Bizzarre or what? Barclays run by zombies?

My daughter (18) went into a Barclays branch today to get her debit card Visa Electron changed to Visa (since Electron is useless for buying stuff on the web).

She has a *substantial* sum of money in her account, has had the account for about 5 or 6 years with no problems, has had a small wage paid into it regularly for the past 3 years, and all the other members of our family have a Barclays account. I have had a Barclays current account since dinosaurs ruled the planet, and I have a Barclays mortgage.

To cut a long story short, they wont change her card to Visa, but they will give her a Visa CREDIT card!!

She will also be a student in a few weeks time, when no doubt she will be deluged with banks, including Barclays, offering her bank accounts with full visa facilities.

Morons. I am going to go back with her in a day or two and raise a stink. Or maybe I'll just get her to open an account with someone else and close this one.

Reply to
Tumbleweed
Loading thread data ...

This experience would imply that she failed to pass the credit score for a Connect Card - quite possible for an 18 yr old as it also acts as a cheque guarantee card - hence allowing a possible (assuming 100 chq gtee) circa

5600 unauthorised borrowing on current account (again, assuming she had, say, two cheque books).

Did she mention she will be a student? And does she have a confirmed offer? If she does she can be upgraded to a student account immediately with automatic approval for a connect card accordingly.

Sadly, your history with Barclays cannot be considered for HER credit score approval - she has to earn that on her own right!

Re the credit card, I think you will find that she is eligible to APPLY for a Barclaycard, it is by no means guaranteed, and that this was suggested as an alternative to her current Visa Electron, pending Connect Card approval, hence enabling her to purchase over the internet.

FWIW, given that Barclaycard offer an online purchase guarantee that is not available on a Connect Card this would seem to be a good idea anyway!

Marcus

Reply to
Marcus Collie

What's the point ?

That's the way to keep them on their toes. Don't close it - leave a nominal balance, as it might be useful for credit check purposes.

Daytona

Reply to
Daytona

Bitstring , from the wonderful person Tumbleweed said

Vote with feet. Take as many family members with her as possible. And friends. Eventually Barclays (and the others) =MAY= get the message .. but I sort of doubt it.

Reply to
GSV Three Minds in a Can

How many 18 year olds with one bank account and no other financial history, just out of school, would pass such a credit score check? BTW, she isnt far short of that amount of money in her account!

I dont believe so, and yes. Perhaps they could have had the wit to ask her.

Might try that over the phone.

Fair point, but I think Barclays are failing to consider the value of the family as a whole, many companies are selling (and institutions are buying) software that works exactly on this principle, so you can consider the value of (say) a household, when about to do something that may piss one member of the household off. Like they have just done with me.!

On the more general point, how would any 18-year old get a 'proper' bank account? FWIW her sister, a couple of years ago, just walked into the local branch and asked for it to be changed, and a week later the new card arrived. No form filling, no hassle.

I believe she was told that she *could* have a credit card, (not that she could apply for one.)

That guarantee is a waste of time IME.

Thanks for the considered responses

Reply to
Tumbleweed

No its not, I find it accepted by 75% of web retailers.

Not very possible unless she wrote every cheque within a few days, most banks would close the account and refuse to honour so called guarantee as soon as an unacceptable overdraft reached.

Reply to
Kermit

Errm - go to cash converters with a cheque book and cash every one? It IS possible - perhaps the bank would hope it unlikely, but it is possible.

And a guaranteed cheque HAS to be paid - the bank cannot refuse to houour it - they may try and wriggle out of it - but they can be forced to pay - that is the point of the gtee!

MC

Reply to
Marcus Collie

You don't seem to have used Cash Convertors, they are really hot on multiple transactions like this , since

Terms of use of Cheque Guarantee card (relevant bit summarised):

"where an encashment service is provided, only 1 cheque per day, special page in cheque book at back must be marked, cheques must be banked in 3 days"

from:

formatting link

If this isn't followed, the guarantee is worthless.

Reply to
Kermit

Possibly but she seems to have chosen to shop at the other 25%! Perhaps its mainly US companies that dont take it?

Reply to
Tumbleweed

Possibly, I don't buy stuff from there. Over here - paypal and many online computer parts people take it, but it can be patchy who does and who doesn't with little rhyme or reason - eg bmibaby airline does, Easyjet doesn't

It was terrible 2-3 years ago, but seems to be getting better all the time.

Reply to
Kermit

Well, actually Barclaycard now only offer cheque guarantees on their Platinum accounts - neither Classic nor Gold accounts qualify for this service. Oh - and that means the customer will most likely have sufficient Barclaycard credit to cover the liability if the facility is misused. Of course it would be a bloody stupid move for a person to make as they would in essence default on their credit card AND their bank account simultaneously - not smart! However, your point is nonetheless valid!

MC

Reply to
Marcus Collie

Actually, thinking a little further, I think you will find the Barclaycard Gtee covers ANY cheque, issued by any bank, though I may be wrong on that.

MC

Reply to
Marcus Collie

Something has happened that I now hate Barclays. I will vote with my feet and take my partner with me, but first I want to be as vindictive as possible, I know it won't have much effect but I want to do my bit and hopefully I will feel a whole lot better.

I'm thinking of going to a cash machine that is non-Barclays and taking 5 (or 10 if that is min) out at a time. Does anyone know if the use of each others cash machine is a standard charge or variable, and if so which bank charges Barclays the most for the use of their machine.

I am looking for better ways to cost Barclays money. At this moment in time if I was capable of bringing the Barclays website down I would, not that this would get my issues resolved. The staff really don't care and for once I'm beginning to wish I could talk to someone in India.

Reply to
Jane Tweedynn

Cash point bit fairly pointless all computerised.

Better off writing lots of 20p cheques to friends and charities. Very labour intensive and costly processing cheques.

Reply to
Kermit

Dude, its a huge corporation and nothing you do will make any difference to it, assuming a remedy like small claims court is of no use to you. Get over it and move on, life is too short to screw your life up over something like that.

Reply to
Tumbleweed

Your not wrong, but I have built up a huge amount of anger over this issue and its human nature to want to at least do something to feel better. No doubt after a few days my anger will reduce and I will just cancel my account or leave it dormant.

If I am still commenting on this thread in a couple of weeks you have my permission to call in the nutter asylum.

Reply to
Jane Tweedynn

The guys is right, Leave it. If you send loads of 20p cheques, your not going to affect barclays at all. You will make the girls/guys who handle the cheques that bit harder, but you wont affect barclays at all. And at the end of the day they are just doing their job, and you are making their life that small bit more miserable. if that makes you feel better, then bully for you.

Are you also the sort of guy who shouts at the conductor if a train breaks down, as if he sabotaged it or something?

All this because they wont give your daughter a debit card?

Reply to
Phil Deane

With respect, two vital mistakes in your post.

Reply to
Jane Tweedynn

Care to point them out?

Reply to
Phil Deane

Without a hint of irony, "Jane Tweedynn" astounded uk.finance on 10 Jul 2004 by announcing:

No. It would land you in court though.

Reply to
Alex

BeanSmart website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.