Barclays Euro account that you can't use for Euros!

JamesU

kmmr wrote: »

They called the account a CFC account. So I am not 100% sure it's the same account in the link. When I opened it I just walked into the branch and asked for a Euro Savings and current account, so I would expect it is the linked account, but I am not sure.

Agree with Missile, looks like you may have opened the wrong type of account. The Euro account for the currency exchanges and international transfers is not a savings account.

If you opened a Barclays Euro current account you would have received a direct telephone number to contact the International team by phone to do any currency exchanges and transfers, and they are quite proficient. Also if you have received any opening statement it should say in the top left hand corner Personal Euro Account. But statements do come quarterly though, so you might not have received one yet even if you do have the right account.

Might be best to find out what account you have actually set up at the bank where you opened it to save time on your side with circular discussions on the phone. Also local branches do not know much about the International side, usually you need to go to a main branch in the locality.

One minor point, any limit on size of amount for international transfers has to be in compliance with money laundering regulations rather than any specific stipulation by Barclays. If the transaction is not a transfer, but a currency exchange between Barclays £ and Eur accounts on large amounts, this should not be an issue though.

Regarding currency exchanges on the Barclays Euro account itself, they are reasonable on cost, some links below with details and discussion in various previous posts.

[FONT=&quot]https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2457663

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/38432060#Comment_38432060

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JamesU

missile

kmmr wrote: »

- .... They called the account a CFC account. ...

No Idea what CFC account could be. I hope you do not have a CFD account? http://www.stockbrokers.barclays.co.uk/barx/cfds/cfds.htm

kmmr

Hi all,

Just a quick update. It was clearly problems with people at the bank, although all they really did was transfer me to the international payment people who confirmed that I couldn't make payments.

Anyway, the complaints people have come back to me and just told me what I was told in branch was wrong. Such a waste of time! It does look like the money is in a Savings account, but as there is clearly a current account attached to it, they should have just said to transfer the money to the current account, and then I can make payments etc as normal. They are also going to send me a cheque book, which should make it easier.

Complaints department will check the tape of the conversations I had, and said they will speak to the tellers. This was at the Canary Wharf branch at Barclays Head Office, so she was quite surprised at how poor the advice was.

Anyway, lesson learnt, I won't be using Barclays again for something like this! Which is odd as the comments above seem to be broadly positive, but I must have run into a variety of untrained individuals.

In response to a few specific questions: I was given the phone number of international team, and they did say I could do transfers in branch. Which was why I went there, but then all information after that said I couldn't. I can only presume the number being called by the teller was the international team, but who knows. I do have a couple of statements, but not with me to check the accounts type

And it's definately not a CFD account!

Thanks all.

JamesU

kmmr wrote: »

Hi all, just a quick update. It was clearly problems with people at the bank, although all they really did was transfer me to the international payment people who confirmed that I couldn't make payments.
And it's definately not a CFD account! Thanks all.

Thanks for letting us know the outcome, and really pleased you have some clarity now, at least you are not stuck.

Do not really understand the Euro savings vs Euro current account you mention, but on the latter at least I can tell you that the International team are pretty good and reasonably cost effective.

Good luck with this.

JamesU