Barclays Current Account

I had the most unpleasant experience with Barclays. I wanted to open a personal account with them and a joint account with my fiancé. The reason I chose Barclays was because my fiancé already had an account with them and we thought that this would ease things. I had an account with HSBC that I wanted to transfer to Barclays. So we gathered all the paperwork required and headed for the Barclays branch…. We went in there and were advised to book an appointment in order to open the account (an option only available to current customers that we had because of my fiancé). Anyway (although a Saturday is my only option since I work) we book an appointment in a weeks’ time. We went back there in time for our appointment and we were told that for some reason the appointment was lost from their system although we had a printed confirmation from them. Since they had no available time for that day and the queue was even longer we decided to rebook for the next week. Once again we went back next week with our confirmation and all the paperwork. Really excited about finally getting our financials sorted we head in there only to be told that our appointment was cancelled because the advisor they had booked our appointment with, actually leaves at the time our appointment was booked and thus he could not advise us. The also had the nerve to tell us that they tried calling us on all numbers (an atrocious lie) but they had the wrong numbers, my fiancé has been their customer for the last 7 years and as not even once changed his number and I remember Barclays calling on several occasions!!! The solution they came up with was to add us in to the waiting list instead of having another available advisor to sort us out. Of course a started getting upset and requested to see the numbers they have been calling us on and the reply I got, from the lady that was in customer reception, was that they could not access a computer and find out that detail for us, that when I got really mad! They did not have an available computer to update (if the numbers were really wrong) our contact information??? More likely they did not want us to see that our contact numbers were correct. I just told them that we would find another bank that would be willing to help us out and just left. I’m trying to persuade my fiancé to remove his account as well but he doesn’t seem too keen to go in the trouble of doing so… Lloyds though was really helpful and sorted us out in less than 30 minutes.

Baclay Bank is useless at sending statement to there business account holders because computer systems some how have Statements on the no print option.

I'm afraid I can't give a rating as I have not yet managed to open an account with Barclays despite trying since November (now March).

They have lost my application form an ID twice. This includes all my previous addresses and my identification documents. I have had a bank manager be rude to me because he couldn't be bothered to open the account and have been messed around like you wouldn't believe.

If you want your identity protected and want a bank account within 4 months, do not under any circumstances go to Barclays bank.

I banked with Barclay's for around 15 years, a straightforward (if anything to do with Barclay's can be straightforward).

What annoyed me more than anything was the fact that I left the account, with a small amount of cash in it for a few years while I used my building society for my banking needs. I never had any unauthorised overdrafts or cause for them to be unhappy with me as a customer. However I went into the bank a few weeks ago to ask if the account was still open, if not could I re-open it as I'd like to start using it again and paying cash into it monthly. I was told the account had been closed and if I wanted to open it again I'd need to make an appointment, to see whether I was suitable as a customer. I was disgusted at the attitude of the particular member of staff I dealt with. I was treat almost with suspicion and mild derision when I mentioned the possibility of selling my own jewellery designs online. He made me feel belittled and insulted. Needless to say, I didn't make an appointment and I'd rather keep my money in a cardboard box ! I've had much more success with one of the other high street banks. Avoid like the plague !

I have a lot of sympathy with the reviewers here who have struggled to get things done by their banks, including Barclays. However, in my own case, I've banked with Barclays for 30+ years, and they've generally proved reliable. During that time there's been the odd mishap - a stolen cheque book fully used by the thief and debited to my account because they stopped the wrong book - but when the error was pointed out, I was quickly reimbursed.

Part of the problem is we all expect our banking services to be free. We expect thousands of branches and cash machines, free statements, free online banking, free payment services - yet the value of the £500 we leave in our account interest free is only about £20 per annum. So of course all the banks are trying to cut their costs to the bone, and we end up with unintelligible staff in overseas call centres with absolutely no authority to do anything but follow a script.

Sadly the days of branch staff being empowered to act sensibly are long gone, and that's partly our fault for a) demanding it for free, and b) too many people taking advantage and the banks losing out because well-meaning staff have been duped.

Anyway, enough of the economics lecture: I've received reliable, good quality service and as an added and very important benefit, Barclays is solvent and wasn't bailed out by the taxpayer. I'd much rather my bank made profits than made losses.

Over the years I've had a mortgage with Barclays, and repaid it ahead of time, because their system allowed me to make additional payments and save on mortgage interest. Their online banking service is excellent - very easy to use. Their savings interest rates aren't great - in fact they are distinctly unimpressive, and I've moved my ISAs to Nationwide (which was a bit of a trial) - but let's face it, with Bank of England base rate at 0.5%, we can't really expect to earn much more than that - can we?

Barclays is the Norman Wisdom of Retail Banking

I've recently become the treasurer of a pre-school and needed to change the mandate to my name. We have to change post-holders most years so doing this quickly and smoothly is important.

They were unable to give me the forms or do anything in the branch.

First I called and spoke to someone who told me he could sort it there and then, we went through the motions and he told me I was good to go.

Turned out that was completely wrong so I called again and they said they'd have to send me a pack, they never did.

I called back, and they then told me that one of the existing signatories would have to call and request it.

My colleague called, they said they'd put a mandate pack in the post. The pack didn't come but they did cancel the existing mandate without consulting us, leaving us unable to use internet banking, a massive headache. This was in March.

My colleague chased three or four times and each time they apologised and said they'd put it in the post - Nothing.

Eventually my colleague talked them into getting it sent recorded delivery there and then, by the same person - It arrived

So I filled in the forms and took it to the branch where they took my ID and sent it off.

About 3 weeks later they replied saying they couldn't process it because one of the existing signatories, not someone involved in signing the mandate forms in any way, her iD was 'out of date' and she had to go up to the branch and show her ID again. Amazingly they had the temerity to demand we did this within 14 days or they'd cancel the whole process, by the time I got the letter 3 had gone and my colleague was away on holiday and we still had to consider the delays in Barclays internal post. Fortunately she did that in time.

After a further delay I got a two line letter saying I was good to go.

Guess what - i'm not.

So I called the mandate team who said nothing happens automatically and I need to call the Online Banking Team.

The bored overseas call centre worker asked me some security questions including details about this account, an account I can't access. They asked me about standing orders and I couldn't answer. So she pretty much ended the call there and then.

Late July now, we're volunteers running this organisation. It's cost us a lot of time and aggravation when we have full time jobs. The staff naturally assume it's us messing up so our relationship with them isn't good at the moment because of this.

It's all beyond bad, beyond a joke.

In general, ALL British banks discriminate. My wife and I moved to the UK recently, coming from the Netherlands - yes, one of the European fellow-countries. Unlike anywhere else on the continent (fact!), when applying for an account, all British banks will ask you for your nationality and country of birth. If it's not British or the UK, you will ALWAYS have to go to a branch with a bucket full of ID, even if you have lived in the UK for many years. This is against the right to equal treatment that all UK citizens have, and it is also discrimination because 'full' Brits don't have to do that. How can they get away with that?

This has to be the crappiest of the UK banks used to baank with the Woolwich they were great but Barclays bought them and closed them. replacing them with it's own substandard inferior idea of customer service and ease of use.

If you need to speak to them you get put through to one of the worlds worst call centres based in india of course with barely Intelligible staff who cant do anything anyway. All i wanted to do was set up a direct debithung on the phone for 45 minutes after already waiting for ten trying to make the person at the other end understand what i wanted to do in the end gave up as I came to the conclusion that it was likely to lead to problems in the future when they messed up which would mean another indian call centre experience changed my account to Nat West who allow me to speak to the branch no problems since for the sake of your sanity avoid this bank like the plague stuff you money under the mattress or into a body cavity but do not entrust it to this bunch.

NEVER open an account with Barclays. I am please to say that after 6 years of banking with these idiots, I am now getting out!

They stopped my card after going overdrawn (fair enough) 3 years later I still do not have it back. I have asked the just for a cash card but never recieved one. No card, no online banking. Every month I have to visit the bank to get my cash out. The only reason why I was overdrawn is because of the stupid bank charges which should really be classed as theft they are sooo bad. Customer service is painful to say the least and I can always feel my blood pressure about to explode with the stupidity of the staff. They are very polite though, only good point!

PLEASE PLEASE go to another bank for an account as it truly does not get any worse than Barclays

Having been with them through being a student they were great, but recently they seem to just not care. The fees are insane when you make a mistake and the Barclays staff were so rude and ridgid. I'm getting out.