22 years of hell with Barclays (Barclays Bank)

Member Name: tessleplar

Product:	Barclays Bank
Date:	26/06/02 (218 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good internet banking

Disadvantages: Charges, Attitude

I hate them. I started an account with them when I was 10 and it went downhill from there! Over my 22 years with them, I have had two Barclaycards and a Connect card, all of which were used fraudulently. Direct Debits were stopped without my asking and I was not informed until the mortgage company contacted my after my endowment failed to be collected for three months in a row. I was persuaded to take out a £1,000 loan after a request for £20 for my train fare was refused. Letters sent by them always seemed to go missing. And most obviously, their charges are outrageous.

THAT is what finally prompted me to change. I am no financial whizz kid. I know nothing about rates and percentages etc, but charges are something we can all pay attention to. I couldn't work out why despite a fantastically paid job still left me overdrawn. It took me three months before I realised that every time I went overdrawn I was charged £20 - three times a month! When I checked back through my statements I had given away £160 with no warning. Barclays claimed that they had been sending me letters but I had not received any. And they would ALWAYS take the charge indiscriminately and most of the time their taking the charge would put me overdrawn again. It never ended.

And recently, my Additions account has been upgraded - whether I like it or not, so I pay £7.50 a month for the privelege of having one instead of £6.00. Total waste of money. Don't do it.

I had four accounts with Barclays, but I've finally taken the plunge and signed my savings over to Egg and am moving the rest of my accounts to Zurich bank which seem perfect for my needs. We're all different but nobody deserves to let such a chunk of their hard earned cash go to such a money grabbing bank. Investigate and change NOW!!!

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