Are barclays cowards who wont give bad news over the phone?

complaint_to_barclays

Hi

I would be v grateful for any answers on the following from people who know the process.

8 weeks ago today I phoned Barclays to complain about a package bank account I had as I had just found out that it wasn't necessary to have the fees for the overdraft. The call handler said yes you have definitely been missold and she said they would be in contact with me in 5 days (as it happened it took longer than that).

I was then sent a form, I filled in the form.

Then on Friday I phoned as I was getting very worried as it was due for completion today. They told me that barclays had sent out a letter that morning with a list of questions (that I had already answered in the form that they had on file) that morning. The lady read them out to me and I answered them verbally and then she emailed the manager in charge of my case and said it would be dealt with by Monday so I would know then.

I phoned up today and was told that a decision letter had been sent out that morning but they could not tell me what it was. I have received no text and the money is not in my account. I really pushed them politely but firmly for an answer: I said all I needed was a yes, no or in between. They wont email me the letter and they wont send me an answer via my internet banking which is secure. I phoned twice (hoping one would give me an answer) On questioning one said if it was a successful payment it could take up to 28 days. The second person said well the money probably would be paid that day or the next day if it was successful and they could not even read the letter

I found that odd given on friday they could read out the questions on the letter they said they had sent out. Its been sent out 2nd class so Ill be very lucky if I get the letter by the new year as my post is abysmal so I would really appreciate it if anyone has experienced a similar attitude and what the result was. Is Barclays policy just cowardly in not telling customers bad news or is there still hope?

In practice do they always put the money in immediately when they write the letter or has it ever taken longer for anyone? Its infuriating not to know for sure before Christmas.

Thank you in advance for your help. Appreciated.

Insider101

Call centre staff really don't help by making comments like this. They are bad at a lot of banks and especially at FOS. They don't make the decision and don't have access to any information regarding the sale so how they can make a comment like that escapes me.

Some banks do have a policy of not giving case decisions over the telephone so I wouldn't read too much into it. I don't see why you're getting "worried" about it. It's only a complaint, you can't lose anything by it.

complaint_to_barclays

Thanks insider. They certainly don't help anyone by contradicting each other. The section of barclays with the woman who said it was a missale was within their initial complaints handling line if I recall correctly. So I thought she would be qualified to say that. Come to think of it she said words to the effect that the 5 day wait (and they would let me know then if they needed more time) was so they could just confirm all the details and work out the figure was right. It sounded more of a formality.

I've been getting worried (or maybe stressed would have been a better word) about the time. I was kind of pinning my hopes on it. Like many people I am poverty stricken at the moment so was hoping it wouldn't roll past Christmas. I think I knew that I had been lied to at the sale and so trusted I would get the refund. To be honest I thought it was just a matter of time (especially as the first call handler said it was a missale) and wasn't thinking they would reject it. Now I am not too confident at all. If I wasn't so broke I probably would have seen it as a bonus not something I would have fretted about.

Insider101

Yeah, all of which goes to demonstrate what I said earlier. The person you spoke to might have been on the complaints department line but they were in all probability a call centre worker who does not look at complaint cases. But regardless, nobody can possibly make an informed judgement on a complaint off the back of a five minute phone conversation with one of the parties to it. Evidence needs to be gathered, staff spoken to etc... This persons comment sounds plain silly, as though they were just out for an easy life. The five days is for an acknowledgement to the complaint. They have up to 8 weeks to either issue a final response or a holding letter explaining why they are not in a position to do so.

Rebecca121_2

If it helps at all, I phoned Barclays today, and they told me details of my refund amount and said the cheque was sent last Friday. They were quite open once I passed security

complaint_to_barclays

Rebecca121 wrote: »

If it helps at all, I phoned Barclays today, and they told me details of my refund amount and said the cheque was sent last Friday. They were quite open once I passed security

Thanks Rebecca. Was that for a missold package bank account? The package bank account people have a seperate dept from ppi I think. So just wondering in case its different.

They never even mentioned cheques either to me, I was told it would be paid direct into my account if successful. Or is it re missale on another product?

I am shocked that they won't say what the letter says even if they wont discuss it properly until Ive read it. I had passed security twice. There certainly was no reason they couldn't do it.

complaint_to_barclays

Insider101 wrote: »

Yeah, all of which goes to demonstrate what I said earlier. The person you spoke to might have been on the complaints department line but they were in all probability a call centre worker who does not look at complaint cases. But regardless, nobody can possibly make an informed judgement on a complaint off the back of a five minute phone conversation with one of the parties to it. Evidence needs to be gathered, staff spoken to etc... This persons comment sounds plain silly, as though they were just out for an easy life. The five days is for an acknowledgement to the complaint. They have up to 8 weeks to either issue a final response or a holding letter explaining why they are not in a position to do so.

Yes when a customer phones up the complaint line they do expect the person who takes the details etc and says something like that to know what they are talking about rightly or wrongly.

I had read some quick and easy complaint stories online here so I did hope it would be easy like those stories (albeit they were some time ago). There were a few where they phoned up and by the end of the week had the money in their account. I hoped that the 8 week thing was more pertinent to ppi and less to package fees but guess as more people are complaining about bank accounts that will lengthen. That initial conversation tallied with what I had read about nice easy complaints dealt with quickly.

It seems that someone else in barclays is embroidering the truth (other than the initial sales person) or else policy has changed since friday. They have been contradicting each other like mad. If I am wrong and I get the money then I will come back to the thread and eat my words but its not looking good.

Rebecca121_2

I may be confusing things then. It was for a loan nearly 20 years old and they would need to send a cheque as no longer have an account with them