Cashback from Barclays blue?

flaneurs_lobster

Bazzalona13295 said:

Oh....my.....you know.

Just spent 40 minutes on the phone with a colleague who not only had no idea about the 5% offer (if I hear selected retailers once more I'll scream) but would not register a complaint.

She got irate, agitated, you name it. All because she has no inkling of this offer.

I'll go into a branch and argue the toss, its only pittance but it does show how badly organised Barclays are.

Say to CS rep "Google 'Barclays 5% cashback'".

First result returned is

https://www.barclays.co.uk/current-accounts/blue-rewards/barclayscashback/welcome-offer-terms/

Bazzalona13295

flaneurs_lobster said:

Bazzalona13295 said:

Oh....my.....you know.

Just spent 40 minutes on the phone with a colleague who not only had no idea about the 5% offer (if I hear selected retailers once more I'll scream) but would not register a complaint.

She got irate, agitated, you name it. All because she has no inkling of this offer.

I'll go into a branch and argue the toss, its only pittance but it does show how badly organised Barclays are.

Say to CS rep "Google 'Barclays 5% cashback'".

First result returned is

https://www.barclays.co.uk/current-accounts/blue-rewards/barclayscashback/welcome-offer-terms/

Thankyou 😀

I didn't use that exact phrase but I did tell her on numerous occasions - I bet it reached double figures - that it was the 5% cashback and all debit card purchases should be eligible.

All she kept saying was 'no, its up to 15% on selected retailers' - I said over and over again that this is a different offer and why are no Barclays staff aware of it?

Even after typing to a colleague she kept repeating the same mantra.

I am trying to get something for nothing, have to be open on that, its no issue at all for me to make more payments to reach the £200. But there is a huge lack of communication there no question.

pecunianonolet

Bazzalona13295 said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Bazzalona13295 said:

Oh....my.....you know.

Just spent 40 minutes on the phone with a colleague who not only had no idea about the 5% offer (if I hear selected retailers once more I'll scream) but would not register a complaint.

She got irate, agitated, you name it. All because she has no inkling of this offer.

I'll go into a branch and argue the toss, its only pittance but it does show how badly organised Barclays are.

Say to CS rep "Google 'Barclays 5% cashback'".

First result returned is

https://www.barclays.co.uk/current-accounts/blue-rewards/barclayscashback/welcome-offer-terms/

Thankyou 😀

I didn't use that exact phrase but I did tell her on numerous occasions - I bet it reached double figures - that it was the 5% cashback and all debit card purchases should be eligible.

All she kept saying was 'no, its up to 15% on selected retailers' - I said over and over again that this is a different offer and why are no Barclays staff aware of it?

Even after typing to a colleague she kept repeating the same mantra.

I am trying to get something for nothing, have to be open on that, its no issue at all for me to make more payments to reach the £200. But there is a huge lack of communication there no question.

The lack of product knowledge and giving incorrect/false advice justifies a complaint on it's own in my opinion. Also, them refusing to log a complaint in the first place is in no way acceptable.

I would use the chat function, tell them that you would like to raise a complaint about the missing cashback, explain the scenario why it is missing and on what grounds. Tell them that you'd like to raise a second complaint due to the incompetence of their staff and service and denying you to raise a complaint in the first instance. I would cite that you waited x minutes/hours without any satisfactory solution or willingness to investigate.

I would then further say, look, these are two complaints and somebody would need to work on them, check all the details and provide an outcome, which you would then if no satisfactory compensation is paid are happy to take to the next level. I would then argue and say that the cost of their team to investigate plus any compensation for both cases due and to reach agreement would take time and would cost them significantly more. I would then offer them to drop both complaints if they are willing to settle for for £200 now and you would expect the money to land in your account today.

If they behave difficult, you could say, the media is reporting that they have to cut jobs for their productivity improvement and to save money and you are offering it to them and protect them from investigating, which would make a case handler busy for several hours. Their internal cost is far higher and will exceed the "damage" of just paying and making it go away. 

If unwilling, raise two different complaints and cite the procedure https://www.barclays.co.uk/complaints/

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/24/barclays-could-axe-up-to-2000-jobs-cost-cutting-drive

I had success with this approach a few times this year with different institutions by clearly and firmly but friendly telling them what I expect them to do and what I want to make my pain go away.

Bazzalona13295

pecunianonolet said:

Bazzalona13295 said:

flaneurs_lobster said:

Bazzalona13295 said:

Oh....my.....you know.

Just spent 40 minutes on the phone with a colleague who not only had no idea about the 5% offer (if I hear selected retailers once more I'll scream) but would not register a complaint.

She got irate, agitated, you name it. All because she has no inkling of this offer.

I'll go into a branch and argue the toss, its only pittance but it does show how badly organised Barclays are.

Say to CS rep "Google 'Barclays 5% cashback'".

First result returned is

https://www.barclays.co.uk/current-accounts/blue-rewards/barclayscashback/welcome-offer-terms/

Thankyou 😀

I didn't use that exact phrase but I did tell her on numerous occasions - I bet it reached double figures - that it was the 5% cashback and all debit card purchases should be eligible.

All she kept saying was 'no, its up to 15% on selected retailers' - I said over and over again that this is a different offer and why are no Barclays staff aware of it?

Even after typing to a colleague she kept repeating the same mantra.

I am trying to get something for nothing, have to be open on that, its no issue at all for me to make more payments to reach the £200. But there is a huge lack of communication there no question.

The lack of product knowledge and giving incorrect/false advice justifies a complaint on it's own in my opinion. Also, them refusing to log a complaint in the first place is in no way acceptable.

I would use the chat function, tell them that you would like to raise a complaint about the missing cashback, explain the scenario why it is missing and on what grounds. Tell them that you'd like to raise a second complaint due to the incompetence of their staff and service and denying you to raise a complaint in the first instance. I would cite that you waited x minutes/hours without any satisfactory solution or willingness to investigate.

I would then further say, look, these are two complaints and somebody would need to work on them, check all the details and provide an outcome, which you would then if no satisfactory compensation is paid are happy to take to the next level. I would then argue and say that the cost of their team to investigate plus any compensation for both cases due and to reach agreement would take time and would cost them significantly more. I would then offer them to drop both complaints if they are willing to settle for for £200 now and you would expect the money to land in your account today.

If they behave difficult, you could say, the media is reporting that they have to cut jobs for their productivity improvement and to save money and you are offering it to them and protect them from investigating, which would make a case handler busy for several hours. Their internal cost is far higher and will exceed the "damage" of just paying and making it go away. 

If unwilling, raise two different complaints and cite the procedure https://www.barclays.co.uk/complaints/

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/nov/24/barclays-could-axe-up-to-2000-jobs-cost-cutting-drive

I had success with this approach a few times this year with different institutions by clearly and firmly but friendly telling them what I expect them to do and what I want to make my pain go away.

Thankyou, I've finally had an initial complaint logged and registered with a case number. Hopefully I'll get an answer soon but the next contact I have will be when I can go into more detail, submit the whole saga and see what they have to say.

Then as you say possibly take it to the next level. My case is incredibly minor so its no biggie but it is indicative of the issues I have faced with one or two banks over the last year or so.

Thanks again.

wiseonesomeofthetime

I spent an hour on chat with them today to try and get my formal complaint lodged and what a waste of an hour.

After "appearing" helpful, it became clear that they too did not understand the offer I was referring to.

Anyway, without rambling on on here, they stated that I did not get my 5% cashback on my ATG offer, as I had activated the retailer 1% offer, and thus had been paid out on that one instead, per the conditions of the offer.

Now, I do not recall any such condition, but by then had lost the will to live and told them I was "out".

Cannot be bothered wasting any more time with this banks' Customer Service over a few quid. I am not that desperate for cash.

I had tried to get them to register a formal complaint for them not pointing this condition and fact out in the three previous conversations with staff, where they had simply provided copy and paste replies regarding up to 35 days blah, and was told I could not complain.

@ dealing with incompetent staff.

I will survive.

Bazzalona13295

Slight update on the saga but its ambiguous.

The 'missing' payment was for £48.48 which meant £2.42 cashback. That exact figure has now been added to my pending cashback, however......

By some mad coincidence my 2 most recent purchases (small shop and a meal out on Thu 14th) come to £48.45 so I'm none the wiser haha.

Shakin_Steve

I think most people are chasing this cashback as a matter of principle now. It's certainly not worth the effort for the sums involved.

masonic

Shakin_Steve said:

I think most people are chasing this cashback as a matter of principle now. It's certainly not worth the effort for the sums involved.

Indeed, given the obstacles clearly being thrown in the way, I'm not even slightly tempted to enter into a dispute for an extra 2.6% return from this exercise.

Bazzalona13295

Shakin_Steve said:

I think most people are chasing this cashback as a matter of principle now. It's certainly not worth the effort for the sums involved.

Probably not but its a daft £30 for simply using a different debit card.

wiseonesomeofthetime

I've given up with them.

Moving my business elsewhere. Their customer service is tripe.