Barclaycard trick to prevent you closing account

eschaton

dalstonpaul wrote: »

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!

Would it not have been easier to check your account online and just pay the balance? Why did you need to phone?

I closed my latest Barclaycard a few months ago by phone. They begged me to keep it open and offered me free money to do so.

I declined their offer and they closed my account immediately as requested. Nothing sneaky about them.

izools

I had this with a Barclaycard years ago and ended up 10p in credit. they duly sent a cheque and closed the account. it does make me laugh though as the costs to them are far in excess of 10 p or whatever.
hey, their loss.

Giraffeseeker

I get a Barclaycard statement every single month for a previous occupier of my house who I have no knowledge of (not the last owner, as I have her forwarding address). The statement is 12p in credit. I have tried sending statements "return to sender, not at this address" but they still come every month. I rang them once to inform them but they "can only discuss the account with the account holder". They even sent a new card, which I cut up. The credit limit is £6000. If I wasn't so honest I could have signed the back and spent that money. I bet the owner of the account doesn't even know it is still open.

chattychappy

tintingirl wrote: »

I get a Barclaycard statement every single month for a previous occupier of my house who I have no knowledge of (not the last owner, as I have her forwarding address). The statement is 12p in credit.

Standby for misinformed posts about interfering with the Royal Mail. Must be at least a year since we had a thread go that way!

Own_My_Own

I used to work for a bank, in branch, and they hated accounts being closed down . I once got called in because I closed 4 accounts in one day. My opinion was, if they wanted to move their money let them.

Maybe the person on the phone had already shut to many accounts down and coundn't be seem to be closing more. By leaving 2p in the account, someone else had to do it .

Just a thought .

cos_2

billbennett wrote: »

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

Sorry for the delay. No, I don't think so. I seem to remember applying for Barclaycard directly. The kind of odd named card I had around then was GE, i.e. General Electric, which I thought sold cookers not credit. Maybe they sold on to BC?

vacheron

I tried twice to have My long running Barclaycard account closed to free up my credit limit for a new card application.

The first time I asked them to close it (I was very specific) they said they would do it but 2 weeks later as a test I logged into my account and it was still there.
I called them again and they had no record of my request apparently!

Asked them again to close the account and to write to me stating they had done so. They said they would just make the account dormant in case I ever needed it again. I specifically replied " no, I want you to CLOSE the account"

A few days later received a letter telling me my account was now "deactivated". Rang them out of suspicion to ask if this meant closed..... it didn't.
Asked to speak to a supervisor and was quickly told there was no need for that as it was a simple misunderstanding and my account was closed within 2 minutes with a letter 2 days later to confirm!

melbell

cos wrote: »

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

Bubble bursting time

"Founder member" refers to Contactless technology and if printed on a visa card the fact they were one of the banks who founded visa. All banks who are "Founder members" print it now.