Barclaycard trick to prevent you closing account

dalstonpaul

Hello All
I searched the forum to see if this had already been covered, so I started a new thread.

Last month, I tried to close my Barclaycard down. I called the call centre to ask what the closure payment should be, and they told me it was £412.87.
I was lucky enough to be able to pay that, and request the account be closed.
HOWEVER.... They told me a lie, and the balance to pay was actually £412.85.
This left my account 2 pence in credit. This means the account is still active, and I would have got statements forever until I had to ask them to refund me the 2 pence and send me a confirmation letter, for which I have to wait a week.
I think that's a bit sneaky, and as such, worth a post (my first post on here for seven years).
All the Best to everyone!

rizla_king

Sounds like they just made a mistake.

stephane_2

Anyway...you could still have trailing interest...

dalstonpaul

Nope . No trailing interest as I checked that, and I don't believe they made a mistake, as the online balance - which comes up on their screens - was the lower amount.

amersall

They did this with my CC, they are trying it on I think, by keeping the account open so that you may be tempted to use it sometime in the future.

cos_2

I think their sneakiest trick is to print, "Founder member" on the credit card. It makes me feel so important and valued that I can never leave

Not only am I a 'member' (vastly superior to a lowly 'customer'), I'm a 'founder' to boot! How can I ever abandon something I created?

Apparently, I founded Barclaycard in 2005 as well . . .

More on topic, I had a CC years ago that was 84p in credit when I asked to close the account. They sent me a cheque, which I forgot about for a while. I eventually paid it into my bank and it bounced because it was over 6 months old.

I wrote to the CC and asked them just to write off the 84p, but they insisted they couldn't and issued another cheque. Only after that had cleared through the various systems did they finally close the account. I think it took around 8 months - of course much of that was my doing.

opinions4u

If it's a "trick" it's not one that's good for them. The cost of keeping the account open and issuing a statement will outweigh any benefits.

It does suggest that staff on the closures line have a target to retain customers and have come up with a way to achieve that.

cos_2

I suspect if the call centre staff are trying this on it'll soon reach the bosses' ears and get stamped on. The 'trick', not the ears.

P.S. I like the snippet from Boetcker's 'decalogue' in your sig, O4U

opinions4u

cos wrote: »

I suspect if the call centre staff are trying this on it'll soon reach the bosses' ears and get stamped on. The 'trick', not the ears.

P.S. I like the snippet from Boetcker's 'decalogue' in your sig, O4U

I bought the myth that attributed it to Lincoln!

cos_2

opinions4u wrote: »

I bought the myth that attributed it to Lincoln!

So did I until I saw your sig just then and I thought I'd have a nosey around - I love Snopes

[Deleted User]

cos wrote: »

Apparently, I founded Barclaycard in 2005 as well . . .

So did you have something like a Marbles or MSDW card then? And got sold to BC?