Barclaycard and Credit Expert suspending card and giving no explanation

JainaM_2

Hi

My father has been a victim of this. When calling Barclaycard they were unable to provide any information to why the account was suspended and referred my father to Credit Expert.
Now, after speaking to Credit Expert they too were not very helpful. They said that they could only help if my father registered onto their website. Credit Expert were very rude and pushy wanting my father to sign up free for the 30 days and then having to pay for a service which is totally unnecessary.

As a loyal Barclaycard customer he should be entitled to his account details and an explanation to why his card has been suspended.
my father always has paid his Credit Card statements on time.

Has this happened to anyone else?

stephane_2

The only persons who would know what is happening with his Barclaycard account....is Barclaycard and no one else. Credit expert will only provide you information on your account provided by your lenders. You can go onto credit expert website and order your report online for only £2 and nothing else to pay.....

lisyloo

I know this is very frustrating but I don't believe he it entitled to an explanation.
Barclaycard are withing their rights to not lend to someone if they so choose.

Experian can only give the information on the credit report.
It's possible this might proide an explanation e.g. a mistaken entry on the report giving a false impression.
However if Barclaycard have changed their target profile then it won't give this information.

You can get a statutory report from any of the 3 CRA (experian, equifax and call credit) for £2 only withou having to subscribe.
The trial might be initially free, but some people have experiences problems cancelling, so personally I always recommend paying £2.
Start with Experian and/or Equifax first, those are the two main CRAs.
If nothing is evident then Barclaycard have decided that he no longer fits their target profile/criteria.
They are under no obligation to give an explanation and this is commercially sensitive information.

Sorry if that's not what you want to here, but it's their choice and they don't have to tell him why.

JainaM_2

Thank you for your responses. However, my father has been with Barclaycard for almost 40 years and he should be entitled for an explanation from them.

Victimising someone like this is unacceptable.

[Deleted User]

I'm afraid your customer rights don't increase with length of service. They're standard across the board.

It will also be a commerical decision, rather than victimisation.

savagej

You could ask Experian if they supplied Barclays with information on you from their Open Account Fraud Monitoring Service, to check if they think (Experian) you are at risk of running away with the banks money (suddenly emptying accounts, running cards to the limit and disappearing), or committing some other fraud on your account or if they provide Barclays with details from their Customer Indebtedness Index, which predicts customers that have no current problems but are possibly, yes possibly, going to get into trouble in future.

The banks take these pieces of statistical software as gospel and often use them to lower credit limits and close accounts, to avoid Experian's idea of "risk".

Perphaps James Jones (Experians Rep on the website) would elborate to your directly on what his company predicted to Barclays you would likely do to their bad debts?

Are these pieces of software becoming the "new" secret credit reference agencies, as not many people other than those that buy them from Experian know about them.

Experian recommend to the banks that these pieces of software are not used on a monthly basis as that "could be too late", but as often as weekly or daily. I am sure at a nice premium. Someone should possibly point out to the banks and Experian that probability is merely that, it is not certainty which unfortunately as I said once the banks see a flag they often consider it certain.

jen245

JainaM wrote: »

Thank you for your responses. However, my father has been with Barclaycard for almost 40 years and he should be entitled for an explanation from them.

Victimising someone like this is unacceptable.

They are not victimising him, its nothing personal. Barclaycard seem tio be on a bit of a cull at the moment closing peoples accounts who perhaps dont make them as much money as they'd like. Most likely the decision has been computer generated based on how your father manages his account. Loyalty means nothing these days. He should view it as an opportunity to get a better deal elsewhere

lisyloo

would elborate to your directly on what his company predicted to Barclays you would likely do to their bad debts?

My guess is experian have provided nothing like you describe.
Barclaycard have simply changed their criteria and it's Barclaycard that have interpreted the factual information from Experian.

You are not entitled to an explanation after 40 years or however long it is.

I think the claim of victimisation is baseless.
Barclaycard are one of my least favourite organisations but they are probably implementing a change in policy across the board.

savagej

Lisyloo have you read their policy documents on these pieces of software? If not I would suggest you have a look at their UK website, they provide much more data to banks than I think many people realised by attempting to predict what will happen to accounts in the future.

I am sure that profit comes into it, but I have read cases almost identical were one person had their account closed or limit reduced and the other did not.

It is not victimisation, but I would suggest you read the policy documents and instruction manuals on the software (if you can find them) to see just what they are doing behind the scenes. They are certainly not advertising that we used Experians Customer Indebtedness Index which advised us you are likely a very high future risk thus we are closing your account, they just refer you to Experian. But, they dont explain how they took ALL of the data they hold and came up with such a decision.

I think this one needs to be looked at by the Information Commissioner.

lisyloo

AND?
SO?

One company provides data to another for a profit.
The other company act on it.
They don't have to reveal it all to you.

What exactly is the problem?

Are you saying they are providing WRONG data?
If so, what's your evidence?

Credit is not a right. It can be withdrawn at any time.
I can understand it's frustrating, but it sounds like someone has built expectations (for ongoing credit) that they aren't entitled to.

Two very similar scenarios could protential cross a border line, if they aren't absolutely identical.

If you have evidence of widespread mistakes and victimisation then I suggest you act on them, publicise them and I would appaud you for that.
But there is nothing inherently wrong with one company paying another for information or a professional opinion.

dazzaofdagenham

JainaM wrote: »

Thank you for your responses. However, my father has been with Barclaycard for almost 40 years and he should be entitled for an explanation from them.

Victimising someone like this is unacceptable.

Just treat it as Barclaycards loss....

Darren