Barclays brick wall

rubbersoul

I was wondered if anyone has had similar experiences, or advice about my current problems with Barclays (or any other bank).
I got into financial trouble with the introduction of their Reserve Fees. I have mental health problems and live on benefits, so have a fixed budget. After falling foul of the Reserve a couple of times my finances became unmanageable. My rent, gas, and council tax fell into arrears. I then incurred charges for fees from legal action resulting from the council tax arrears, had the landlord seeking possesion and the gas wanting to install a pre paid meter.
I realised the only way to keep my head above water was to open a new account elsewhere, which I've done.
So I am left with a Barclays account approx £2000 overdrawn, which I cannot pay off in one go.
Since I left Barclays I have also been awarded DLA which because I got a back dated lump sum (it was in dispute for months) I was able to clear the arrears on my council tax, rent and gas.
Barclays realised that I was no longer paying money into my account and began demanding repayments, I did manage to get my Reserve Fee cancelled but am still accuring interest.
I did a SOA, and worked out that I could afford £30 a month in repayment, I sent all this to them and they rejected it. A few more letters went back and forth. I tried a Full and Final offer of £750 with money from family, also rejected.
I have been paying £30 a month regardless, but am paying £25 in interest, so it is doing little to reduce the debt.
I have just filled in paperwork for a complaint with the FOS as I'm finding dealing with Barclays like hitting my head against a brick wall.
I got another response letter from Barclays today saying they wont freeze interest, and they wont accept £30 a month.

I was wondering if I stop paying the £30 would I be better off? They have already threatened legal action and passing it on to a DCA. I want to pay off this debt but I do not want to line their pockets with £25 a month.

Numpty_Monkey

I've read the other thread you started ,
I'd be tempted to send that with a few extra paragraphs

Have a read of this;)
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2160307&page=0&pp=0

bargainbetty

Can you not contact one of the mental health charities, like Mind, who often have advisors who can help you.

You could also get a letter from your GP advising them that as a 'vulnerable adult' they are behaving irresponsibly and actively damaging you. Send a copy of all your correspondence to the ombudsman, and see what happens.

Best of luck x

rubbersoul

My GP has just prescribed me Diazepam because of the additional stress I'm under. I have told Barclays this as well as sending official documentary evidence of my mental health problems, I havent asked either my doctor or CPN to write to them, but maybe getting touch with a mental health charity would be the next port of call, thanks barginbetty, I'll do that next week.

LittleMoog

we got caught out by Barclays sneaking reserves onto both our accounts too. I didn't even realise they'd done it until we'd already gone into them, and then they were charging us about £200 each month (8 lots of weekly £22 charges + other fees because the charges kept making dd bounce) :mad: Then they kept ringing us and saying they were going to cancel the reserves (leaving us £500 short for a month), as they could see it was costing us so much:eek: They also refused to give us authorised overdrafts for the £250 on each account, so we could stop paying the reserve fees for a month and try and repay it. :mad: so helpful! luckily we were able to cancel them using reclaimed ppi money, or we'd still be in the same situation.
The reserves are outrageously expensive, and Barlcays should be seriously chastised for adding them to peoples accounts without asking. hope you manage to sort it out Rubbersoul

Jeff77

I would pay it all up but with a little help from friends or families. I do understand the dilemma but on this situations I always prefer to pay it right away by borrowing money from any close relatives or friends. Of course that won't have any interest at all which is a good thing.

rubbersoul

If that were possible Jeff I would, but £750 was the maximum I could raise, and now isnt actually possible due to changing circumstance in my family.
What annoys me most is I'm doing all I can financially and through communication to sort this debt out and Barclays just isn't listening.

stella63

Hi rubbersoul!!
I know exactly how you feel about barclays!! I too fell foul to the reserve charges!! I eventually had my LBM and started a dmp with the cccs. Every one else were great - even Lloyds lol!! Barclays - total nightmare! They do not communicate and the DMP payments sent by the cccs seem to have gone missing!! They're telling me that they haven't recieved them and then telling the cccs that they have but are not accepting them and that they will be refunded - this started in december and that still hasn't happened!! I don't know about you but from what I've read from others on here,I think passing it on to a DCA may not be a bad thing cos you're right, dealing with Barclays is like hitting your head against a brick wall!!
Take care and good luck xx