Banks refusing/ignoring/sidestepping clear requests to register complaints via chat

WillPS

Thought I'd open a thread to raise awareness and get others to share experiences.

In the last year my wife and I have had cause to open a complaint via app-based 'live chat' four times with four separate banks, and on each the clear request to 'open a complaint' has not initially resulted in a complaint being opened. Indeed, the most recent experience I had with Barclays was so farsical that it took 7 statements of 'I want to open a complaint about this' over an 18 hour period before, after one final attempt to dump me without a complaint being opened, a complaint was finally opened. In between they attempted to suddenly close the chat ('accidentally'), fob me off with 'I need to get this fixed for you before I can open a complaint', 'internal investigation will happen but you won't hear back' etc etc - literally every trick in the book - across multiple agents too, so this must be something they are implicitly trained to do.

That final one is now with the ombudsman, because I found the whole thing (including the manner the complaint itself was eventually dealt with) to be pretty shocking.

LBG, TSB and Natwest Group are the other three we've had problems with, although in fairness to them each has recognised in the eventual complaint that their agent's behaviour was incorrect, unlike Barclays.

This is all in clear breach of the FCA rules on complaints handling: https://www.handbook.fca.org.uk/handbook/DISP/1/3.html

I wonder if this is something MSE might want to take a look at, because it's clearly widespread at this point. @MSE_Petar

Has anyone else had any experience of this shameful complaint suppression?

Olinda99

can't speak for the other banks but if you want to open a complaint via the app for Barclays then you need to send them a secure message, not chat

This is clearly spelled out in their 'how to make a complaint' web page

WillPS

Olinda99 said:

can't speak for the other banks but if you want to open a complaint via the app for Barclays then you need to send them a secure message, not chat

This is clearly spelled out in their 'how to make a complaint' web page

'Secure message' is what Barclays call their live chat. There is no non live-chat version.

As a general comment though - they can say what they like on their 'how to make a complaint' web page - they must register a complaint when I make one, however I announce myself, or at the very least signpost me to how to get the complaint registered.

If they responded with 'I can't take a complaint via this channel, go here instead', that'd be frustrating but understandable; but that isn't what happened. They did eventually accept the complaint (via "secure message"), so clearly they are able to

Hoenir

Is it actually widespread though ? 

7sefton

Yes I agree, but also have found this attitude is common regardless of channel. 

I’ve tried to make complaints by phone and the advisor went along only to conclude by saying my ‘feedback’ had been registered. When I asked for confirmation I had made a formal complaint, the sheepishly said no just logged feedback. The same thing happened via online message with a different bank. 

So beware, banks use ‘feedback’ as a way to avoid registering formal complaints with unsuspecting customers. 

The motivation is clear: formal complaints are regulated, the stats get reported, and they generally cost the bank time & money (compensation) to resolve. Feedback doesn’t.

born_again

WillPS said:

Olinda99 said:

can't speak for the other banks but if you want to open a complaint via the app for Barclays then you need to send them a secure message, not chat

This is clearly spelled out in their 'how to make a complaint' web page

'Secure message' is what Barclays call their live chat. There is no non live-chat version.

As a general comment though - they can say what they like on their 'how to make a complaint' web page - they must register a complaint when I make one, however I announce myself, or at the very least signpost me to how to get the complaint registered.

If they responded with 'I can't take a complaint via this channel, go here instead', that'd be frustrating but understandable; but that isn't what happened. They did eventually accept the complaint (via "secure message"), so clearly they are able to

Can I ask, as do not use Barclays. Are you logged into your account at this point, so they know you are a customer?

As we can only log a complaint when it is a customer that has been fully verified.

maman

I had the complete opposite situation with Lloyds. 

I was on the phone to them about another matter and  they asked, as they invariably do, if there was anything else they could help with.

I asked if they could stop sending me frequent emails to tell me to look at my bank statement which I do anyway. I explained that IMO it devalued any really important emails. I had gone paperless ages ago and definitely not signed up for this. 

I was asked if I'd like to make a complaint. I said it hadn't been my intention but would like it resolved. The call handler didn't know a way of resolving the issue. While we were speaking, I fiddled about and found a way of receiving annual emails. I told him this so he said they'd pay me £50 if I withdrew the complaint.

So, I resolved the issue myself and was £50 better off!

boingy

I've also had the opposite experience. Both Halifax and Nationwide have registered formal complaints for me when I have not made a complaint. In one case I was making a suggestion for how they could improve and in the other I was just having a bit of a whinge at them. Next thing I have emails, voicemails and real snail-mail letters confirming my complaint had been registered and that they would be in touch again when they had investigated. A week or two later my "complaints" were not upheld. I was amused and bemused in equal parts. Maybe I should have complained about the experience.

WillPS

born_again said:

WillPS said:

Olinda99 said:

can't speak for the other banks but if you want to open a complaint via the app for Barclays then you need to send them a secure message, not chat

This is clearly spelled out in their 'how to make a complaint' web page

'Secure message' is what Barclays call their live chat. There is no non live-chat version.

As a general comment though - they can say what they like on their 'how to make a complaint' web page - they must register a complaint when I make one, however I announce myself, or at the very least signpost me to how to get the complaint registered.

If they responded with 'I can't take a complaint via this channel, go here instead', that'd be frustrating but understandable; but that isn't what happened. They did eventually accept the complaint (via "secure message"), so clearly they are able to

Can I ask, as do not use Barclays. Are you logged into your account at this point, so they know you are a customer?

As we can only log a complaint when it is a customer that has been fully verified.

Yes, the only way to do it is by logging in to the app and they are able to see my accounts in there. 

WillPS

Hoenir said:

Is it actually widespread though ? 

4 different banking groups. 5 different agents at Barclays. Just my personal experience, I'm inviting others to chime in to establish whether it is widespread.

Emily_Joy

I had no problems registering a complaint with Royal Bank of Scotland. I also was offered to make a complaint to West Bromwhich building society when they were unfair to me. I am quite irritated by Nationwide Credit Card direct debit policy, but it looks like they are acting within their T&C... so probably not worth complaining about.