URGENT Free £100 Loophole discussion: MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

BertieMeldrew

I just had a phone call from Barclays... yes... they rang me!!!

When I went into the Garstang branch to open the account it was unclear whether or not I'd get the £100. Anyway, the really helpful lady said she'd chase it up for me. She only works two days a week but, true to her word, she rang me today and said "no worries... you're sorted"

I need to pay £1000 in this month and then £1000 in April then they'll deposit the £100 within 28 days...

I think she deserves a medal for volunteering to take this on AND actually following it through. I nominate her as the bank employee of the month (Funny isn't it... at one time you actually expected this sort of treatment.. now it is regarded as unusual...)

mbailey

freebird65 wrote:

OOOps - just double-checked my deposits and the first went in on 2nd Feb and the 2nd on 28th Feb - does this mean they'll count them both as Feb and not two seperate months??? Should I put another £1K in just to make sure?

It is not done on the calendar month - It is done on the opening date of your account. I believe this is also the date of your statements that you can view using online banking.

Balrog

Balrog wrote:

I meet all the above criteria but still have to go to a branch in person. I also registered a formal complaint but am still waiting to hear from the complaints department.

I received a letter on Saturday 4th March stating that they had received my complaint and were looking into it. After following comments on this site, I was not holding my breath and had all but given up. However, this morning I received a phone call from a very nice guy from the complaints department who asked me what had been going on. After relating the whole saga, he told me to go into a Woolich, Royal Bank of Scotland or my own bank and ask them to photocopy my ID and verify the copy by stamping it as a true copy of the original. Once this was done I could send them the copies and they would open my account. He did begin, however, by asking me to sign a mandate paying my salary into the account, but once I explained I wanted to stick with my original bank he said this would not be a problem. I explained I am way over the time from when I applied online to qualify for the £100 offer but he said this would not matter as it was their fault. I have also to contact him should I encounter any problems. Maybe there is light at the end of the Barclays tunnel after all. Watch this space!!

skiddy2k

BertieMeldrew wrote:

I just had a phone call from Barclays... yes... they rang me!!!

When I went into the Garstang branch to open the account it was unclear whether or not I'd get the £100. Anyway, the really helpful lady said she'd chase it up for me. She only works two days a week but, true to her word, she rang me today and said "no worries... you're sorted"

I need to pay £1000 in this month and then £1000 in April then they'll deposit the £100 within 28 days...

I think she deserves a medal for volunteering to take this on AND actually following it through. I nominate her as the bank employee of the month (Funny isn't it... at one time you actually expected this sort of treatment.. now it is regarded as unusual...)

good to hear that they contacted you, but to make it clearer, you've paid £1000 this month, do you have to pay the 2nd £1000 any time in april or a exactly a month after your first deposit??

skiddy

Leemer

skiddy2k wrote:

how many days after you put in the second £1000 did you get this email?

and did you put the second £1000 any time in march or exactly a month after your first £1000 was put in?

thanks in advance,
skiddy

Hi Skiddy,

Here is the information you requested:


Opened Barclays Account 18 January 2006

First £1000 in on 10 February 2006

Barclays Marketing £100 offer email reminder 23 February 2006

Second £1000 in on 4 March 2006


Hope it helps,

Leemer

BertieMeldrew

skiddy2k wrote:

good to hear that they contacted you, but to make it clearer, you've paid £1000 this month, do you have to pay the 2nd £1000 any time in april or a exactly a month after your first deposit??

skiddy

I've actually paid in 2x £1k already - didn't study the Ts & Cs! However, I'm moving the second one back out. I think I have to pay one "in March" and one "in April" so I'll just pay the next one in on April 1...

skiddy2k

Leemer wrote:

Hi Skiddy,

Here is the information you requested:


Opened Barclays Account 18 January 2006

First £1000 in on 10 February 2006

Barclays Marketing £100 offer email reminder 23 February 2006

Second £1000 in on 4 March 2006


Hope it helps,

Leemer

cheers for that leemer,
time to move some funds around!

skiddy

welnik

"Here is the information you requested:


Opened Barclays Account 18 January 2006

First £1000 in on 10 February 2006

Barclays Marketing £100 offer email reminder 23 February 2006

Second £1000 in on 4 March 2006"

I thought this was interesting, I have not received any emails to remind me?

tubster

Well, decided to chase this up after getting no confirmation of any account opening happening. Had three totally useless phone calls with Barclays people who had no access to my computer records, and just put me hold for 20 minutes trying to get through to 'customer services'. Who the hell had I rung already?! Eventually told to go into branch, (fourth call) as they would have computer that could check what was happening. Went into branch - it took almost 2 hours of form filling and questions. Said the application was on the system; they have set up a branch account for me and said to come in after two months if the money hadn't been paid and they would raise a complaint for me. So I'm putting £500 in out in out this month and the same next month and we'll see what happens. It has taken me about four hours of effort so far; say another hour of transfer and complaining, it'll be five hours. So that is £20 an hour. Not bad work if you can stay calm, but the Barclays call centre process is a total shambles. I'm so glad I don't bank there. The funny thing was that i went into the branch and the assistant looked up the computer records, couldn't work it out and called - guess who - the same customer services line I had been calling! 20 minutes later they told her to go to a branch for information! It was a great Catch 22 moment as I watched Barclays staff out useless each other. If you are still waiting to hear about your application, it seems that the only way to sort this out is to get someone senior involved in a branch, who has authority to look at the records properly. Computers save us so much time, don't they?
Tubster

BertieMeldrew

tubster wrote:

... If you are still waiting to hear about your application, it seems that the only way to sort this out is to get someone senior involved in a branch, who has authority to look at the records properly. Computers save us so much time, don't they?
Tubster

Sorry to hear of your problems Tubster... I concur with your advice... (see my earlier post)... the lass in the Branch chased it up for me... (am not sure why she works for Barclays... she was very helpful )