Barclays Tax Haven ISA: Have you opened one?

simon_Sam

Hi,

On the 29th March took 2 completed forms with cheques into my local branch one for both my wife and I for the 07/08 tax year.

Waitied about 2-3 weeks and the cheques had not been cashed started to get a bit worried. Spoke to Barclays ont he phone once and told to wait a further week due to high demand.

Waited the further week still nothing not even a letter confirming the applications had a arrived nothing.

Phone Barclays they no nothing and basically had to make formal complaint. this was not responded to by phone and i finally got a letter saying they will respond by the 14th May so well over 6 weeks from when i took the forms in.

Not very good i have to say and in all likely hood i can imagine them saying the forms are lost. I wonder that will leave me regarding my 07/08 isa allowance.

I'm even a barclays customer, very disappointed in deed.

chambta

I went into my local Barclays branch on the 7th of July and was given a print out confirming some details of the application. Since then naff all, no letter in the post at all. I've been walking around with the £3600 cheque in my wallet since that.

Why offer something when they clearly cannot deal with the volume of business?

Also I work for a competitor and all our ISAs are opened in branch and account numbers generated there and then. Surely this is a far more efficient process all round.

Very disappointed with Barclays and wish I'd taken a lower rate with a more reliable company.

CookieMon

I'm not going to answer the poll as I feel none of them apply to me. My ISA was opened within 2-4 weeks of applying but the process was far from smooth.

Went into branch and made appointment for the 13th March where I opened account, was told would take around about a week maximum. Following that received a letter saying my application details were received but there may be a short delay due to demand, but would be opened asap. I would like to say at this point the only details on the form for me to check where NI number and initials of name.

On the 28th March cheque was cashed and on 29th received confirmation of opening account. WITH INCORRECTLY SPELT FIRST NAME. I had only opened the account with 1500 as I had to do some transfers to access more funds, but as the ISA account had the incorrect spelling of my name, the bank would not accept another cheque without sorting this out (despite the original cheque obviously not matching the name on the ISA)

Following on 30mins on hold to ISA helpline (as having already been into branch to be told that I could not do anything there) finally got through to somebody regarding changing the name. Was told I'd have to go into branch.:mad: Not a happy cookie. Refused to do this and wanting it sorted over the phone there and then as I had now been on phone 45mins and into branch once already. A 'note' was made on my file of my complaint and was told it would be altered but could take up to two weeks. As this would take be over into the next tax year, as you could guess still not very pleased. Then was told to go into bank with cheque, tell them they'd said it was 'okay to accept' (?!?),get them to date stamp the cheque and then send to a specific address.

Cheque did not cash until 11th April. Another 40min phone call to ensure that the money counted to previous tax year and after being put on hold for a further 10mins or so to confirm, it seems Barclays finally did something right (was also told my interest would be backdated to the stamped date but as of yet have seen no evidence of this).

So far my name has still not changed and I have received no reply regarding my complaints or even the deposits made. Once you get through to the helpline the staff are quite helpful but on the whole my experience has totally put me off Barclays as a customer.:mad:

iolande

Hi all

Both me and my boyfriend have opened at Tax Haven Isa. We were advised to write £10 cheques to open it. This was on the 5th of April. My boyfriend has received a letter stating it would take 4 weeks for his to open. I haven't received anything.

In the mean time, we have been in to our branch and asked if we could pay cheques into the account, and have been told that we cannot. So now we are stuck without ISAs, no interest being earned on the money we wanted to pay in and no way of paying it in. This we suspect is a clever way of Barclays being able to state that they had not received the money, therefore they do not have to backpay the interest.

So out of the 12 months available we will (potentially if the letter is correct) only have an account that will pay interest for 10 months. We suspect that this will leave us worse off than had we gone with another provider. :mad:

And whilst Barclays can afford this. We can't. We want to buy our first home, get married and start a family. Little things like this make all the difference at this stage in our lives.

jkrtaylor

I went into a branch on 4 April to open an ISA for the 2008/09 tax year. It is still not yet open. I only wrote a cheque for £1, but I now have money which I want to pay in but cannot until it is opened.

henryscat

I supposedly opened one on the 14th of April in branch; Problem is, I opened it with £1, I have the other £3599 sitting around (in a tax-paying savings account) waiting for the account number etc before I can pay it in. So I can only get interest backdated on my £1!

burnoutbabe

dafad wrote: »

I applied online for a Tax Haven ISA on 6th April since when I have received an acknowledgement of my application but nothing else. Not good service!

same here. money still sat in my barclays e-saver.

linz76_2

Im already a Barclays account holder. I opened mine online on the 1st April. It opened yesterday (29th April) and can view it through my online banking! Havent had anything through the post only the initial letter about processing the application and how ill receive a welcome pack once opened. I assume that now i can see it online, this pack will arrive any day now?!

Driving_Soon

The start of March, I had online banking with Barclays Anyway, and saw the advert advertising the ISA, I filled out the form and it was open within 2 days!

The only problem i did find was when i tried to put in another £3,600 In April and the staff at the bank did not have a clue what they was doing!

photo36

Applied end of March, had letter saying there would be a delay on 31/3. Have had £3600 sitting in the cheque account on a poor rate waiting to be transfered to the ISA for a month now. Really unimpressed.
.:mad: