Barclays Tax Haven ISA: Have you opened one?

MABLE

TMBH wrote: »

TA DA!

My ISA is finally open after just over two months. I have made two official complaints and have not heard anything yet. I have not had confirmation that interest will be backdated neither have I had an official apology about the delays....

Youre lucky. They opened mine on the 25.4 with a £1.00 desposit and when I paid in £3,599 they returned that amount to my bank account the day after being paid in and Barclays do not know why this would be. Also they have without explanation just closed the ISA down and nothing is documented as to why.

cs27

Jherhome1 wrote: »

I do not think you can set up a standing order into the ISA by online banking, but it can be done though by ringing the ISA department on 08456030845 (check saynoto0870.com). Although I'm not sure whether this is just for Barlcays current account holders only.
Also has anyone had any problems paying into their ISA over the counter? I was told today that I could not deposit money into the ISA and instead would have to ring the ISA department to set up a transfer from my Barlcays current account. I was unsure about this (as the account is listed as Instant access) so asked another worker at the branch who suggested I use the self service machine to set up a transfer. Hopefully the money should transfer.

Can I just ask as I'm a little unclear - have you already used the self service machine (kiosks?) to set up a transfer? If so, would you mind telling me a bit more about how they work and which options you chose?

Also, let us know if the transfer has successfully gone through.

Cheers.

:hello:

Lokolo

Yeh lots of people are saying you have to go through Barclays current account. I am going to attempt to deposit some more money into my ISA next week. I don't have a current account! :cool:

DUS

I applied for the 08/09 ISA back in the second half of March this year and after almost 3 months of wait Barclays today deducted GBP 3.600 from my Barclays current into the ISA account. Wow, that´s what I call efficiency! ;-)

Mind you, I´ve got a question for you guys as I am not really familiar with ISAs due to me being relatively new in the UK. In March 2008 I filed applications for an 07/08 and an 08/09 Tax Haven ISA. The 07/08 one was opened within a few weeks, the 08/09 one today. I had expected that I would see 2 different ISA accounts but when I checked online a few mins ago, the GBP 3.600 have been transfered into the same account as the 3.000 for the 07/08 account. I hope this is correct, isn´t it?

Cheers,

DUS

Lokolo

Yeh thats fine

FBThree

Hi folks,
I applied on line for a Barclays TH ISA 7 April 08, it was opened up 06 May 08, a sum of interest was paid on 2nd June 08, AND when I looked this morning they've actually applied another sum of money without me writing to them or asking about it - BACK_DATED INTEREST!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now going to check if it's a sensible sum.

Anyone else had them be pro-active?

bashful

bashful wrote: »

My wife and I opened Tax Haven ISAs online on 6 April with £1 transfer from existing Barclays accounts (there is another story there that I might revisit). We went into the Exeter Branch the following day (7 April) and saw an assistant who took our Halifax cheques for the balance of £3,599 and gave us a receipt.

I watched the accounts online on a daily basis and on 9 May decided that Barclays had had long enough to cash our cheques so braved the Barclays unHelpline. After the obligatory 3 or 4 attempts to get through and then hanging on for 20 minutes, I was advised to ring the guy at the local branch to check what he had done with our cheques. This I tried but the number I had for him wasn't working so I ended up back on the Barclays main Helpline.

This time when I got through to a voice I was told that I hadn't been given the correct information and clearly the 7 April cheques had been "lost". What I needed to do was cancel the original cheques and send in replacements. This I did in the 1st Class post on 9 May along with the correct paying in slips etc. and a note explaining what had happened.

I had a bit of a shock yesterday when the 7 April original cheques for £3,599 were returned as the Halifax had (quite rightly) bounced them as I had cancelled them - on Barclays advice.

Still nothing was showing on our online accounts except the original £1 deposits so I made a cuppa and braved the Helpline again yesterday. It seems that our second replacement cheques had been received and credited to our Tax Haven ISA that very day (odd that the amounts still aren't showing online).

The assistant was very apologetic and offered £10 for the hassle which I accepted. She said that she would do the same for my wife but couldn't do that without speaking to her personally. Not sure that she will be prepared to do another Helpline call - she said last night that she would rather forego the tenner!

The £10 appeared in my Barclays current account yesterday but I think I will keep my powder dry before complaining again until I see what period they give me interest on in the ISA. I might be nicely surprised :rolleyes:

I am not a happy bunny and, if I wasn't out of work with time on my hands when the bank Helpline is open, I just wouldn't bother. Life is too short for this amount of aggravation and hassle to make a few extra squid on interest.The Tax Haven accounts for myself and wife were eventually opened at the beginning of May but the cheques haven't been cashed. After what seemed like an eternity waiting on the phone, I got through to the Barclays ISA Helpline this morning and was advised to cancel the cheques and send in new ones

The adviser said not to worry because, as I had a receipt for the original cheques, the interest would be backdated :beer:

I am in the same situation as FBThree - this is what my statement looks like today:

Account credited with £3,600 on 15 May
Interest credited on 2 June - £11.39
BACKDATED INTEREST credited 19 June - £6.90

But what period is the backdated interest for? My wife's ISA for exactly the same amount has been credited with £9.90

I have just spoken to the Barclays unHelpine and the guy couldn't say exactly what period was covered by my £6.90 but said that it was most likely 14 days from applying for the account - ie 20 April. I mentioned I had put in a complaint and he then really didn't want to go any further and couldn't say anything about the £3 difference without speaking to my wife - who wasn't here.

It seems that the formula to check how many days that interest covers is about right i.e. £6.90/(£3,600*0.0625%/365days) which gives 11.2 days.

Clearly that doesn't work for the £9.90

Jherhome1

cs27 wrote: »

Can I just ask as I'm a little unclear - have you already used the self service machine (kiosks?) to set up a transfer? If so, would you mind telling me a bit more about how they work and which options you chose?

Also, let us know if the transfer has successfully gone through.

Cheers.

:hello:

Yes I have already set up the transfer using the self service kiosk (inside the branch) and it did go through.

The self service kiosks are only if you are an existing Barclays current account holder. I can't remember the exact details but basically you put your connect (debit) card in and enter your pin with the keypad like you would at an ATM. If I remember correctly it then asks you a few questions to confirm your identity such as date of birth. You should then find that your ISA is also linked to your debit card, and both of the accounts should be displayed on screen. Somewhere on the touch screen there should be a button to make a payment and then once pressed one to transfer money. It will then ask you which account to transfer from (touch either your ISA or current account on the touch screen) and which into (ISA or current account), how much you wish to tranfer and when . You will also be able to make a print out for your own records. Once complete just press return card and your done.

It may seem slightly difficult but the machine is quite easy to use with step by step intructions - very much like online banking and if you do get stuck I'm sure there will be someone in the branch to help you.

Hope this helps

Trying_to_be_good

Trying_to_be_good wrote: »

Ha - another week on and STILL no ISA. But I today received a letter dated 4 Jun (i.e. two days before the phone call when they told me nothing was wrong) saying they don't have enough address info on me. Strange, as they have my mortgage, and I've lived here for over 3 years.

So, they've added more details to the complaint, 3 months and counting now.

Drum roll, please!

After ANOTHER visit to a branch (gave up on the 'helpline' over a month ago) a very nice lady member of staff phoned the 'helpline', got through to a real person who opened my ISA there and then! No ideas why it hadn't been opened yet. Interest agreed to be backdated to 6 Apr. I should hear back on the complaint by the infmaous 3 July (I guess they're planning a busy week of writing to us all).

One year, and I can take it away from Barclays again...

tiptoe_mouse

Jherhome1 wrote: »

Yes I have already set up the transfer using the self service kiosk (inside the branch) and it did go through.

The self service kiosks are only if you are an existing Barclays current account holder. I can't remember the exact details but basically you put your connect (debit) card in and enter your pin with the keypad like you would at an ATM. If I remember correctly it then asks you a few questions to confirm your identity such as date of birth. You should then find that your ISA is also linked to your debit card, and both of the accounts should be displayed on screen. Somewhere on the touch screen there should be a button to make a payment and then once pressed one to transfer money. It will then ask you which account to transfer from (touch either your ISA or current account on the touch screen) and which into (ISA or current account), how much you wish to tranfer and when . You will also be able to make a print out for your own records. Once complete just press return card and your done.

It may seem slightly difficult but the machine is quite easy to use with step by step intructions - very much like online banking and if you do get stuck I'm sure there will be someone in the branch to help you.

Hope this helps

Strange that they provide this method of transferring funds, but don't let you do it through online banking. That's unless I'm being dense and it's there somewhere.

Is there a simple way to find out where my nearest kiosk is? I've never noticed one in my local branch.

tiptoe