Overall a good bank (Barclays Bank)

Member Name: emmi2009

Product:	Barclays Bank
Date:	10/06/09 (17 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good security and fraud checks

Disadvantages: Ignorant staff

I have banked with Barclays for around two years now. It was hassle free and easy to set up a current account and i also set up an easy saver account at the same time. I found the lady in the branch helpful although since then i must say i don't find them that impressive. They often don't seem that they have been trained in all areas which i'm sure is the case, but i find the staff can be a little abrupt, especially the younger members. They have a range of products and it's easy to obtain information instore - you can get little packs that tell you about savings/mortgages/investments etc etc. You are better off doing your own research on any of these than asking the staff really! Generally the banks are clean and tidy and there are never any shortage of pens! It's a smame you can't say the same about staff...i have given up ever queing to pay bills and usually use the quick pay in system. There online banking is a very efficient site except the one thing that irritates me is you have to use a Barclays 'Pinsentry' whenever you log in - it's basically to make sure it's secure and gives you a different code everytime you log in to verify who you are. I can see the idea behind this and think it's good they are trying to protect customers but it can also get a little annoying if you want to log in somewhere and don't have your Pinsentry. The telephone banking staff i find the most helpful generally and have never had to wait on hold a long time. Again for security reasons if i make a number of transactions in one day or one off large transactions they can stop your card until such time as you have called to verify that this is you. I can once again see that this is to protect customers but it can be slightly embarassing and frustrating when you want to pay for something and your card gets declined. Overall i would recommend Barclays as i've used a few banks in the past and this seems to be the best one for me.

Summary: All banks have good and bad points and this one has the most good points of any i've used