Are Barclaycard breaching something here? Re complaints to the Ombudsman

Merlinexcalibur

Okay, just opened their latest statement and noticed the following statement about dispute resolution in italics down one side:

Dispute Resolution

If you have a problem with your agreement, please try to resolve it with us in the first instance. If you are not happy with the way in which we handled your complaint or the result, you may be able to complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. If you do not take up your problem with us first you will not be entitled to complain to the Ombudsman. We can provide details of how to contact the Ombudsman.

Oh, how nice of them to offer to give that kindly.

Is it just me, but where they say 'entitled' to make a complaint? Are they allowed to say that to customers or debtors? It's like saying 'you are not allowed to use the FOS without getting our permission first?'. What are anyone elses thoughts on this? Just interested because that is the first time I have noticed this now on their statements.

esmerelda98

All my CC statements have this sort of blurb on now, and none are for a Barclaycard. I imagine that the Financial Ombudsman has initiated this, to stop their service being clogged up by all manner of (relatively) trivial complaints brought by 'rights-minded' customers. Sometimes all you need to do to resolve your issue is pop down to a branch and have a chat with someone or ask nicely over the phone. I think these days people do sometimes forget this and are surprisingly combative from the word go.

GonzoAston

To be honest with you, I just read as it helping you, as I think if you did complain to the Ombudsman anyway, they would ask you firstly if you have raised this with the bank themselves. If not, they would tell you to do this.

I never read it as "'you are not allowed to use the FOS without getting our permission first".

Companies like to word things in weird ways imo. Just give me it straight!!!!

System

Hello mate, Im not an expert on this but I would imagine that whatever the grieveance, you should give the company a chance to redress any complaint.

Merlinexcalibur

Well, yeah. Had noticed it was creeping into credit card statements this past few months. Just how it's worded. The trouble is Barclaycard told me last year I couldn't get help from CCCS for example unless I met certain criteria. Which I knew was wrong, so I reported it to CCCS because it could put people off getting debt help. Anyway, just wondering about it all. Better go to bed, cos not been yet.