Barclays causing me hardship?

TimothyClaypole

I posted a while ago about Barclays messing me about but it's not got any better...

To cut a long story short I had an agreed overdraft of around £1000, I was using this due to being out of work until they withdrew it and asked for the money back.

Which I understand is nothing they aren't allowed to do of course it's their treatment and conduct since that's caused me no end of worry.

They basically have kept 95% of all the Job seekers allowance that was paid into the account since suspending it to pay the overdraft and of course still take the account fee despite withdrawing the services it supposedly pays for...

I did my level best to get some money together and paid the OD off (it's a lot of money with no job).

So with it paid off and a few quid in the black they finally sent me a new card and I could check my balance at home etc. instead of going all the way to the branch for nothing.

The last week I got a call about the HIPS pack as I am trying to sell my house saying they'd tried to take the payment for it but couldn't. As far as I was aware this was suspended and to be taken from the sale price but they said otherwise (someone told me a lie somewhere over that otherwise I would never have signed the paperwork as it's £517 I knew I wouldn't have.

So Barclays bounced that and charged me £15.00 for the pleasure - when I checked my statement I noticed they'd taken £68.00 from my account for what I think is the payment protection on a personal loan (£3000 owed from the original £12000).

Now they've frozen my online account again and the machine kindly said it would look after my new card... I'm a bit annoyed as I've been working my !!!! off this past week on Ebay and have transferred around £500 to the account to pay for the HIPS.

How do I go about closing the account without losing the money from Paypal as they take ages to complete the transfers sometimes. I really am at the end of my tether with how they've messed me about while taking my benefit to pay their charges and fees.

The bank are blank faced morons when you try to ask for help, just telling you they can't do anything "at this end", the phone morons just insult me time and again and they start crying over the missed loan payments ending with their standard insult of "Can you not borrow the money from family or friends"...

:mad:

I've already got the Hardship letter and mis sold ppi letters ready to take in on Monday as I've had it with them. I was just getting sorted and into credit until they turned me over again.

DarkConvict

Banks are a law on to themselves, they can charge what they like and pretty much get away with it, even OFT stopped pursuing them in November.
Banks are not your personal accountant, if you go over the limit you get charged, its in your T&Cs. If someone tried to take money when you said they shouldn't they should cough up the charges. I assume you gave them a DD or cheque.

Atleast if you are doing the PPI route, you will get your £68 back + 8% interest on all PPI paid. Ensure you ask for the settlement money to be paid by cheque so you can cash it in a bank of your choice.

As for a new bank, i advise co-op cashminder, its independent from most banks so there is a low chance you have debts with them.

You have not explained your paypal position, have you already told paypal to pay money in. If so there is nothing you can do but ask paypal, its in their hands. If you want to pay to a new bank, just setup new details within paypal online.

TimothyClaypole

Barclays is my default account with Paypal as you need to authorise it which takes ages, I transfer the money from one to the other but Paypal scam you for 4 or 5 days by slowing it down, they even show you this now by asking you to pay £5.00 for a 1 day transfer... so they can do that but want even more to do it.

Tixy

Not sure if this is any help but if you haven't yet actioned the paypal withdrawal could you transfer it to someone else (trusted relative or someone) and then get them to withdraw it - I know it would take a bit longer and cost twice in fees but its better than losing it to barclays.

Its not clear from your original post but have you actually moved your JSA so that it goes into a new account. Once a bank withdraws your overdraft this should be the first thing you do.

Also have you used your 'first right of appropriation' ever to utilise any of the funds for priority items?

SuziQ

I have also had no end of problems with Barclays in the last 2 years,whilst they were a great bank in the previous 20 years ( when I was in a well paid job and never in the red lol!) I have an ccount that allows me a huge overdraft with no interestfor a monthly fee. I have endeavoured over the last 18 months to never go into my o/d with careful budgeting (I am living on IS and CTC at the moment.) I also have a large Barclayloan (originally 12,000 and now down to £1,200) which was down to a problem my ex and I had with a bad builder which resulted in a disastrous court case -long story.) I luckily have insurance on this loan-it was compulsory with the loan,is actually called 'Barclays Insurance Dublin'. Although I have little problem getting the insurance to pay out (firstly on an unemployed claim for 12 months, now on an illness claim) the payout from the Ins co changes every month,as they pay out right up to the date they settle that months claim and then ask for the new forms to be completed 30 days later. Barclays refuse to accept that the money would come in at a different date to the one set orighinally and continuosly take the monthly payment -£254- which I then have to claim back when the Insurance payment-which is always greater than the monthly amount-is made. This takes me into my o'd which I have objected to,but they have written to me stating that I have the od for that purpose so what am I complaining about?
I am complaining because they know I have an ongong claim with the company they chose,which pays out regulalrly and because psychologically it was much better for me not to ever use my o/d. I went to the financial ombudsmen in the end because it was taking a bigger fight every month to get my payment back (they kept stating it was a voluntary overpayment and they couldn't refund it.) I was undergoing surgery and subsequent treatment for cancer at the time and it was really furstrating-at one point they had £782 of payments they were refusing to return even though the ins had also made those payments.
Once they had the letter off the Financial ombudsmen,who luckily intervened very quickly,they wrote saying they had refunded the money and a stop would be put on any fiurther payments from my own account. When I checked my account 7 days later,they still hadn't refunded and another payment had gone out! At that stage I rang the person named on the apology letter and let rip-she was very embarrased and apologetic,refunded that same day and said it would never happen again.The financial ombudsman suggested to Barclays that they should offer me compensation due to the added stress I was under with having Cancer-Barclays declined,stating the best comepnsation was to 'get things right' in future.
Next month..... an old standing order for the barclayloan payment from 3 years ago had mysteriously restarted and another payment had gone out. I was beyond frustrated......
Same woman again sorted this out and for the last 2 months it has been ok, touch wood! What I have found with Barclays is that every person you speak to tells you something different,and what is 'impossible' with one is easy peasy and done in seconds by another. I have kept this o/d facility only because I no longer have any credit cards. I have no temptation to use the o/d for silly things,but know it is there if I have a mini disaster like my washing machine blowing up ( I can live without almost everything else,but having lived without a washing machine for 4 months some 4 years ago,with 3 kids, I never want to do that again.) I pay £16 a month for the account which I expect is not very MSE but is the only line of 'credit' I have at the moment. What's the betting that if I needed to use it though,Barclays would block it? Cynical,moi?

As others have suggested I would quickly get a new bank acclount if you can. I haven't purely because of the o/d facility for the reasons stated.