Barclays Stockbrokers offer an execution only telephone and Internet share dealing service. In June last year I switched from Natwest stockbrokers to Barclays telephone dealing and to the Internet Service when it was introduced.
The first deal with Barclays, a buy, was paid by by cheque T + ten days. Subsequent deals require a Direct Debit set up which has worked OK. Trading on this Internet Site requires a digital certificate installed in Internet Explorer, contents section, without which you cannot trade. Loosing it means you cannot trade. I deleted mine by accident and because I had not made a back up was unable to trade until a replacement was installed.
I have found the service easy to use when it is up and running but at times access is slow and the site has sometimes been inaccessible. At the peak of the market earlier in the year I could not get through to trade.
The service is a certificated one. My certificates have arrived within the six weeks indicated. Before receiving payment for a sale the certificate must be delivered to Barclays within the 10-day settlement period. One of my certificates was delayed in the post causing a hold up in settlement. I now use Royal Mail recorded delivery by which the date and time of a certificate arriving can be verified. The Royal Mail Internet site can be used to check on delivery. The telephone help line is slow to access be prepared at times for a long wait! E-mails are ignored on occasion but answered quickly other times this seems to depend on the subject matter.
Overall I like the service offered the commission of £11.99 on smaller trades suits me but for more frequent dealing this service might not suit.
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