Saturday, May 31, 2008
Indiana Jones And The Last Attempt to Get a New Card From Barclays
Part One, Part Two.
I got home from work yesterday to find notices of three packages waiting for me at the local Sorting Office that I had to sign for. So I went along this morning, signed my name three times and what do you think I got in return?
Three identical letters from Barclays and three identical debit cards. One from the 23rd of April, one from the 8th of May and one from the 19th of May. So that is presumably the first card I was sent in April, the first replacement they sent after I rang them the first time at the start of March and maybe the second replacement, all mysteriously suddenly coming to light.
Once I got home I phoned up Barclays to find out which of these would work, as the others were cancelled, then went to my nearest Barclays and succesfully withdrew money. So, I have access to cash again. What does worry me, on reflection, is that the last card was sent before last Wednesday, it was even sent before the previous Wednesday where I was told (apparently incorrectly) that I could have a card delivered to me at work. So now I get to wait to see if the card I have now suddenly stops working and whether I get the card that was supposed to be sent to me after I complained last Wednesday.
Then there's the question of where exactly these cards have been for the last six, three and two weeks, and why they've suddenly all been delivered now. The envelopes are all dated and stamped 'Finchley', I don't know if Barclays have a card-processing centre somewhere there, but it makes me wonder whether this whole process over the last two months is due to the incompetence of Barclays, the Royal Mail, or both.
I got home from work yesterday to find notices of three packages waiting for me at the local Sorting Office that I had to sign for. So I went along this morning, signed my name three times and what do you think I got in return?
Three identical letters from Barclays and three identical debit cards. One from the 23rd of April, one from the 8th of May and one from the 19th of May. So that is presumably the first card I was sent in April, the first replacement they sent after I rang them the first time at the start of March and maybe the second replacement, all mysteriously suddenly coming to light.
Once I got home I phoned up Barclays to find out which of these would work, as the others were cancelled, then went to my nearest Barclays and succesfully withdrew money. So, I have access to cash again. What does worry me, on reflection, is that the last card was sent before last Wednesday, it was even sent before the previous Wednesday where I was told (apparently incorrectly) that I could have a card delivered to me at work. So now I get to wait to see if the card I have now suddenly stops working and whether I get the card that was supposed to be sent to me after I complained last Wednesday.
Then there's the question of where exactly these cards have been for the last six, three and two weeks, and why they've suddenly all been delivered now. The envelopes are all dated and stamped 'Finchley', I don't know if Barclays have a card-processing centre somewhere there, but it makes me wonder whether this whole process over the last two months is due to the incompetence of Barclays, the Royal Mail, or both.
Labels: bad customer service, Barclays Bank, Royal Mail, stupidity
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Another Week, Another Different Story From Barclays Bank
Previously, on Blah Blah Flowers.
7) Last Wednesday, I went to a branch to take some money out from the counters. I went in a lunchtime, I had some errands to run and my intention was that in the afternoon I would start the process of opening a new account elsewhere. Of course, it being lunchtime there was a long queue and, of course, only two out of a possible five windows were open, so it took a while. Once I finally got to a window and took out my money I explained to the cashier about the whole situation and how I couldn't get the person on the phone to either send the card to a different address or to my branch. The cashier told me that that could be done, but had to be organised in the branch, something Miss Helpful on the phone neglected to tell me. So, we arranged to have it delivered to my work address but, because of the time of day I went in to the bank, plus my working hours, plus the fact they don't do anything on the weekend, PLUS the bank holiday, the earliest they could deliver the card to me at work was yesterday.
8) Hands up anyone who thinks it was delivered to me at work yesterday. Congratulations, you're dumber than Boris Johnson and Shrubya in a sack. But on the bright-side, you're still smarter than myself, who really thought I'd get my card.
9) So, up to my local branch this morning to get more money out. I've pretty much given up on Barclays now, but I have to delay signing up with a new bank for a week because my rent and credit card get paid next week and for my own peace of mind I don't want to risk messing them up by switching, even though I know it would probably be okay. I explained as I took money out my situation again. The lady I spoke to expressed surprise about point seven, because it is NOT Barclays policy to deliver cards to work addresses, ever. All they are empowered to do is have the card delivered to a branch and, surprise surprise, there's nothing on my record to show that the woman last week did anything with my account details after all.
10) So, because I have a week to kill, I've now supposedly ordered my fifth card to be delivered to my local branch. They don't think it will arrive before Monday or Tuesday but that doesn't matter as I couldn't get it before Wednesday anyway.
The story will continue in 'REVENGE OF THE PISSED-OFF FORMER BARCLAYS CUSTOMER'...
UPDATE 4:30 PM: 11) I've just been phoned by someone from the local branch. It turns out they can't have the card sent to them for me to pick up. This service has been discontinued because Barclays were having a problem with too many cards being stolen by staff in the branches. So now I'm getting it delivered by registered mail, so at least it should be held in the sorting office round the corner until I come to collect it, unless the posties are stealing credit cards too...
7) Last Wednesday, I went to a branch to take some money out from the counters. I went in a lunchtime, I had some errands to run and my intention was that in the afternoon I would start the process of opening a new account elsewhere. Of course, it being lunchtime there was a long queue and, of course, only two out of a possible five windows were open, so it took a while. Once I finally got to a window and took out my money I explained to the cashier about the whole situation and how I couldn't get the person on the phone to either send the card to a different address or to my branch. The cashier told me that that could be done, but had to be organised in the branch, something Miss Helpful on the phone neglected to tell me. So, we arranged to have it delivered to my work address but, because of the time of day I went in to the bank, plus my working hours, plus the fact they don't do anything on the weekend, PLUS the bank holiday, the earliest they could deliver the card to me at work was yesterday.
8) Hands up anyone who thinks it was delivered to me at work yesterday. Congratulations, you're dumber than Boris Johnson and Shrubya in a sack. But on the bright-side, you're still smarter than myself, who really thought I'd get my card.
9) So, up to my local branch this morning to get more money out. I've pretty much given up on Barclays now, but I have to delay signing up with a new bank for a week because my rent and credit card get paid next week and for my own peace of mind I don't want to risk messing them up by switching, even though I know it would probably be okay. I explained as I took money out my situation again. The lady I spoke to expressed surprise about point seven, because it is NOT Barclays policy to deliver cards to work addresses, ever. All they are empowered to do is have the card delivered to a branch and, surprise surprise, there's nothing on my record to show that the woman last week did anything with my account details after all.
10) So, because I have a week to kill, I've now supposedly ordered my fifth card to be delivered to my local branch. They don't think it will arrive before Monday or Tuesday but that doesn't matter as I couldn't get it before Wednesday anyway.
The story will continue in 'REVENGE OF THE PISSED-OFF FORMER BARCLAYS CUSTOMER'...
UPDATE 4:30 PM: 11) I've just been phoned by someone from the local branch. It turns out they can't have the card sent to them for me to pick up. This service has been discontinued because Barclays were having a problem with too many cards being stolen by staff in the branches. So now I'm getting it delivered by registered mail, so at least it should be held in the sorting office round the corner until I come to collect it, unless the posties are stealing credit cards too...
Labels: bad customer service, Barclays Bank, stupidity
