Banking at Barclays

TheGardener

Hi - further to previous posts and suggestions that I speak directly to Barclays about not having internet banking - update: Had an appointment with branch manager who was already aware of my BR - I asked the question - are you sure I cant have internet banking? (others on this board thought things had been changed) and to be fair she did endeavour to find out - she asked her regional manager and he in turn asked the team that deal with BR's but the answer is no - Barclays policy for un-discharged BR's with basic accounts is no internet banking. However, she did think I could have phone banking and arranged for me to be sent a pack (not holding my breath) and she changed my bank statements to weekly + text alerts. So the up-shot is the only way I can find out my exact balance 'now' (not yesterdays cleared balance) is to go into a branch and ask a cashier.
However, under the circumstances - I'm grateful to have an account at all.

kboss2010

It's not the bank's fault, it's a legal requirement that banks are not allowed to give bankrupt customers online banking.

Currently, Barclays is the only bank on the high street which offers bank accounts to bankrupt customers (Co-op stopped offering them because it was inundated with requests).

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger

kboss2010 wrote: »

It's not the bank's fault, it's a legal requirement that banks are not allowed to give bankrupt customers online banking.

Currently, Barclays is the only bank on the high street which offers bank accounts to bankrupt customers (Co-op stopped offering them because it was inundated with requests).

There is no such legal requirement, it is simply Barclay's policy - there are other banks that allow internet access to undischarged bankrupts (it's just that Barclays and Co-op don't charge and hence why they are preferred).

kboss2010

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger wrote: »

There is no such legal requirement, it is simply Barclay's policy - there are other banks that allow internet access to undischarged bankrupts (it's just that Barclays and Co-op don't charge and hence why they are preferred).

Hmm... Interesting indeed. Thanks for the info

sniggings

OutofDebt-NOT-OutofDanger wrote: »

There is no such legal requirement, it is simply Barclay's policy - there are other banks that allow internet access to undischarged bankrupts (it's just that Barclays and Co-op don't charge and hence why they are preferred).

No bank allows online banking to undischarged BR as a policy. Only Barclays will allow a BR to have an account as a policy, without online access.

discharged and undischarged are two different things, the OP is referring to undischarged BR, Barclays and most other banks will offer accounts with online banking to discharged BR.

easygoingchap

sniggings wrote: »

No bank allows online banking to undischarged BR as a policy. Only Barclays will allow a BR to have an account as a policy, without online access.

discharged and undischarged are two different things, the OP is referring to undischarged BR, Barclays and most other banks will offer accounts with online banking to discharged BR.

Secure Trust Bank offers full Internet banking to undischarged BR

sniggings

easygoingchap wrote: »

Secure Trust Bank offers full Internet banking to undischarged BR

I was talking about high street banks, Banks that don't require a monthly fee. £12.50 a month :eek: , if you need internet banking that badly be my guest

alastairq

What did we do 25 years ago???

I have found Co-op's service to be exemplary....and I don't care if I cannot get an instant update of what I have left 6 minutes after a shopping trip...if I really need to know I can ask a cash machine whilst i'm still in town!

[This instant readout complaint really is something of a myth..I use to find Barclays would tell me how much I've got left.....here & now..yet, if I looked on my actual account, the figure would be totally different! It all depends on the type of card system in use by the retailer?
In any event, Co-op' will 'refuse' a transaction if there are insufficient funds....but that's what 'managing' one's account is all about? IE, not getting into that situation...rather than simply letting it happen, then trying to sort things out?

HAving two accounts [or more] with one being a 'running ' account, the other being for bills, DD's etc only...ensures one can manage one's finances more reliably.

I certainly found Co-op's system to be more user-friendly than Barclays....]

loulix45

I was lucky - Santander allowed me to keep my Everyday Current Account open with full internet access. This runs in real time and is updated immediately. To be on the safe side though I also opened a Co op Cashminder Account which I use for all bills and DD's.

fermi

Have seen it suggested that you could complain to the FOS on grounds of fairness. i.e. that they should not arbitrarily withhold features of an account due to status where the bank would suffer no risk or prejudice by granting the facilities, and that they are offered on the normal account terms with no reference that they will not be granted to BRs. You were led to believe by their website/staff that the facility would be available, or at least given no indication that it would be withheld. Plus also stress that you are in a position without easy access to credit and constrained finances, so access to Internet banking to monitor the account is particularly important, and that you will be disadvantaged without it.

Now not sure (perhaps) if the FOS would even consider or accept a complaint on the above, but got to be worth asking?

Can call them : http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

TheGardener

alastairq wrote: »

What did we do 25 years ago???

I have found Co-op's service to be exemplary....and I don't care if I cannot get an instant update of what I have left 6 minutes after a shopping trip...if I really need to know I can ask a cash machine whilst i'm still in town!

I got paid cash 25 years ago and 25 years ago we didn't have the forced use of DD's by utility/insurance/phone companies (or penalty charges if you don't use DD) and financially - the world was a different place. Having just had to set up a load of new DD's (no account switch service for BR's!) I have found not being able to see if the DD's have actually gone or if they were for the right amount a nightmare. I don't have the luxury of any kind of 'buffer' in my account and operate on a very narrow margin. If the gas DD went last night for the wrong amount (which it has - twice) then I can budget all I like but if I then go to Tesco this morning and spend what I think I have in my account, I get told my card is declined!!:o
The cash point balance is no good because it is at least 24 hours out of date at Barclays - a real time balance would have saved a lot of embarrassment and when working full time, I don't have the luxury of being able to 'nip' into a bank branch at any time to check.
My point is that when operating on a tight budget - not having real time info is really hard and to be fair - I resent the suggestion that I'm not budgeting properly. I am finding this incredibly hard and the whole banking system seems determined to put as many obstacles in the way of effective budgeting as possible. British Gas have been a complete nightmare and the bank have not helped.