Barclays cash ISA

bashful

bashful wrote: »

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???

Sad replying to my own message but I am not proud!

Popped in with the missus to Exeter High Street branch of Barclays this morning. Got to see an adviser within about 5 minutes. Opened a new current account for my wife so that she can use the online facilities. Paid in the two £3,599 cheques but that wasn't a 100% straightforward as we didn't have our new ISA a/c numbers. Firstly I had to amend the cheques payee from "Barclays Bank (A/C myname)" to just "A/C my name". The adviser then had to phone a helpline number to find out what to put on the special ISA paying-in slips he had found. The first call was interesting as he got cut off after he asked how he could tally our deposits with the 2008/9 ISAs - he reckoned they were phased by the question! On the second attempt he got someone with a few more brain cells and customer care who knew what to do! He completed the forms and stapled them to our cheques. We signed the forms and got a receipt with the bank's date stamp on and confirmation that interest would be paid from today - good eh? All within half an hour plus we had time to natter about yesterday's Grand Prix, BMWs, and the London Olympic Torch Rugby match - well done Barclays :beer:

Not sure what will happen about my wife's new ISA account as she didn't have a current account yesterday from which to take the £1 deposit so gave her Tax Saver ISA account number. However she put £2 in this morning to her new current account so maybe the clerk who deals with her online application may be able to sort it as she now has at least a £1 in a current account to start it up

bristolleedsfan

:T Nice one Bashful, others can see that additional deposits can be made at branches whether or not an account no is known. :T

I gave cheques today to B+Bingley PLC made out to Bradford+Bingley PLC ( a/c my name) and thats how all Building Societies want cheques written. ( or just made out to account holder)

Last March my Barclays branch told me to just make cheque out to Barclays Bank. :rotfl:

born_again_saver

bristolleedsfan wrote: »

Quote:
Originally Posted by born_again_saver View Post
I
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?

Not according to poster above this quoted post.

Lol, well that only helps to reinforce my decision to take my business elsewhere .
I have to say the main reason that I will be opening an ISA elsewhere is that I want a truly online account. The secondary reason is my concern about potential problems with successfully opening and servicing the account with Barclays, and having to keep money hanging around in my current account for ages while I wait for them to cash a cheque (and having the discipline not to spend it!). It's a shame to miss out on the interest rate, but it's only a year and will only do me out of a fiver or so at most.

I don't quite get why people seem to be defending Barclays to the hilt though, surely if people are having problems it's useful to hear about them? If Barclays are doing better with these ISAs than they did last year then that's great news and good to hear about too. It all helps people to make their own decisions on who to bank with. I hope the proof will be in the successfully received welcome packs a couple of weeks down the line for those of you who have gone ahead with this ISA.

Driving_Soon

Hey!

I was going too make a new thread but then saw this!

Ok, About a month ago I opened a Barclays ISA and put in £3000 it all went very simple and easy!

But now it gets to the Dificult bit! All I want to do is put another £3600 from one of my barclays savings accounts to my ISA but everyway i have tried it just does not work or seems a problem!

#1 I went Online and thought i could simply transfer money from one account to another .. NO ...

#2 Went into a branch to ask the woman to transfer for me, she did not seem to know what the hell she was doing and gave me a form to fill out to OPEN A NEW ISA! which i explained i didn't wanna do i just wanted to top up my exsiting ISA but she would not listen so I just walked out!

#3 Phoned up Barclays to transfer money, got some guy who i could hardly understand .. left me on the phone for 10 Mins then said he was unable to help me!



Can Anyone help? what would be a simple way just to transfer the money?

BallandChain

I've just paid into the Tax Haven ISA for this tax year and apart from the paying in slip I handed over there is nothing to say that the money has gone to my a/c.

I e-mailed Barclays and got the response they can't deal with my query due to security reasons and that they don't discuss ISAs via e-mail!

Basically I wanted to know as I'm not a Barclays customer but have an ISA can I register for internet banking to view my a/c? Does anyone know if I can't how often do statements come?

The Barclays booklet I got was next to useless, their website is the same and trying to get a response is nigh on impossible from them! I tried asking in branch but the teller was trying to rush me and it was all she could do to give me a receipt for my cheque!

One final question, if you transfer out is it the new provider that gives the transfer forms? I'm only with Barclays because of the interest rate and if that drops I'm leaving. Their customer service is practically non existent but I've stuck it out so far.

Bristolleedsfan, my Barclays booklet says to make cheques payable to Barclays Bank and yet when I called in they told me to write the cheque payable to myself!

bashful

BallandChain wrote: »

snip
Basically I wanted to know as I'm not a Barclays customer but have an ISA can I register for internet banking to view my a/c?

You need a Barclays current account to use the online banking option to see your ISA account - which is why Mrs Bashful opened one today

BallandChain

Thanks Bashful that explains that! I won't be opening a current a/c with them as they have been so shoddy in dealing with just the ISA.

I just read some of this thread and saw that some people said they had a receipt when they handed over their cheque. The teller I saw took my paying in slip and cheque and tried to dismiss me quickly to get onto the next customer. I asked her for a receipt, she said they don't usually issue them but would write one out. I am so glad I got the receipt as who knows where the cheque might end up as I've no way of checking.

BallandChain

Hi Drivingsoon. That was my first port of call - the call centre, and it's in India. That was a barrel of laughs in itself just to get an appointment with my local branch through them as you can't telephone the branch direct. Took me three calls and a phone call to complaints before I got the call back from my branch!

drpachu

Hi
I have a query.I have opened 2007-2008 iSA with Barclays in March2007.Can I top up with this year allowance of 3600?If so will I be geting the 6.5% on the 6600 gbp only till next march 09?
Thanks in advance

bristolleedsfan

BallandChain wrote: »

One final question, if you transfer out is it the new provider that gives the transfer forms? I'm only with Barclays because of the interest rate and if that drops I'm leaving. Their customer service is practically non existent but I've stuck it out so far.

Bristolleedsfan, my Barclays booklet says to make cheques payable to Barclays Bank and yet when I called in they told me to write the cheque payable to myself!

Yes transferring out u apply to new provider for forms.

Cheques made out either to yourself or Bank/BS ( a/c name of account name) is supposed to be an anti fraud method