i have been trying for a month now to close my account with Barclays in the isle of Man and to transfer my funds to a different bank.
i keep on receiving this type of message: "I have been looking into this request for you, and have escalated this as an urgent case as I do not know why the payment is being held up"
And this type of message comes from a Premier Relationship Executive
Dealing with Barclays is like dealing with a ghost. You never get a straight answer and as french citizen living in Africa, i feel like i am trated as a fool.
They are happy to get the money of course but that's about all.
i really do not kbnow what to do anymore to get my fund out of this bank.
If someone has an idea on what to do or who to contact please let me know, as i urgently need this money

Below is the content of an email sent to Barclays bank Customer care, I felt it needed to be published for people to be aware of how degraded the service in this bank has become...<br />
<br />
I am writing today to submit an official complaint against a collections officer currently working within your bank due his latest behavior, that made it really intolerable and unacceptable in every way, due to reasons out of my control I had little to no access to my Mobile as it remains off or away due to the nature of my current employment as I currently work in media and the use of mobiles when on set or in production places is prohibited. That person called to follow up on a credit card payment done last week and wasn’t reflected – again due to issues out of my control. <br />
<br />
I tolerated his insolence earlier in the month when he called to remind me of the payment that I forgot earlier becasuse was at fault by missing my payment, I swallowed my Pride and explained the reasons to that person and promised to pay ontime next time..<br />
<br />
However what happened yesterday was so horrible that I DO NOT want this issue to be dismissed and disregarded and I would like to make sure its escalated to the people would ACT on it and not just pat him on the back and ignore the issue as this would be a serious indication of how bad this bank is becoming.<br />
<br />
It started with him calling a contact that was given to the bank as a reference where he asked him to convey the message that the bank have been trying to contact me to check on payment states and that HE is doing it as a favor to ME and that I should call him back or ELSE!! The contact was surprised by his attitude and aggressiveness and toned him down and told him that he will try to contact me to let me know of that person’s THREAT! Where later on the contact sent me an email (sometimes it’s the only way to contact me where I work) and informed me of the incident where his comment was – I never knew you got a credit card from a bank that hired THUGS!<br />
<br />
Anyways, I called the bank using the number that called my contact, and there he was, and in addition to the way he acted with my colleague he did the following:<br />
1- FIRST:<br />
• I called introduced myself and asked what was the issue that called for calling my colleague, and I said am I speaking to “AXXX” the person who called my colleague?<br />
• He said (in Arabic) YES this is AXXXX, OH So finally here you are! I guess it was the only way to get you out of your hiding!!, <br />
• I was really taken back and asked him for clarification, I told him that due to my work I don’t get calls and my phone is turned off most of the time <br />
• he said, OH REALLY? What kind of job do you do now and where is it again?? Can you tell me?!! in a sarcastic tone!! <br />
• And then he said HOW COULD YOU CHANGE jobs and not update your bank first! <br />
• He was literally shouting!! <br />
• I told him do I have to take permission from your bank to change jobs!?! <br />
• He said of course!!<br />
2- SECOND:<br />
• He said again in his loud tone (in Arabic) DO U know that you are listed as an ESCAPEE and that you will be hunted by the police for missing your payment?!, <br />
• Again I couldn’t believe my ears and asked him for clarification as I have done all previous payments..and I do know clearly that I have done the payment when I was reminded earlier and it was done through UAE exchange as he advised the first time however after his call to my colleague I called UAE exchange in Gold and Diamond Souk to tell them that I need a copy of the receipt, they said that they have been trying to contact me during the weekend to tell me that the payment didn’t go through.. <br />
• I tried to tell him that where he kept interrupting me and saying (in Arabic again and in loud tone) Do you KNOW that you your last payment was on the 14th last month!? <br />
• Again I said would you please let me finish, <br />
• he said I DON’T CARE about your excuses!!! All I know is that you didn’t pay!! <br />
• So I told him well you either wait for me to get done from work, collect my money from UAE exchange and pay it again or he could take other credit card details and deduct the amount from there<br />
• He said FROM where (YA OSTAZA) your credit card won’t take it!!<br />
• I told him I have another credit card issued from another bank<br />
• He said laughing SO you are telling me that other banks do give YOU credit cards?!!<br />
3- THIRD<br />
• I had to leave in the middle of a task and go to Abu Dhabi Mall to find a UAE exchange to pay the amount due, where they told me that they can only withdraw a specific amount so I called back and told him that I was advised that I should contact ALANSARI instead.<br />
• He shouts again (in Arabic) this is rubbish go back and let them talk to me!!<br />
• I went to another branch to get things sorted as I left my job in the middle of a deadline delivery and completed the payment<br />
• He called and said (in Arabic) SO.. tell me did you do the payment or?!!! <br />
• I said I DID shall I give you the ref..and I did<br />
• He said (in Arabic).. OH NOW I FEEL BETTER you actually did the payment finally!!!<br />
4- FOURTH<br />
• I said, now you have received your payment.. can I speak to your manager?<br />
• Where he forwarded the call to a person called Mxxxxxx who introduced himself as the supervisor<br />
• I was telling him of his employee attitude where to find later that person’s name is not AXXXXX it was YXXXX!!!<br />
• And the manager’s only excuse was that “Yxxxx” was Egyptian and that this is how they speak!!!<br />
• I was shocked!! And just ended the conversation as I really couldn’t believe that what used to be a respectable bank hires liars and thugs now!!<br />
<br />
This email might be disregarded and added to the pile of complaints you receive for sure if that is the conduct and attitude of your service team but I am sending this in hopes that there are still some decent people left in a bank full of Axxxxs and Yxxxxx…

Since US Airways changed their credit card affiliation from Bank of America to Barclays I have encountered nothing but problems. First, I did not receive the first bill from Barclays in the mail. I found out I had interest fees and late charges when I went on their new website. I called Barclays and thought I was calling someone in outer space. The person could not understand English. My closing date was on the fifth of the month and I still hadn't received my bill as of the 26th of the month. I was informed that Barclays had 13 days to send out the bill after the closing date. This does not give their customer time to receive and pay their bill even if they received their bill. I paid my bill in full via telephone. I then went on-line to sign up for automatic payments. The website would not let me do this because I had paid via telephone that day. I called Barclays again and the agent told me he would have to cancel the payment and then I would be able to set up automatic payments. I did so, choosing my unique picture for security, etc. I thought my problems were solved (I had automatic payments with BOA and never had a problem). The agent told me everything had gone through and I was set up for automatic payments. Problem solved! NO! I received my bill and was shocked to find that I had late fee charges and interest. I called Barclays and they informed me I had not signed up for automatic payments and that I had cancelled a telephone payment. I tried to explain to them that their agent had cancelled the payment because their website did not permit you to sign up for automatic payments when a telephone payment was in progress. After 7 phone calls I thought my problem was solved. I paid the entire amount of my credit card in full minus the late fees and interest charges. Last week I tried to use my credit card and Barclays shut down my account. Also, I received a letter from Barclays a couple of days ago informing me that if I didn't want their credit card any longer I could cancel it but would lose all of my frequent flyer miles (135, 000). This is a disgrace.

I nound an unauthorised payment on my account, apparently a "Continuing Payment Authority", is to GoToMyPC, as a result of running the 30--day trial they offer. I told them I did not with to take up the programme, and indeed when I tried to use it as a check I got the response "Your Trial Period has ended". They are deducting £13.49 per month and once again the Bank says that they cannot bar the payment because, get this...

"We do not know who the payments are going to when they are demanded, we only find that out when it shows on your account 5 days later. So we can't prevent payments going from any particular account to any particular recipient. The payments will only stop when they stop demanding them."

"Even if you know its a complete scam?"

"That's how it is."

Dear Sir, Madam,



Please cancel my Barcley priority circle membership. (Card no 4339481349384350)



I was told on that their will be no charge’s got a call from your one of executive Arun. But during my interaction he never said



that its having any charge he said its free of cost you will be receiving some trolley bags, resort coupons etc etc& then he



Handed it over to Marketing executive Rakesh he said the same its free you don’t have to pay anything, then I said okay if



its free.

Now on 1st Oct I got message on my mobile(09868313969) ----- Welcome to barcley priority circle you will be receiving welcome



letter in 7 days but I have never received it till now& on 8th I am getting message that you have to pay 6741.6 DR.



I got shocked & called at customer care that I have never used this card how come then they said it’s a priority circle fess.



I told Manorma, Virendra your customer executives the same they told me to contact 011245081222. Continuously I am



Trying on that no but it’s busy, keeping me only on hold option.



Till even I have not received my pin no. How can one charge if I have not signed any welcome letter or even I have not received it.

Kindly cancel my priority circle membership which I had never applied even.

Don’t force me to take harsh action on Barclay Bank
Regards

Tushar Mattoo

Process Engg

& Social Activist (New Delhi