Barclaycard - some advice please on what to do....

stuckhere

OK, apologies, a long one this but I need some advice please.

We were paying via B&E for a long time, maybe 5 years or so, we have 12 people we owe money to in all - all of them accepted this without a problem. Last year we decided to take it from B&E after having lost my job and being on benefits, to save the £29 a month we was paying them. We was paying small amounts really varying between £19 and £5 via B&E and sent £164 a month to B&E.

We contacted all the people we owed money to and explained the situation - each month we did the same thing, a letter of explaination, payment and finiancial statement then when I got a new job sent them all the details and a financial statement with the amounts we could afford with what was left at the end of the month and our payment, when the job was settled for me we upped the amount to £3 each a month and again, all of them are happy with this, if they ask for a re-assment we usually add a 50p a month onto the payment - more so it shows we are committed to sorting our debts out. Again, all are happy with this, we get no phone calls or letters unless it is coming to reveiw time and yes, we realise we are really lucky as this is often not the case.

However, we have a problem with Barclaycard. We had a loan from Barclayloan who we still owe around £14,000 to - we are paying them £3 a month. Barclaycard have sold the debt on and we owe around £2,600 - we pay £3.50 a month. Barclaycard Mastercard however are giving us a few problems that we have tried to sort with them but they are not interested. We have written to them twice now but they are ignoring the points in our letter totally and not giving us any answers and we need help on where to go for more advice and what to do now. We would like to go to a financial ombudsmun but what is the first step.

We have offered them £3 a month and sent all of the statements as everyone else. Initially we was being bombarded by phone calls and letters by what turned out to be 3 different companies and departments and even though we asked them not to call, to write and we wuld call them, as the house is not ours so there are others in the house. Each time we explained to them and they turned out to be very unhelpful and did not have a clue what was happeneing with out account. We gave up explaining.

So, hs what they are doing. All of the monthly statements had stopped, as did all of the interest when paying through B&E. Suddenly the statements and the interest has started again, along with the late payment charges of £20 a month - this has been going on almost a year now.

After 3 months they will send us a letter saying to pay £xx by said date and then £xx by another date. The 2 amounts quoted, if we paid, would then bring us up to date with the statment and no late payment charge would be payable.

So, on date 1 they take the money from my Barclays account (yes, I have tried to change accounts, I can't get one anywhere else that I have tried), then a week after date 2 they send another statement and another late payment charge. One day after date 1 they will send me a letter asking me to make a payment (which turns out to be payment 1 plus £25) and it says that if we pay they will give us £25 discount on our next statement. Are you as confused as we are?

I have written to them asking them why they are not taking the full amount due rather than taking just the one payment, thus saving £20 in late payment charges, they will not answer this question and choose to ignore it. I ahve also asked then that if they are going to take the money then take it each month (£39) rather than taking payment 1 (£110+). The money they have taken leaves us in the red, they give us no notice of this, it just goes. I do understand totally they can do this but they are a) supposed to give us notice, b) leave us with enough money to pay DD for the rest of the month and c) leave us with £100 to cover incidentals, they are not doing this and they will not tell us why when we ask. They have confirmed this in the letter today. When I ask them why they are then requesting money they have already taken they cannot tell me why either.

We have asked why they do not take the full amount rather than leaving it short (the amount they leave short is silly, like £8 but they refuse to take it all) - but they will not tell us.

We cannot commit to paying the £19 a month that they are asking, if we pay them £19 then the other 2 barclays accounts will want £19 a month and when the other people we owe money to hear we are paying them £19 a month they will all want £19 a month and we simply do not have that spare each month.

They have told us they will only consider a payment of less than this if we go to CCCS or Citizens Advice but, to be honest, I am sure they have enough clients and we are happy to deal wih this ourselves and we are keeping on top of everything. They tell us they will not stop our interest or late payments unless we pay them £19 a month. I have told them 'we can't afford £19 a month so what do they suggest we do' and they have not given me any suggestions other than to pay £19 a month!

They have told us endess times by phone in the last year, and they have even written to us twice telling us that the debt is being sold on in 48 hours if we do not contact them - but they never sell it on. They seem more concerned with pushing us further and further into debt and taking more and more in late payment charges - and maybe into an IVA - by taking the funds and pushing us into the red. We really do not want to go down this route as everything else is going along fine for now.

I might point out that we might be due some compensation due to a work related illness which will go towards paying off some - possibly all - the debts we have so doing anything further for now is a bit daft, we might as well wait and see what we can get cleared a year or so down the line.

Anyway, that is not the point for now. For now we need to know what to do and who we can complain to further as we have tried to go to the same person at Barclays but we get no direct answers from them just the same letter over and over which has pointless stuff in, each letter has said the same, we will accept £19 unless you go to CAB or CCCS. They tell us this time that if we do not pay £19 then they will take it further (We have asked them to start court proceedings to recover the money as this is the only way we can get someone to see how little money we have legally). Also they are sending misleading letters, they have 3 poeple dealing with our account and they are taking funds without notice and leaving us in the red.

Because I cannot get an account anywhere else we started taking all the wages out on payday and putting them into my wifes account where things like the rent and Countil tax go from so they are not refused if the money is not there. We run my Barclays account in the red through the month as the charges are just 50p or so for this in interest for the short time it is in the red, but then they can't get the money we have.

At the end of the day I have come for advice, not a lecture please. I am trying to deal with things as best we can for now until I get some money as I will use this to pay the debts but we need to know how we can deal with the way Barclays are dealing with our account. They are deliberatly leaving it short when they take money to get more charges, can this be right? Can we complain to anyone else. For now I have stopped paying them as they take the money anyhow so my £3 is little difference to the amount they take. I understand the situation I am in, Please do not lecture me as I have come for advice on how I deal with this debt in particular. Our personal circumstances are ours and yes we should not be in this situation but we are, however, please can someone offer some advice on what to do in the way of a complaint about how the account is being handled.

Thank you.
Ps. Sorry if I sound offhand I have asked for advice before and just had people telling me I should not be in this situation, my own fault, etc... sorry if I appear rude.

Storm

Hi stuckhere and welcome :hello:

On the DFW board you shouldn't get lectured, just supported & advised, and if a troll-ish person pops up, then just ignore them!

It is quite a complicated story, and I can't figure out how they're taking some money if you're already overdrawn

First things first, can you post a full SoA as it will give everyone a much better idea of the situation (see SouthernScousers sticky at the top of the DFW board)

Secondly, if you're being hit by loads of charges set about claiming these back - Martin has a big article on the main site about this.

Good luck, it sounds like you are trying to tackle your debts, and unfortunately these companies never make it easy!

Storm

SunderlandBlackCat

If you give a list of the places you've tried to get another account the good folks on here will be able to advise of the other places that offer basic bank accounts.

Also while I'm thinking of that ws it a basic account you've been applying for with other banks or accounts with loads of features?

AndyR_3

Would it be that bad going through CCCS. I know you don't want to, but when I worked at Barclays I know there were a couple of people in Debt Management who worked as CCCS contacts, and there did seem to be a reasonable relationship. Barclays also used (may still do) to hand out CCCS leaflets if anyone was having trouble paying their debts back. I guess, if you go through them, they'll accept the lower payments. It's worth thinking about at least.

stuckhere

Thanks for mailing back - mmost appreciated

I'll post back more later when I have the time with the details you are after as I have to dig them all out.

To be honest going through CCCS would mean having to start all over, I don't want to be in this place for too long but I'll have a look into it. Seems daft to go back to quare one when everyone else is happy with it.

In regard to the account. I need one with an electron card - there is nowhere around here to withdraw cash without going for a 20 minute drive round and then I have to get shopping etc.. which we do online (to get the CC points) I have been with Abbey basic for years and they told me I could not upgrade to having an electron card even if I have my salary paid in so this way seems easier. Take all the money out and wife pays the bills and shopping. As I said, I only get charged a teeny amount of interest - 56p last month, so it really is not an issue. What is though is how I deal with making a further complaint.

Thanks again, I'll be back later.

natters_2

If I am reading what you have put correctly the problem creditor is barclaycard and not barclays? - I am also with barclays and have a barclaycard debt - as does my husband (a bank and credit card account each) - we have both cancelled the direct debits to barclaycard and although we get the constant phonecalls and letters they have not taken anything from our respective accounts - we set up a standing order to pay them the monthly amount that we can afford. So did you set up another direct debit with them - if not - or even if you did I would cancel it and change it to standing order

stuckhere

Hi Natters,

Yes, this is the thing. Barclayloan are happy with what we pay them, by cheque, and we pay them £3 a month but Barclays Mastercard are not and are not accepting our payment - they want £19 a month. They set up their own Standing Order to dip into my account as and when they choose but I only realised this last month and cancelled it as soon as they saw it. The terms and conditions on the account state that they can take the money from your account if you owe another Barclays account, this is why we remove the money from the Barclays account where my salary is paid into. If they decide that they want their money back in full they can take it and leave you with just enought to pay your DD and £100 for the month for incidentals if they so wish!!

stuckhere

Hi Natter, sorry the other thing is, are they are still sending you BC statements - do you still get them? If not then it has been passed over. We still get our statements and they will not stop these while we can still pay (ie. while they can still take the money from my account) but they refuse to take enough money (even though' in theory' it is there for them to take) because each late payment incurs a late payment charge. So, this is my problem that I want something done about. Fine, if they are going to take the money then tell me but let me kow first and take the full amount each month (£39) to keep me up to date and thus not incurring more charges. You see what I mean. The problem is that they are INTENTIONALLY not taking what they can to ensure we pay late payment charges and this is what I am trying to get to the bottom of. Take the money if you are entitled to (even if I do not have it - I'll deal with that when I get paid, I am in the OD anyway) but take the right amount to bring me up to date and not £8 short so I don't get charged £20 late payment. This has been going on a year so they have taken £240 in late payment charges when, if they took the right amount, I would not have been charged. I am confused as there must be something to saythis is wrong.

natters_2

Yes I still get statements - but they definatley appear that one hand doesn't know what the other is doing - huubys has had all interest and charges stopped - mine they won't - although at the beginning my barclaycard account owed less than his - now it is the other way around and we are paying them the same monthly payments - it is crazy- I can understand why it is driving you mad - but don't forget to reclaim all those charges!

What I am saying to you is if you set up the standing order yourself for the correct amount - this problem wont occur

But it has got me thinking - I need to check the terms and conditions as if they did that to us it would put us in such a financial mess it doesn't bear thinking about

chevalier

I would photocopy all of your statements ref this. Then go to the companies house website, and get the name of the CEO of Barclays. I would then send him a copyd of all of this via special delivery, and at the bottom of the letter of complaint, cc it to the MoneyMail page at the Daily Mail, or the equivalent in your other favourite paper. And send them the same stuff.

CEO's don't like adverse publicity. Other than that I would still suggest you talk to the CAB, not about the debt, but about whether Barclays are allowed to do this. They may suggest a stratagy other than that above, that will help you stop this merry go round of charges you are on
best of luck
chev

stuckhere

Hi Natters,

Yes, it really is worth thinking about to be honest. We was told to get an account not connected with Barclays but it is hard when you only get a cash card and do not live near a cashpoint but we think we have found a solution of using the basic account and paying for shopping etc.. with credit card and paying that off at the end of each month. We are worried if they take the current account off us though as then we lose the overdraft (do not really use it but hand to have as back up just in case) - but, say you get a bonus for example, they might decide they want it as they can see it go into your account. If you book a holiday, treats, days out, they can see the transactions and that is not acceptable as you have money and they want it rather than you spending it on things like this. They have been a nightmare, everyone else has been great. We do not use the Barclay account for anything else now other than bills and we pay the extra into my wifes account - she has her own business but it is not bringing in any revenue yet (everything made is right back buying more stock) so she has no income other than Child Benefit.

Can you claim back charges applied to credit card accounts then?? I guess by now we'd have enought to pay the whole lot off if we claim them back, LOL, but this account is the same as with yours in that they just seem to love loading more and more interest on top of it. interesting that your hubby is treated differently - maybe you could sue them for discrimination to the tune of the debt, LOL. Seriously though, they just don't seem to be able to get it together at all and only offer us a 'do as I say or you get nothing' solution. Barclayloans have been great, as have the other companies we owe money to. We only had enough left to pay £1 to each debt a month and we decided to pay £3 and have noted this on the fin. statement - one company called us, we had a massive go at the guy on the phone for calling the house (we had asked them not to) and they had only called to ask us if we could afford £3 a month

I hope everything goes well for you though. These do seem the worst though, check who the letters are coming from and what department and check they are consitent - dates, moneies asked for, etc.. and file them all in date order. If I manage to get this sorted and you have the same problems it might be worth you popping a letter in the mail saying the same thing. We also wrote to them and told them as we had calls from so many different people/companies chasing the debt we would in the future deal with one person only regardng our account and that person must be specified in writing and they would need to contact us by letter and then we would give them a call. They have agreed to this and we have yet to hear who they have assigned to us and they have not called for a while. Just a thought for you.