Barclays Additions Account

hilspars

I have just found out that despite having paperwork from Barclays about additions plus benefits, that I was actually only an additions customer and did not have the same levels of cover.
I queried this with the bank and found that because I was additions platinum customer, they had the same 3 letter code in their system ADP so therefore I was receiving wrong information.
I complained and was told that they had found that this was also the case for many more customers. They agreed to completely refund all additions charges back to when the account was upgraded and I received £250 refund.

hilspars

Just to clarify, the original thread was aimed at people who are so called Platinum Account holders who also have additions ( the £11.50 one ).
If this is you, then you may have received a letter recently saying that the car breakdown cover has been upgraded to RAC and the letter says " as an additions plus customer "
If you only have additions then you will not have the annual travel insurance, but if you have been receiving paperwork stating you were an additions plus customer then you would have a case against them as you would have presumed that you have benefits that you actually do not have.

intalex

Any updates from the people re-claiming their "additions" charges on the basis of Barclays not obtaining customer consent (written/verbal) prior to effecting the upgrade to "additions"?

intalex

Can anyone shed some light on the issue of "proving customer consent" prior to actioning an upgrade to "additions"?

If it goes to court, is the customer supposed to prove the miss-upgrading, or is the bank supposed to provide evidence of customer consent prior to upgrading.

Lorraine_Smith_2

Can anybody tell me whether it is possible to reclaim the fees I paid to have a Barclays Additions Account. I have never used any of the so called services. The bank told me that I cannot claim as I signed up for this account. Are they right

Lorraine Smith

Badger_Lady

Yes, they are right - account fees are legal as long as you knew you were signing up to an Additions account rather than a standard account (and they're generally very up-front about the benefits you get "from only £6 a month!").

You can only reclaim extortionate ad-hoc fees incurred due to unauthorised overdrafts or unpaid debits.

I had a Barclays First Additions account purely to reduce the interest on my overdraft - now it's paid off, I've cancelled it in the branch and gone back to a standard account. This is the best you can do.

intalex

Wow... are there no success stories? Should the rest of us keep our hopes alive?

intalex

What if they convert your standard account into an additions account without your consent?

I have a situation whereby I had a small credit balance in my standard account, then they converted it into an additions account without my consent which incurred monthly fees, which in turn exhausted my credit balance and led to my account being overdrawn.

How is a customer supposed to prove that they never gave a consent to upgrade to additions?

Badger_Lady

intalex wrote: »

What if they convert your standard account into an additions account without your consent?

I have a situation whereby I had a small credit balance in my standard account, then they converted it into an additions account without my consent which incurred monthly fees, which in turn exhausted my credit balance and led to my account being overdrawn.

How is a customer supposed to prove that they never gave a consent to upgrade to additions?

In your case, I would suggest that they have to prove you did give consent! :eek:

Have you been through their complaints process? A very strongly worded letter about making your account chargeable without consent or written warning should be good enough...

Did you cancel the upgrade as soon as you discovered it?

It's not the same as a standard bank charge reclaim, but it's still illegal and you can threaten them with court action if they don't pay up (which cannot be stayed due to test case because it is not affected by it).

Lorraine_Smith_2

intalex wrote: »

Any updates from the people re-claiming their "additions" charges on the basis of Barclays not obtaining customer consent (written/verbal) prior to effecting the upgrade to "additions"?

I queried my Additions Account and was told that I couln't claim as I had rrequested it. I don not recall this and asked for some evidence which they could not supply. They have offered me £135.00 by way of a goodwill gesture. My case will be open for eight weeks when I can either take the money or alternatively get in touch with the financial ombudsman.

Should I take the money, or does anybody think I have a chance of getting more?

Lorraine

intalex

what percentage is £135 of the total "additions" charges you incurred to date?