Barclays AKA Anal-Retentives'R'Us

[RogerS]

Only local banks to us are Barclays. So decided to open an account but because we've only been here a couple of months, proof of address needed. Such as bank statement...which since the banks exhort us to go paperless is a bit hypocritical. Never mind. Let that one go.

So toddle down to the local branch armed with various credit card statements (printed by them), dogs' inside leg measurement, signed affidavit from the Pope, the Turin shroud and my great-great-great-great grandmother to vouch for them. All sorted. Use my M&S credit card statement.

Today, get a call from the branch manager to tell me that the Anal-Retentives who vet these things won't accept my M&S card statement because ....wait for it....

It doesn't say if it is a Visa, Mastercard or Amex card. WTF ?

Told him to tell them that I had a job for them involving sex and travel.

 

[Phil]

Told him to tell them that I had a job for them involving sex and travel.

You should try dealing with First National & Standard Banks or even ABSA-Barclays.
Sometimes we are down to fifth world standards. :evil:

 

[9fingers]

Another banking gem. This time from the Nationwide BS

We have an account in SWMBOs name that sees very little use and mainly to help her credit score as most accounts are in my name first.

The other day there was a mysterious credit entry

05 May 2017 Bank credit E037K00A06SUNSIB Bank credit E037K00A06SUNSIB £102.06

So I emailed them to ask who the payer was to help us reconcile the entry

This was their reply
"I have had a look into this for you and can see that it is a credit that has been received into your account however I was unable to find out anything more about this payment."

No sh1t sherlock! I know it is a credit - it is in the text twice and after it was entered my balance went up - yes that is a credit!!
And can they really not tell where/who it came from?????

Maybe some of their customers cant tell the difference between a credit and debit :lol:

My suspicion is that this payment should have gone to someone else not us but I can do no more than draw it to their attention.

I despair!

Bob

 

[Rod]

At least it's not a debit but a bit worrying if the bank doesn't know.
My bank account is a joint one with my wife but it's really mine.
Awhile back she wrote a cheque which the bank bounced as they didn't recognise her signature as she wrote very few. Caused all sorts of embarrassment at the time.

Rod

 

[9fingers]

At least it's not a debit but a bit worrying if the bank doesn't know.
My bank account is a joint one with my wife but it's really mine.
Awhile back she wrote a cheque which the bank bounced as they didn't recognise her signature as she wrote very few. Caused all sorts of embarrassment at the time.

Rod

I find it most strange that these customer service people are quite content so just say "I don't know" rather than go and find out. After all my question was "who was the payer?" so they did not answer my question, re-stated what was obvious and displayed their ignorance.

A few years back my Cmax developed a problem with the automatic headlight sensor and when having a service I asked them to replace it under warranty. The droid on the desk then asked "oh where is that located?" In the mirror I said. He kept digging the hole and said "I don't know how we would test that then" I replied "i use a torch and cover it with my hand to test light level operation" . "oh that's a good idea" he says!
How is that supposed to instil confidence the customer? Far better that he did not comment and just enter the request on the job sheet and ask a technician later if he wanted to learn.

Bob

 

[AndyP]

It is not against the law to hold UK bank and savings account in sterling while living abroad. But try and open a new account even with the same bank and you run into no end of brick walls. I had a long running argument with the Nationwide who allowed me to open an account for my eldest daughter but rejected the application for the twins. I am sure that because they both have the same birthday that this flagged an error on the system and forced human intervention rather than allowing everything to be processed on line.

I forget the details now but after about a year of complaints they still would not relent but did offer me financial compensation which I took. A promptly moved all the money elsewhere. Their loss not mine.

It does seem that banks are running scared of recent (in the past 10 years) legislation to prevent money laundering.

 

[RogerS]

I acquired a while back a Marbles card. I noticed a fraudulent transaction using the PayPal system. NB Not via my PayPal account. PayPal offer payment facilities like some other facilitators such as World Pay. When you make a payment using PayPal this way it does NOT appear in your normal PayPal account.

But try telling that to the morons at Marble.

'Have you checked your PayPal account?'.

'Why? The transaction is outside the normal PayPal account mechanism. Just like WorldPay and so it won't appear in my PayPal account.'

'Yes, but have you checked your PayPal account?' (noises off of knuckles dragging along the floor).

"Yes, I have...it does not feature there'...just to humour them.

'Well, you need to speak to PayPal then'

:eusa-doh: emoticon of head banging against wall.

So make a formal complaint. Usual boilerplate response...blah, blah, blah.

Next statement, I see I have been given a credit and some extra dosh as compensation. Result.

Next, letter from the formal complaints team 'Sorry...this is taking longer then we expected...blah, blah. blah'

And another a fortnight later.

Finally, 'We are rejecting your claim because you use PayPal a lot. However, we are refunding the money and giving you some extra as a goodwill payment'.

Go figure.

Card cut up.