular mail in this day and age. Does anyone else feel strongly about this?


Money Man Steve

Pauls

Got my account details through yesterday, OHs this morning. Just got to wait and see now