URGENT Free £100 Loophole discussion: MoneySavingExpert.com discussion

dazzatheman

Heres my story to date, and i believe i was one of the first to make the 2 payments.

Opened 2 accounts in mine and my wifes name.

Payed into both accounts the first £1000 before end of January, paid 2nd £1000 in on 5th February.It does say pay in stated amounts in first 2 months of account being open, so January is my first month my account was open, therefore February must be my second = qualify for £100.

Although accounts applied for at same time, only my wife had the email a couple of weeks ago reminding about the £100 offer. Very strange but put this down to large organisation inconsistency ( typical of big business not being consistent )

Offer says £100 paid WITHIN 28 days of meeting criteria, so the MOST i should have waited has come and gone.

Complaint made via email on their website ( i am not going to hang around begging for what they owe me on the phone YET ) on 6/3/06 which they say they will reply to within 5 days.

So dont hold your breath for an automatic payment, seems like begging will be the order of the day.

Personally expecting the 'spin' on the meaning of first 2 months, and end up having to bang another grand in again.

Will keep you posted.

ronnyb_2

ronnyb wrote:

Not heard anything as yet so rang the 0500 number to be told my complaint is still under investigation and I would hear something shortly.

Received a letter this morning from customer relations saying that my concerns were being looked into. There was also a leaflet outlining their complaints proceedure. Anybody else had one?

Balrog

ronnyb wrote:

Received a letter this morning from customer relations saying that my concerns were being looked into. There was also a leaflet outlining their complaints proceedure. Anybody else had one?

Yes me, and a phone call and a follow up letter, so hopefully things will go according to plan from now on. See my earlier post 9th March.

JCL

mariner99 wrote:

I paid £1,000 in on the 28th Feb. Went back in the next day (1st March) took it out and then paid it back in again and then out again. No money in now.

Don't think that's any good. You've paid in the second £1,000 way too soon. I take the each month to be that the two £1,000+ are credited a month apart rather than in different calendar months as you appear to have done.

For example I paid the first amount in on 13/2 and will do the second towards the end of this coming week.

Will then wait 28 days for the free £100.

Once the new account has been credited with £1,000 or more each month for the first two consecutive months after account opening, the new customer will be eligible to receive £100. Only one £100 will be payable to the new account opened and only one new account may be opened under the terms of this offer. The new customer's account will be credited with £100 within 28 days of the 2nd monthly payment of £1,000 or more being paid into the new account.

mjanet

:mad: just got my credit report from Experian and now I'm totally confused by Barclays AGAIN.

I applied for the account online at 10am 18th January, can't remember the exact wording but a reference check was done at that time of applying, or so it said.I then got the 10 day delay email ,then I got a letter to take I.D into a branch.When I went into the local branch the counter clerk photocopied my I.D. and said there was no one available at that time to see me so he would get somebody to contact me by phone ( as he didn't have a clue as to why I would be asked to come in with I.D.) He also kept a copy of my online application form that they had sent me in the post.That is the only thing he done I had signed the form beforehand but put 18/1/06 as the date and wrote on 'applied online'.A few days later I got a phone call from the branch to say everything was fine and my account was open.
Now I get my credit report and there are 2 searches on it from Barclays one dated 1/2/06 the other dated 10/2/06 both saying ...Application type : current account. Can anyone tell me why this would happen ? how they can do another search without my permission ? if I can get this extra ' footprint' removed from my file ?
Any advice about how this could affect me and my rights now would be greatly appreciated.

I think they are now going to say the account was opened in a branch but they are going to have one BIG argument on there hands so any help with some bullets for me to fire would be great .

apples1

mjanet
I had two "searches" on my credit file from Barclays (as did my husband) and we both did our application online without a problem (without being asked to take ID to a branch) so I don't think its the branch thing that has caused it. I didn't see it as a problem.

BertieMeldrew

mjanet wrote:

:mad: just got my credit report from Experian and now I'm totally confused by Barclays AGAIN.

I applied for the account online at 10am 18th January, can't remember the exact wording but a reference check was done at that time of applying, or so it said.I then got the 10 day delay email ,then I got a letter to take I.D into a branch.When I went into the local branch the counter clerk photocopied my I.D. and said there was no one available at that time to see me so he would get somebody to contact me by phone ( as he didn't have a clue as to why I would be asked to come in with I.D.) He also kept a copy of my online application form that they had sent me in the post.That is the only thing he done I had signed the form beforehand but put 18/1/06 as the date and wrote on 'applied online'.A few days later I got a phone call from the branch to say everything was fine and my account was open.
Now I get my credit report and there are 2 searches on it from Barclays one dated 1/2/06 the other dated 10/2/06 both saying ...Application type : current account. Can anyone tell me why this would happen ? how they can do another search without my permission ? if I can get this extra ' footprint' removed from my file ?
Any advice about how this could affect me and my rights now would be greatly appreciated.

I think they are now going to say the account was opened in a branch but they are going to have one BIG argument on there hands so any help with some bullets for me to fire would be great .

Don't worry (!) - your story sounds VERY similar to mine. I was asked to go into a branch with identification which I did. They photocopied the identification and kept the application form saying "we'll send it on for you".

Three weeks later and nothing had happened. I rang Barclays, explained everything and they said (1) that branch couldn't have done it for you (there has to be a personal adviser or somethnig to assist) (2) recommended two other "local" branches that I could use and (3) resent a copy of the application form.

I duly went into one of the branches and was handled very well. The lady who handled it all personally undertook (see my post) to "sort it"... and followed up with a phone call back to confirm that if I paid £1000 in March and £1000 in April then I would qualify for the £100 (within 28 days of the second £1000 deposit). She also said "if you get any problems then please call me". I now await...

I have written to the first Branch I visited asking them why they did what they did (or, rather, didn't do).

I suggest you follow a similar approach...

mjanet

Thank You for replying Bertie ,I decided to phone them and complain and what I was told was 1st search was to see if I could have an account 2nd search was to verify who I was because I had applied on line.I asked for the girls full name and extension number and said '' these calls are recorded arn't they ... can I just clarify that with you ,you are saying one of the searches was because I had applied online ? ...in that case can you check that I'm on the list to recieve the £100 to open the account '' .......... she went missing for agessssssssss , must of been hoping I'd get fed up and hang up lol .... then came back with '' yes you will recieve it as long as you pay £1000 in a month after your first one '' ...... that lost me a bit as I have paid both amounts in now and she had my account number so just to cover myself I have paid another one in ... will be out again next day

bit lost as to why I had to take I.D.in tho if they are saying one of the searches was to verify who I was with applying online ..... maybe it's me but a lot of this just don't make sense

BertieMeldrew

mjanet wrote:

bit lost as to why I had to take I.D.in tho if they are saying one of the searches was to verify who I was with applying online ..... maybe it's me but a lot of this just don't make sense

Pleased it sounds like it is sorted mj...

In my opinion the whole thing has been a shambles... not everyone had to go into a branch etc etc. I think the response they got just overwhelmed them. Still, when you're only making £millions / day it's not surprising

Woby_Tide

BertieMeldrew wrote:

Pleased it sounds like it is sorted mj...

In my opinion the whole thing has been a shambles... not everyone had to go into a branch etc etc. I think the response they got just overwhelmed them. Still, when you're only making £millions / day it's not surprising

So a bank released an offer with a giant hole in the T&C's that could be exploited and which was spotted and the information passed on to a few hundred thousand people. And you've only just realised it's a shambles and they were overwhelmed? I think Barclays spotted this on Jan 19th about Midday!