Bovine Barclays (Barclays Bank)

Member Name: Pingu

Product:	Barclays Bank
Date:	03/10/01 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly staff

Disadvantages: Computer glitches are quite frequent

To be honest I don't expect much out of a bank. I don't know anything about how to make my money make more money, or what services some banks may be providing that I'm not getting. All I want is a glorified mattress, with holes in the wall, and accurate statements.

I've been with Barclays all my life, since Mum and Dad set up my first account, and so far they've always managed just that. Next to no interest, but accurate statements and working wall machines.

Then I set up a new account with my wife. I closed my old one, and asked for all the direct debits to be transfered. The lady who set it up for us was very friendly and helpful....

....Unfortunately she couldn't type. I filled in the form very carefully with my name and my wife's, but got a cheque book for Mr D and Mr D Mayson. So I went back in and complained. No problem, they said, we'll just alter that, and you'll get a new cheque book.

I did. But my statements were still for Mr D. and Mr D. There have been no errors with the actual money in the account, but this typo is a little disturbing. The fact that our chequebook can be generated with one name on it, and our statements with another, suggests that there are multiple computer records of our account which aren't linked by a central record. That's a little scary, since it gives the potential for some very big errors.

The other problem came about 5 months later when our insurance brokers wrote and said that we owed 5 months life insurance premiums, and was I aware that the insurance would be null and void if I didn't pay that instant. Barclays had failed utterly to transfer my direct debits. In fact following that the water board also wrote, and Curry's.

Sorting all of them out cost me an awful lot of time, since it wasn't a simple case of setting up a new direct debit. The deficits had to be paid by cheque before new direct debits could be set up,
and letters and new forms had to go in both directions for all three problems. Now if I had caused the bank any work they would charge me by the hour. But apparently when their utter incompetence costs me time it's just tough luck.

I'm sure other banks have their problems. I've never been with any other, so I'm not about to say Barclays are the worst or anything. But if you're currently at a bank where scary mistakes don't happen and you were thinking the grass may be greener on the Barclays side, then I recommend you don't bother.

Summary: