Barclays Golden ISA feedback

coffeegirl-2009

As an existing Barclays internet customer I just did this online and it literally took less than 2 minutes to complete. The new account is now ready and already viewable under my internet account. Could not be easier.

gbjbasdw

Been to two branches of Barclays this morning to attempt to open an Golden ISA.

First one had signs up everywhere saying you needed to book a 45 minute appointment to open one.

At the other branch I saw one of their "customer service" people ( what a joke ! ) who again told me I need to book a 40 minute appointment. When I asked him why it was going to take 40 minutes to fill out a piece of paper he produced a booklet that we were supposedly going to have to fill in. One of the boxes was entitled " Tell us about your lifesyle". I pointed out to the guy that this had sod all to do with opening an ISA and that my lifestyle meant I didn't have time to spend answering questions that were none of their damn business.

I have just phoned their customer care unit ( freephone number available on www.saynoto0870.com ! ) and left them in no doubt about what I think of their useless organisation.

They have learned nothing in 3 years !

Natwest now have my £3600 and I can honestly say I will NEVER set foot in a branch of Barclays again. .1% just isn't worth the hassle !

AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS

gbjbasdw

I know Barclays say you will get interest from the date you set up the ISA with them. That was also the same story a couple of years ago.

May I strongly suggest you check their calculations !

Last time they tried to do me out of about £7 and it took an age and loads of work to get them to acknowledge their mistake and reinstate my interest

It wasn't the amount of cash - it was the principle that annoyed me. After all, if they had £7 off me then you can bet your granny's knickers they would have creamed off £7 for a shed load of other folks !

Like I said before - they are a bunch of incompetants and best avoided.

guesswho

I have a Tax Haven Cash ISA that was opened this tax year. Contacted Barclays to ask if I could switch that account into the new Golden ISA. Was told that was not allowed. Will move the Cash Haven ISA elsewhere and might not even bother with the new one as a 7% monthly ISA seems better. Seems very shortsighted of Barclays to refuse to allow you to switch within their products. Friend of mine who has a Cash ISA with Abbey tells me they will allow switching.

Suppose it depends how much you value your existing customers!!!!!

guesswho

If you want to contact Barclays there is a freephone number that puts you through to their Head Office complaints department. The phone number is 0800 282390.

SavySaver_2

I just don't get this. If you walk into the branch to open up the isa why not give them the decency of filling out an application form so they can give you the best advice on all their savings account. How can you possibly know you are getting the best deals with your other banks or building societys! The point of filling this out is to possible save or make you money with your finances. It's free and you are under no obligation. But i guess you get the odd one like your self who thinks they are too good for it!

Do you know barclays gives you 2 months off their home insurance?
Barclays offer a guaranteed growth bond at 35%?

Unless you can go through a review then you won;t know this things and they could be mis selling a product without knowing your full financial position and then that would also lead to a complaint!

gbjbasdw wrote: »

Been to two branches of Barclays this morning to attempt to open an Golden ISA.

First one had signs up everywhere saying you needed to book a 45 minute appointment to open one.

At the other branch I saw one of their "customer service" people ( what a joke ! ) who again told me I need to book a 40 minute appointment. When I asked him why it was going to take 40 minutes to fill out a piece of paper he produced a booklet that we were supposedly going to have to fill in. One of the boxes was entitled " Tell us about your lifesyle". I pointed out to the guy that this had sod all to do with opening an ISA and that my lifestyle meant I didn't have time to spend answering questions that were none of their damn business.

I have just phoned their customer care unit ( freephone number available on www.saynoto0870.com ! ) and left them in no doubt about what I think of their useless organisation.

They have learned nothing in 3 years !

Natwest now have my £3600 and I can honestly say I will NEVER set foot in a branch of Barclays again. .1% just isn't worth the hassle !

AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS

the_lone_ranger_3

Hi there im a member of barclays staff. last year i no there was alot of delay with opening isa's but it is true about the increase in advisors availiable to open the isa. it is a great rate of interest and alot of people have already opened the new golden isa this week. my advise is if you havent used your isa limits this year open one asap then come new tax year no waiting around or waiting to be seen by an advisor in branch when everyone is trying to open in branch. to be honest a good advisor on the phone can open an account for you if you already hold a barclays product in roughly 5 to 10 mins including all of the imortant reading, which to be frank can be abit repetitive lol, but last year one department could open the isa's but now a trained sales advisor can do it for you in no time.
i have worked at barclays for two years no and it has been hard on everyone and i no sometimes when you ring the bank its like talking to a brick wall (not just barclays) but i no that its not all the advisors that are that way and if you ever get through to someone you cant understand or dont want to talk to you can ask to be put through to another advisor
cheers :T :rotfl:

Castrovalva

guesswho wrote: »

I have a Tax Haven Cash ISA that was opened this tax year. Contacted Barclays to ask if I could switch that account into the new Golden ISA. Was told that was not allowed. Will move the Cash Haven ISA elsewhere and might not even bother with the new one as a 7% monthly ISA seems better. Seems very shortsighted of Barclays to refuse to allow you to switch within their products. Friend of mine who has a Cash ISA with Abbey tells me they will allow switching.

Suppose it depends how much you value your existing customers!!!!!

I think you'll find it's the ISA rules that stops Barclays from making the transfer.

To transfer your current ISA to the new one - your old one would be closed and a new one opened. I guess you've already paid in the max amount this year, so you couldn't open a new ISA anywhere under the current rules.

Castrovalva

gbjbasdw wrote: »

I know Barclays say you will get interest from the date you set up the ISA with them. That was also the same story a couple of years ago.

May I strongly suggest you check their calculations !

Last time they tried to do me out of about £7 and it took an age and loads of work to get them to acknowledge their mistake and reinstate my interest

It wasn't the amount of cash - it was the principle that annoyed me. After all, if they had £7 off me then you can bet your granny's knickers they would have creamed off £7 for a shed load of other folks !

Like I said before - they are a bunch of incompetants and best avoided.

As people have said before (and backed up by my source) in previous years all the ISA applications were done by an central (3rd party) team, which meant all the forms had to be posted to them. This along with the back log of applications meant that people did lose out - sorry to hear you were one of them.

The people doing the processing of the applications has lost the business from Barclays and my source tells me they are moving all of the stuff in house.

This year is different. Apply online or in branch and the account is opened there and then. You walk away at the end of the application with an account number - therefore the account is opened and earning tax free interest.

Going by what people have said on here so far - I really think your statement about Barclays is unfounded this time.

For once we seem to have a bank that has listened to the complants and done something about it.

Let's hope they are reading these boards and work on the other stuff!

Castrovalva

the_lone_ranger wrote: »

Hi there im a member of barclays staff. last year i no there was alot of delay with opening isa's but it is true about the increase in advisors availiable to open the isa. it is a great rate of interest and alot of people have already opened the new golden isa this week. my advise is if you havent used your isa limits this year open one asap then come new tax year no waiting around or waiting to be seen by an advisor in branch when everyone is trying to open in branch. to be honest a good advisor on the phone can open an account for you if you already hold a barclays product in roughly 5 to 10 mins including all of the imortant reading, which to be frank can be abit repetitive lol, but last year one department could open the isa's but now a trained sales advisor can do it for you in no time.
i have worked at barclays for two years no and it has been hard on everyone and i no sometimes when you ring the bank its like talking to a brick wall (not just barclays) but i no that its not all the advisors that are that way and if you ever get through to someone you cant understand or dont want to talk to you can ask to be put through to another advisor
cheers :T :rotfl:

Why go through all the pain of a call center or a long visit to a branch when you can open the ISA online in about 2 minutes?

Okay - say your not a Barclays customer, you could apply for their esavings reward account that gives you access to their internet bank and then open the ISA - might be a little longer that way round, but not as pushy.