Any Barclays Loan employees around?

LeeSouthEast

I apologise in advance for any grumpy overtones in this thread. I'm not very happy. :mad:

Circumstances: I consolidated 2 BarclayLoans (at silly APR's) into 1 BarclayPlus loan in January this year. The first one cleared without issue, but due to January apparently being the switchover to the new computer system - or something - the second one failed to drop off my account after being paid off by the new loan. The personal banker I was with said don't worry, it'll drop off eventually when the new system gets bored with it.

All well and good.

The balance sat at -£309.10 for 10 months on my online banking account. I phoned the branch every few months just to check there were no issues, and was assured each and every time that this was just the PPI refund that I had not had to pay when the settlement was made.

2 days ago, a direct debit bounced for £7.98 from my current account. Curious as to what this was for (originator: Barclays Bank PLC) I phoned my branch, who after some digging advised it was for the old loan still showing on my account. Even more bemused, I phoned the Barclays Loan line who - rather rudely - said it was due to "my cancelling the direct debit before the loan had completed" and that "I must make a payment now".

So I paid £8.21 (notice the nice accrued interest!).

Firstly, I didn't cancel the DD - my branch did when I settled the loan.
Secondly, why, when they settled the loan in January, did they not settle it fully?
Thirdly, will I get a late payment strike for this? Technically the last payment appears to be 10 months late on face value, despite no prior attempts to take the money or even being aware there was a balance remaining to pay!

Experian list the account with lots of green 0's - for now - but they rude lady I spoke to couldn't guarantee I would not be marked as late for this. My only option was to 'make a complaint', which I asked her to do.

Unsurprisingly - although it is now the weekend - I have heard nothing yet.

Does anyone work for Barclays / Barclays Loans? Can you attempt any answers at all?

Thanks very much in anticipation.

Ames

I'd be willing to bet that the complaint was never made. You've no record of it, and can't prove that anyone said they'd make it for you. You need to get a complaint, in writing, in to them asap. I'd include in that that you expect them to ensure your credit file isn't affected.

Sorry I don't know anything about rules and regs to help you!

LeeSouthEast

Oh contrare, I record every phone call I make. The wonders of modern VoIP technology ! You have a good point though, I think I'll firm my complaint up in writing just to be on the safe side.

naijapower

You certainly need to make a formal complaint cos that's the only way you can get any success from this

Ames

Unless you told them that you were recording it then you wont be able to use your recording as evidence, although it's good that you'll be able to put the specifics of the call, ie who you spoke to, the time etc.

LeeSouthEast

To be honest Ames, unless I think I'm going to end up with grief, I rarely mention it. This was one phone call I didn't expect to end up with problems, so I didn't mention it. Daft I know.

I have just printed this letter for sending recorded on Monday:

>>> TREAT AS FORMAL COMPLAINT <<<

Sort Code: 20-xx-xx | Account No. 906xxxxx
Reference Loan Account xxxxx8911xxxxx

After a personal finance epiphany in January 2009 I made an appointment with a Personal Banker at my local branch (Some Town) to obtain a BarclayPlus loan. This was to consolidate two existing higher-rate BarclayLoans into one, lower-rate loan.

The first higher-rate loan was settled without issue.

The other - due to a system changeover? - refused to close in its entirety, but I was advised to "not worry about it" and it would resolve itself eventually. This account remained attached to my online banking with a balance showing. I phoned every few months to check all was in order, and each time I was assured, all was in order.

For record, these calls were:

• Saturday 28th March 2009 at 11:33
• Monday 13th July 2009 at 09:22
• Tuesday 18th August 2009 at 14:23
• Tuesday 6th October 2009 at 11:07
  

During each call, the balance remaining was described as simply the PPI refund that I had not had to pay during settlement.

On the 3rd July 2009 I received a 'Loan Account Statement' covering the 1st October 2008 to 2nd July 2009 listing a 'Closing Balance' at the end. No further correspondence was received and I took this to mean that the settled loan was in the final throes of being removed from my account. A little cheer was given, and the letter filed.

Fast forward to this month, and a Direct Debit for £7.83 bounced from my current account on the 2nd November 2009 (as the instruction had been canceled by the branch when the old loan was settled). Curious as to what this amount was for, I phoned my branch. The lady I spoke to advised - after considerable digging - it was an attempt to take payment for the old loan still showing on my account. Due to limited information available to counter staff, she could not offer any further information.

Perplexed, I phoned the Barclays Loan line (0800 716 598) and spoke to Claire, a lending specialist, who could not answer why the payment attempt was made. Nor could she answer why it had taken over 10 months to attempt it. All she could tell me was I now owed Barclays £8.29 - courtesy of daily interest. I paid this with her by Fund Transfer, but she could not guarantee me that it would not be registered with the Credit Reference Agencies as a Late Payment.

I find this incomprehensible and indefensible. Not only have I wasted most of this evening reviewing correspondence, bank and loan statements, and telephone records, but now fear negative reporting to my credit rating. Ostensibly, the payment is some 10 months late, but not due to any action or inaction on my part. When you settle a loan and receive repeated reassurances that everything is in order, is it unreasonable to believe that this is the case?

Currently, the loan account is registered as Satisfactory with no late payment markers. I want to ensure that this loan account is now marked as Settled without detriment to my credit history - for what is either a Personal Banker error; a computer error; or a combination of the two. I would also like to discuss the matter of compensating my time for having to be writing this letter in the first place.

Claire - the lending specialist - advised she had registered a complaint on my behalf during our phone call (6th November 2009 15:06:52). I wish to ensure that this is the case. A recording of this telephone call is available on demand, should your own be unavailable.

I look forward to your reply at your earliest convenience.

Sincerely,




Me

squeak24

If I were you take the money out of this bank, they are a bunch of worthless idiots. I tried to phone them last week as they are trying to force an extra couple of thousand out of me which I don't owe, which is now with the FOS, when I said for the second time that the conversation was being recorded I was told that they don't accept calls where the customer is recording, cheep considering they record them.

Make sure that you make the complaint in writing, I have just made one to the Chairman of the board and received a letter within a few weeks, if you go down the usual route, with my experience they will simply ignore the letter. Make sure you send any letters to them as recorded delivery. They are also quite devious as some of the addresses they give out, again I have experience with this are incorrect, therefore when sending it as a recorded letter the post office can't say that it is the company you are dealing with.

LeeSouthEast wrote: »

Oh contrare, I record every phone call I make. The wonders of modern VoIP technology ! You have a good point though, I think I'll firm my complaint up in writing just to be on the safe side.

LeeSouthEast

I'm a long supporter of Barclays, but for the sake of £8.29, they are rapidly losing my confidence. Let's see if they redeem themselves. *sigh*

LeeSouthEast

No Barclays employees able to give their thoughts?

LeeSouthEast

Letter received and signed for by "Barclays/Guy" this morning...

Let the games begin.

cos_2

My understanding is that you certainly can record these telephone calls in your home and that you do not have to tell them you are doing it. Furthermore, you can present the evidence of these calls back to them. If you are going to use the recordings in a civil suit you may have to give evidence, to a court, of their veracity as regards the technology (i.e. that you've not forged them).

I could be wrong as the regs are not comic-book reading level, unfortunately.

Edited to add reference from Oftel:
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/consumer/advice/faqs/prvfaq3.htm