Declined for a Basic Back Account - No adverse credit history...

GSXR1100

Hello, my first post here so please be gentle with me.

My partner has recently been made redundant and will have no income. She currently has a full current account with Lloyds including an overdraft that she has not managed to reduce since using it up some years ago.

Because she's not great with money, our plan was for her to apply for a Basic Bank Account, we would repay her overdraft and close the Lloyds acount, and I would pay a weekly amount into her new Basic Bank Account so that she would not be able to get us in to trouble by running up another overdraft.

Today she went to Barclays to open the account and they refused - she asked several times to open a basic cash card account and they continued to refuse - instead 'selling' her another current account after telling her that she had to be a bankrupt to open a basic account!

Is this normal? Where do we go from here? I know we could cancel the overdraft on the Lloyds account but she/we can't be sure she would resist having it re-instated...

Thanks for reading.

Ian

preable

Go to co-op and say you want a cashminder account. They are the easiest to open with

GSXR1100

Thank you. We'll give it a go.

Meanwhile I called Barclays to ask if she would be eligible for the Cash Card account and they told me she would be? I think maybe there is no commission involved for the account manager in opening a Basic account...

missile

Coop would be a good option,

Open your new account today
Although you can’t apply for a Cashminder current account online, the process is still extremely simple. Just call us on 0845 602 7057 or visit your local Co-operative Bank branch to apply.

but if you REALLY want a Barclays cash card account print off this page before you visit the brach>

This could suit you if:
You have difficulty opening a regular current account
You want to keep tight control of your money
You don’t want an overdraft

GSXR1100

Thank you.

The reasons for Barclays were the vicinity of the nearest branch and also their very reasonable charges if anything does go wrong and a payment is declined etc. (I think only £8 if I remember correctly).

I think we'll give it one more go and return to Barclays armed with a little more knowledge and see where we go from there but it does seem that Co-op are spoken well of on this site.

I'll report back in a couple of days after another trip to town.

Thanks again,

Ian

Tirian

This is a case of counter staff being out of line with the organisational policy. If you are refused again, then I would suggest one of :

- Requesting to speak to a manager
- Phoning / writing stating your experience and asking for an official response on their policy on opening basic bank accounts

pmduk

Barclays have a track record of doing this. Make sure you get names of any staff that tell you this and make it clear that you will complain.

IJP20

If you want to pursue the Barclay's option you could always try applying on-line. Hopefully the web site won't argue with you over which account you want to apply.

The Cash Card account is hidden away under Other Accounts.

pmduk

Unfortunately the Cash Card account can only be applied for in branch and not online. I've always felt that this is to give staff the opportunity to upsell to you. Cynical perhaps, but I've never seen evidence to prove me wrong.

GSXR1100

** UPDATE **

Well yesterday my partner visited another branch of Barclays and they couldn't have been more helpful, opening the account straight away and promising to close the previously opened account. The account manager of the second branch was also apologetic about the treatment my partner received on her visit to the first branch.

Thanks to everyone who replied with suggestions and encouragement.

:beer:

Ian