Barclays cash ISA

Lokolo

born_again_saver wrote: »

Fair enough, if you have the full £3,600 ready to subscribe for this tax year then I think that's sensible. I and many others won't, have and so I'll be looking for an ISA which lets me build up the balance gradually until I'm also ready to transfer to a fixed rate deal, if that is still looking like a good idea at the time. I've got an inkling that interest rates could be back on the up in a year's time because of inflation, but it's anyone's guess really.

This is the point I really do like, I am in the same position, I don't have £3600 just laying around (unfortunately!), but this is the excuse a lot of people here have been saying on here, "Oh I didn't have enough money so I didn't open one". Its not an excuse at all. I opened an Egg one in September with £1, I then just kept adding loads to it til I got to my full ISA.

I just can't understand why people complain that its taken longer than 2 weeks to open (2 weeks is what I got told as a minimum) and then complain when they can't find out how to deposit because they can't be bothered to look in T&Cs.

I agree that Barclays shouldn't leave it until the last minute with a great deal but did it stop people going for it? No. Its the same with holidays, do you book your holiday a week before you go? Er I don't know about anyone else but I sure don't.

bristolleedsfan

[quote=No,_not_at_all,_but_it_is_surely_going_to_be_a_lot_more_automated_and_therefore_less_work_for_both_Barclays_branches_and_for_their_ISA_processing_centre_if_the_bulk_of_applications_are_made_online._It_can't_be_a_coincidence_that_their_online_applications_are_sorted_out_much_faster_than_in-branch_ones?[/quote]


Many people have posted to say how well their 2007/08 ISA applications have been handled by Barclays Bank Branches in 2008, Cheques getting returned that shouldnt be returned is down to staff incompetence.

Earliest that 2008/09 online applications could be opened is today.

Seems a strange situation where somebody could see his account opened online ( another application opened quickly by Barclays Bank) , received a welcome pack yet didnt appear to possess the apparent ability to send a top up cheque to either a branch or to ISA office in Lverpool made out to Barclays Bank ( a/c name of acount holder) and write his account number on the back.

In the event that the poster didnt have an account number, Barclays Bank are allowing top up deposits to be made even where an account has not been opened so the posters reported problems defy logic. :eek: ( It appears that at one of the busiest times of the tax year the poster only wanted to conduct matters over the telephone.

Re: Nationwide BS they dont allow online ISA applications to made either for non banking customers. ( im not sure about banking customers) so is same procedure apply through a branch and ISA applications get dealt with Nationwide ISA office in Swindon whom have at least 3 week delays ATM from experience.

Nationwide also like appointments to be made for account openings as well, obviously Barclays rate is higher than Nationwide so will attract more demand for new money. ( So Nationwide and Barclays operate in exactly the same way and both have had backlog problems albeit different kinds of problems)

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/saving-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=423189&in_page_id=7

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/saving-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=424694&in_page_id=7

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/saving-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=425696&in_page_id=7

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/saving-and-banking/article.html?in_article_id=429825&in_page_id=7

bashful

I belatedly applied online this morning for my 2008/9 Barclays Tax Haven ISA and have £3,600 sitting in my Halifax current a/c ready to pay in.

I opened a Tax Saver with Barclays last year and opened a current account at the same time so that I could use the online facilities to look at the ISA balance. I didn't put any money into the current account so couldn't open the Tax Haven ISA online earlier as I needed at least a £1 in the current account to kick it off. I transferred the £1 online over a week ago and all was fine this morning.

Question 1 - anyone know how long it takes to get the new Barclays Tax Haven ISA account number to pay in my £3,600? Also, is this info emailed or posted from Barclays?

Question 2 - my wife also opened a Tax Saver last year and applied online this morning for a Tax Haven 2008/9 ISA. When asked on the online application form she gave her ISA account details to transfer the £1 in from and I was surprised that the system took those details - I presume the form verifies details against the Barclays account data - but will that really work???

TommyLee

Lokolo wrote: »

"you're likely to get the same problems opening an ISA mid March with a decent rate, as everyone is going to go there to open them before the new tax year"

"I agree that Barclays shouldn't leave it until the last minute with a great deal"

Lokolo

Seems your starting to contradict yourself a little here?

First you moan that people should not leave it this late to open an ISA?


Then you say it does not matter what time of year you open one??


And then after disagreeing with everyone and sticking up for Barclays so fervently, you now agree that Barclays should not have left it so late, to introduce the Tax Haven account!!!


GOD ............ can U make your mind up?:mad:


And as to WHEN a person decides to open up an account, should not be the point ............ if a product is offered 365 days of the year, then it should be available 365 days ............... in this case, Barclays should have posted more info on their website, or in their literature warning that if the product was over subscribed ............... there may be delays in setting up/processing applications? ( after all, it seems they had similar problems in previous years, so should be better prepared this time round???).


They did not do this, for fear of deterring people from taking up this new ISA and looking elsewhere to another (and more likely) better company/product .................... and as to your berating of someone for contacting Barclays, via THEIR Email Service, to ask a simple question is a bit harsh, after all, just WHAT is the Online Help Service for???


All I hope NOW, is that anyone reading this thread will now be better prepared when making a choice as to whether or not to open a Barclays ISA ............... or for that matter, ANY Barclays products.:rolleyes:

bristolleedsfan

TommyLee wrote: »

and as to your berating of someone for contacting Barclays, via THEIR Email Service, to ask a simple question is a bit harsh, after all, just WHAT is the Online Help Service for???


.:rolleyes:

Barclays ISA office dont actually have an external email address nore do they offer ISA email support. ( Nationwide dont offer external email addresses either so its not unusual )

I know this because I attempted to find out in February something that people had been given different answers to. When i contacted Barclays through their site it was firstly suggested that I phone them and when i replied saying I wasnt phoning at my expense, next suggestion was to use the Postal Service.

I sent enquiry freepost and received no reply.

---

Original Message

---

From: <[EMAIL="replies&#64;barclays.co.uk"]replies@barclays.co.uk[/EMAIL]>
To:
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 3:06 PM
Subject: RE::query - ISA [#979308]

> Thank you for your email.

> Unfortunately the ISA team do not have an external e mail address.
>
> Their postal address is as follows:-
>
> Barclays Savings, PO Box 75, Liverpool, L69 7HG
>
>
> Yours sincerely
>
> Internet Care Team
> For and on behalf of
> Barclays Bank plc
>

---

Original Message

---

From: <[EMAIL="replies&#64;barclays.co.uk"]replies@barclays.co.uk[/EMAIL]>
To:
Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2008 2:06 PM
Subject: RE:query - ISA [#979308]



>
> Thank you for your email regarding your ISA account.
>
> Please may we suggest you ring the ISA Helpline direct on 0845 6030845.
>
> Yours sincerely
>
> Internet Care Team
> For and on behalf of
> Barclays Bank plc

ScoobyCanDo

Hi, and thanks for all the comments (including the ones from the people who clearly have not read and digested my post fully!) ........ but anyway, due to a last minute decision, I thought I would open this Tax Haven ISA ........... which seemed to go quite smoothly at first, for as I SAID in my post, when I checked my current account online, I noticed the ISA was OPENED .............. (I should have made THIS point more clearly for 'The Few' out there ) .................. by the fact my current account was showing the initial payment (into the ISA) had been TAKEN, something that would not have been showing on my account summary HAD IT NOT been successfully opened!



Anyway, as I was due to leave the country I sent an email to Barclays (whilst being logged in to my current account), asking if they could simply advise me of the Paying-in procedure for this ISA account ........ a very simple request and instead of advising me (details as now shown in post 86 of this thread) they chose to send the rather unhelpful reply that they did?



Then, with being outside the UK I could not simply 'pop in' to a local branch, and as already shown ......... posting a cheque off WITHOUT full account details (NO, I DID NOT HAVE THE ISA A/C NUMBER) seems to have highlighted yet another short coming of Barclays and so the only real option TO ME, was to phone them ....................... which I tried to do .......many, many times, .............. WITH no success.



Had I known just how slow and badly run this Barclays ISA was, I would not have even contemplated taking one out ......... in the past I've dealt with many banks, in many parts of the world ands thus far to date, I've never had so much trouble trying to contact any of them, as I have had with Barclays.



What has happened ............. has happened and I for one will not be using Barclays for much longer and the reason I posted what I did, was to let others out there know just what to expect 'IF' they decided to take out one of these ISA, as I've already said IF I knew then, what I know now, I would not have touched it with a barge pole!



Barclays released this product in to the market place LATE and as such would have had some idea as to how popular it might be, when compared to other ISA's out there and as such should have had a better infrastructure set up to deal with the demand ............ but they did not and it now appears from reading other peoples comments on this thread alone, that Barclays seems to have a HISTORY of poorly run/managed ISA products.



So what all you 'Happy Tax Haven ISA' owners should be asking is ............. if this is what it can be like getting money in to one of their products .................. just how many hoops will you have to jump through to get it out???:eek:



Instant access is great in theory .............. if you can get through to them on the phone ???:mad: ............... or have the time/facilities to call in to one of their branches!



The choice id YOURS .................... just make the right one for YOU? :rolleyes:

---

In my case now, I will open an ISA with a different provider for this coming year.


As to Barclays, I will now wait to see what they have to say with regard to my complaint I have already submitted ......... when they find time I guess (probably have many others, as well as mine?).

Next I will close my Barclays accounts and then present them with a copy of my phone bill, for them to reimburse me for all the time I wasted, stuck on hold, trying to get through to them.


If your a Happy Barclays customer, then good for you ......... law of averages say they SHOULD get it right occassionaly (???) ............... but when they do not (get it right), then people have a right to know ............. simple.


Scooby :cool:

bristolleedsfan

ScoobyCanDo wrote: »

I noticed the ISA was OPENED .............. (I should have made THIS point more clearly for 'The Few' out there ) .................. by the fact my current account was showing the initial payment (into the ISA) had been TAKEN, something that would not have been showing on my account summary HAD IT NOT been successfully opened!



Anyway, as I was due to leave the country I sent an email to Barclays (whilst being logged in to my current account), asking if they could simply advise me of the Paying-in procedure for this ISA account ........ a very simple request and instead of advising me (details as now shown in post 86 of this thread) they chose to send the rather unhelpful reply that they did?



. posting a cheque off WITHOUT full account details (NO, I DID NOT HAVE THE ISA A/C NUMBER) seems to have highlighted yet another short coming of Barclays and so the only real option TO ME, was to phone them ....................... which I tried to do .......many, many times, .............. WITH no success.

---

Scooby :cool:

No offence Scooby, this will be my last reply on the matter. :beer:

You still appear not to have grasped apparent fact that since the middle of May 2007 Barclays have allowed people to add to their ISA(s) whether or not they have an account number or not. ( Name and address obviously ties up customers)

Many of us had been complaining that having given Barclays a nominal 1.00 personal cheque with an advance application we were unable to add funds due to having no account opening details hence the reason Barclays gave notice on its webpage that from around 15th May 2007 the above facility would exist. ( stated to be top up at branches whether account opening details had been received or not, in your case a cheque to Barclays ISA office would have been sufficient, backdating to date of receipt of payment was guaranteed.)

So you could have sent a cheque with your name and address and a covering letter to Barclays ISA Office. Cheque made out to Barclays Bank ( A/C your name)

I wouldnt be suprised if Barclays compensate u for a quiet life.

Many of us have already successfully transferred out 2007/08 ISAs out of Barclays taking less than a month. :j

Lokolo

TommyLee wrote: »

Lokolo

Seems your starting to contradict yourself a little here?

First you moan that people should not leave it this late to open an ISA?


Then you say it does not matter what time of year you open one??


And then after disagreeing with everyone and sticking up for Barclays so fervently, you now agree that Barclays should not have left it so late, to introduce the Tax Haven account!!!


GOD ............ can U make your mind up?:mad:


And as to WHEN a person decides to open up an account, should not be the point ............ if a product is offered 365 days of the year, then it should be available 365 days ............... in this case, Barclays should have posted more info on their website, or in their literature warning that if the product was over subscribed ............... there may be delays in setting up/processing applications? ( after all, it seems they had similar problems in previous years, so should be better prepared this time round???).


They did not do this, for fear of deterring people from taking up this new ISA and looking elsewhere to another (and more likely) better company/product .................... and as to your berating of someone for contacting Barclays, via THEIR Email Service, to ask a simple question is a bit harsh, after all, just WHAT is the Online Help Service for???


All I hope NOW, is that anyone reading this thread will now be better prepared when making a choice as to whether or not to open a Barclays ISA ............... or for that matter, ANY Barclays products.:rolleyes:

This is my last reponse as I cannot deal with arguing with someone with such low intelligence.

At what point did I say no matter what time of year it doesn't matter? I said everyone who opens on in mid march is going to have the same problems.

And I was only defending Barclays up the point where you lot couldn't handle your accounts not being open within 2 weeks and then depositing money, as you can't be bothered to read the T&Cs.

I'm clearly saying - what else do you really expect? Its mid March, you've had all year to open an ISA, instead you leave it til last minute, see a decent deal and go for it.

And don't forget IRs went up year ago and were at 5.75% a few months ago, at which point, a lot of banks were offering decent rates then, why couldn't you lot have opened it then?!

And Scooby did send a reply, to which he got a response to what he has asked, 'How do I deposit money into my account?'.

And the fact is, you're saying etc people shouldn't go to Barclays because so many people went and so there was a delay in opening ISAs. Think about it, if they sent letters to everyone saying there maybe a delay in opening ISAs, this is just wasting more time..... As I seem to be as you can't seem to have a decent discussion without reading things properly.

bashful

bristolleedsfan wrote: »

Many of us had been complaining that having given Barclays a nominal 1.00 personal cheque with an advance application we were unable to add funds due to having no account opening details hence the reason Barclays gave notice on its webpage that from around 15th May 2007 the above facility would exist. ( stated to be top up at branches whether account opening details had been received or not, in your case a cheque to Barclays ISA office would have been sufficient, backdating to date of receipt of payment was guaranteed.)

So you could have sent a cheque with your name and address and a covering letter to Barclays ISA Office. Cheque made out to Barclays Bank ( A/C your name)

Dumb question again - presumably the cheque to Barclays ISA Office should only be for £3,599 to prevent going over the £3,600 limit?

Lokolo

bashful wrote: »

Dumb question again - presumably the cheque to Barclays ISA Office should only be for £3,599 to prevent going over the £3,600 limit?

If you have £1 in it yes.