Hi all!!
I am sorry I have been a bit quiet lately, things have been hectic on the home front!..I w...
Hi all!!
I am sorry I have been a bit quiet lately, things have been hectic on the home front!..I will get around to reading/rating all my COT and the rest of Ciao very soon!...Don't give up on me ..Please!
Member since:24.08.2001
Reviews:30
Members who trust:12
After reading so many reviews about Barclays Bank, and a lot of them not showing Barclays in a good light, I thought I would add my opinion, I never could shut up! So get a drink, pull up a chair and read my story!
I have been with the bank for 10 years, and I have always just had a standard current account, which gave me a Connect Visa debit card which I could use with my cheque book and the ability to put my money in the bank, it was all I needed. I have always worked since leaving college, and it has only been in the last couple of years that I have had to have any communication with Barclays. I had to give up work to stay home with the kids as we were finding it so difficult getting good childcare that
we could afford, and as my husbands job takes him away so much it was getting quite impossible to find childcare to suit.
Last year we found it really hard getting use to just my husbands wage, and we fell in to bad debt, what was happening every month was that my husbands wage would go in to the bank, but we would never be in credit as it was just clearing the overdraft, it became a cycle. I rang up to speak to someone at the bank, and the person I spoke to was so understanding, patient and willing to help, they put me through to their debt department. The bank worked out a plan that would deduct the overdraft by £100 each month so that the idea was that we would get back in credit. We failed to keep to this plan, our commitments that we had taken on whilst I was still working, still needed to be paid.
So I called them again, I was rather embarrassed about the whole situation, but they were great, I must admit it did take me a while on hold before I got to speak to someone, but in a strange way I took comfort from this, as it made me realise I was not the only one in trouble. They set up another plan, so that we could reduce the overdraft by £50 instead, the person I spoke to was so helpful and even went as far as offering to help me with a proper breakdown of each month and print it out to send to us with a week by week budget on it, so that we could pin it up somewhere to help us out, needless to say as we were so in debt we already had a budget worked out, but I found it a nice personal touch for them to offer.
A few months passed, and somehow we slipped again, it was just by a matter of pounds that we went over the decreasing overdraft. I got straight on the phone to them the day I realised and the lady I spoke to said that her department could do nothing more for me, I felt a lost cause, but fear not she told me I will put you through to someone that will be able to help you. The lady I was put through to did not make me feel bad and did not make me feel stupid for being in debt, we actually spoke a lot about each others kid's! The lady and I agreed that Barclays would clear our overdraft, with what is called a Resolve Loan, and she worked out monthly payments that we could manage to pay it back. The re-payment amount that she said was too high for us at that time and I said so, it was no problem, she just worked out an amount there and there that was agreeable for us and the bank.
I am very pleased to say that with their help, we have climbed out of the nightmare of being in debt(maybe I should do an op on being in debt!).
I also want to add that the main reason for me writing this review was because after dealing with the bank today I was inspired to say something nice about them. We got our bank statement today, and I noticed that a company that we pay by directdebit to had taken 2 payments, so I got straight on to Barclays and they advised me to ring the company, I asked how it had happened and the bank told me that the company concerned had re-submitted the request for a payment as a missed payment from a few months back, I knew this was wrong so I knew I had to speak to that company, (thats a whole new op!).
Well in the end the company admitted their mistake, and Barclays on my behalf today chased them up for a fax to say that they were wrong and they were going to refund me, so that Barclays could credit my account today with the missing money.
Well its thanks to the help from Barclays, that we received our money back today, they made countless phone calls to this company and called me back each time they had an update, I really could not of asked for more.
So Barclays are not that bad, in fact all the times that I have had to communicate with them they have been more than helpful, I will be sticking with Barclays as I have found them to be fair, professional and helpful at all times.
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Barclays took over my Woolwich accounts in May this Year, and they have been useless all round so far, especially the Call Centre and Online banking side of them. I can't see me staying with them much longer in fact. I really have got to keep a close eye on all of my finances now.............Roy......
Versatile 27.09.2001 02:27
Another excellent op Jenny ~ I do like Barclays, i find them to be very professional in everything they do ~ Thanks Versatile :O)
claireydeacon 26.09.2001 22:58
Excellent Op. I too had some problems, but Barclays were the one Financial institution that had the sense to put us in touch with someone who could help us out. Claire
Advantages: Efficient, Good Variety of products, Best offered Cash ISA 2 years running Disadvantages: Try and sell you products that are not always beneficial to you.
BTreyo 18.04.2008 (18.04.2008)
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Sep 26th, 2001
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