How hard is it to open a new barclays bank account rant!

lr1277

My suspicion is that you need to see a personal banker to do important stuff with your account. Personal bankers aren't available at every branch every working day. You could turn up at a branch and hope to see a personal banker, but given by comments on this forum, my guess is that they are in demand so won't be available for an ad-hoc meeting. My suspicion is you were told to go to the central branch as a personal banker may be available but obviously not guaranteed. That is why Barclays suggests appointments but as you can imagine, say due to sickness, the personal banker in question may not be available on the day of your appointment.

My suspicion is based on trying to remove somebody from a joint account who had emigrated many years ago. We were told we would need an appointment with a personal banker for the emigree to present themselves along with ID. Then they could be removed from the account.

Zaul22

Yeh I gave up on Barclays. 6+ week wait for an appointment to show ID. They said only certain advisers can do it. Surely literally any plonker can look at someone's name and picture. 

Rob5342

It's amazing they have any customers with that sort of rigmarole. Even NatWest let me upload a picture to my driving license to prove my id.

pecunianonolet

Isn't it ironic, banks close local branches to save cost or change opening hours to the impossible for a working person but tell you that they need to see you. 

Was in December at my local branch, wanted to open the ISA, which I couldn't do via phone. I so far have only a credit card with them, got a good limit and an offer for 0% spending interest. Waited in branch like I was lost until somebody cared to talk to me. Explained what I want, went into an office. Person tried to open the ISA, failed, asked somebody else for advice. Suddenly two people starred at the screen. Person 1 openly admitted she never opened one and doesn't know where to click. Person two seemd to find the route to navigate the system only to come to the conclusion that I need to show ID as apparently it's needed because they not verified it for some time.

Told them that I need to proof ID at the start of the conversation (was ignored), because that's what I got to after I persistently called the hotline 3 times before (first person hung up on me half way through the application), second person didn't have a clue, third person connected me to a "specialist in private banking" who told me it can only be opended in branch and that I need to show ID and should take as precuation proof of address and payslips with me too. 

Right, back to branch when they now after 20 minutes figured out that I need to show ID. The person who had all the required training is off due to long term sickness I was told, nobody else in branch was trained to verify my ID. Maybe I should have asked if their competitor bank next door, with which I mainly bank (HSBC), can verify it for them lol.

Was offered to go into another branch in the next big city (ca 1h drive, depending on traffic). Thanked and declined that I not drive almost 100 miles return journey when my local branch is 2 miles away. It was pre Christmas, the lady wrote down my phone number, promised a call back after my x-mas holidays. Never got that phonecall, although I can't say for certain because phone broke down and was for around a week unable to make and receive calls and had a few missed ones without number during that time so could have been the branch but doubt it. They could have left a voicemail. 

Attempting to go into branch again this week, equipped with all the paperwork, maybe I am lucky and somebody received sufficient training to do basic banking tasks (clicking through instrution on screen) and serve customers. 

HSBC, the one so many seem to have problems with, never failed me (yet) in the last 13 years. Credit cards, savings, loans, secion 75, chargebacks, even sending statement to an address abroad (pre Brexit) was never an issue. Always got what I needed in a suficcient time and to quality. 

Emmia

I've never personally really had any issues with Barclays, had an account with them since I was about 12, and opened an extra current account with them for budgeting purposes via the app about 18 months ago.

HSBC is a bit more mixed, but still fairly positive, but Natwest were awful, and I'm glad to be rid of that account.

phillw

I've opened barclays accounts twice & so has my friend (last time was a month or so ago). They seem to pick certain people a needing verification but I don't think it's that many, but that means they don't have the staff to do it.

So it's great for most people, but not the minority who end up with issues.

lr1277

Further to my comment about ad-hoc meetings with personal advisers, I was told the advisers try and keep the first hour of the day free for any ad-hoc appointments. If I remember correctly.

Not sure it applies to every branch and you take my comment at your own risk.

35har1old

devansuk said:

WillPS said:

I'm not sure why you're wanting to close an account which hasn't even been opened yet? Once opened you should be able to close your account in writing: https://www.barclays.co.uk/content/dam/documents/personal/current-accounts/BAR_9917601_1020_p1_Hi_Crop.pdf

You'll need to jump through whatever hoops they ask for you to open an account. You can of course simply refuse and not have an account.

The account is already open I've registered and have a sort code account number and also a barclaycard but I can't use any of them until I show my ID in branch which has to be a city center branch. I've already shredded the cards my telephone banking account it locked so the operator on the phone can get onto my account yet I can via online banking. 

I have opened a joint account and a sole sccount but never had to prove my ID

username

pecunianonolet said:

Isn't it ironic, banks close local branches to save cost or change opening hours to the impossible for a working person but tell you that they need to see you. 

Was in December at my local branch, wanted to open the ISA, which I couldn't do via phone. I so far have only a credit card with them, got a good limit and an offer for 0% spending interest. Waited in branch like I was lost until somebody cared to talk to me. Explained what I want, went into an office. Person tried to open the ISA, failed, asked somebody else for advice. Suddenly two people starred at the screen. Person 1 openly admitted she never opened one and doesn't know where to click. Person two seemd to find the route to navigate the system only to come to the conclusion that I need to show ID as apparently it's needed because they not verified it for some time.

Told them that I need to proof ID at the start of the conversation (was ignored), because that's what I got to after I persistently called the hotline 3 times before (first person hung up on me half way through the application), second person didn't have a clue, third person connected me to a "specialist in private banking" who told me it can only be opended in branch and that I need to show ID and should take as precuation proof of address and payslips with me too. 

Right, back to branch when they now after 20 minutes figured out that I need to show ID. The person who had all the required training is off due to long term sickness I was told, nobody else in branch was trained to verify my ID. Maybe I should have asked if their competitor bank next door, with which I mainly bank (HSBC), can verify it for them lol.

Was offered to go into another branch in the next big city (ca 1h drive, depending on traffic). Thanked and declined that I not drive almost 100 miles return journey when my local branch is 2 miles away. It was pre Christmas, the lady wrote down my phone number, promised a call back after my x-mas holidays. Never got that phonecall, although I can't say for certain because phone broke down and was for around a week unable to make and receive calls and had a few missed ones without number during that time so could have been the branch but doubt it. They could have left a voicemail. 

Attempting to go into branch again this week, equipped with all the paperwork, maybe I am lucky and somebody received sufficient training to do basic banking tasks (clicking through instrution on screen) and serve customers. 

HSBC, the one so many seem to have problems with, never failed me (yet) in the last 13 years. Credit cards, savings, loans, secion 75, chargebacks, even sending statement to an address abroad (pre Brexit) was never an issue. Always got what I needed in a suficcient time and to quality. 

All these stories just reveal how poor the training for staff was, and also how bad the processes are.

If someone is off on longterm sick would it not make sense to upskill the other staff to temporarily carry out such applications to a competent degree?!

I can understand one not being able to, but two to be completely lost...I do think it is very strange that you come up against the ID issue they they were fine dishing out a Barclaycard with a large limit?

I have banked with Barclays for years and never had any issues.

HSBC is a mixed bag, I applied for a bank account and credit card and the latter got stuck. I got a text message out of the blue to say that I'd got an email asking me to agree to the application electronically, and guess what, there was no email.

Due to the mail strikes I hadn't received my telephone banking passcode so I thought the best idea was go into a branch, they'll know what they're doing and I can just agree and we can get my application done and dusted.

Went into the branch nearest my office in London to complete this on a lunch hour - waited in line and was told by the guy on the front desk that I had to book an appointment later in the day, despite him clearing leafing through the paperwork and application on his computer and seen I'd been given a credit limit, card number etc. As time was short and I had to be back to my desk, I asked him to leave it and I'd try a branch nearer home.

I was on annual leave the week after, in and out the nearer to home branch within 10 mins. Sat down at a desk with a guy, show ID, he looks at my accounts and clicks some buttons. Out comes war and peace from the printer next to him, sign here, thank you very much your card will arrive next 5 days.

[Deleted User]

HSBC did request I come into branch to open an account, it was a tiny branch but they were able to do it, and this was only because I previously held an account with them so they had to perform extra checks (doesn't make sense but there you go). 

Don't even bother with Barclays, I moved to them thinking they were professionals, but if you earn less than £75000 they are really not interested. I am in the process of going back to RBS once I can get my backside into gear to move everything back over! People slate RBS but it works.

Barclays would not give me an overdraft, would not give me a chequebook, their branch staff were like headless chicken (this was in the branch across the road from the Barclays HQ), stay away they are really not worth it. Woman at the counter told me they needed a signature, she took it and spent 10 minutes sending it off, but it never arrived at HQ, told me they would call about an overdraft, never received, phoned them, told someone would call back, never received, then got a letter saying the overdraft was declined. It's a bank of slime. They are riding on a legacy which is quickly running out of steam. They only have a retail offering because of all the customers at joined them in the past. One suspects they really have no interests in retail and only operate it for other liquidity purposes, but I am no expert in finance.

Just to add I believe RBS/Natwest outsource ID verification.