This topic was closed on 2019-03-08. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 03/06/19. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support there. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

This topic was closed on 03/06/19. If you have a problem which is similar to the issues raised in this topic, then please start a new thread and you will get help and support their. If you would like to post up some information which is relevant to this particular topic then please flag the issue up to the site team and the thread will be reopened. - Consumer Action Group

We have a Barclays account from which we transfer (by direct debit) £80 every Friday into a Barclays cash account (in the same branch) used by a dependant relative. For some reason, the money leaves the account every Friday, appears in the cash account the same day but cannot be accessed until the next day (Saturday). This weekend, the transation was actioned on the Friday as usual (14th) but dated the 18th (Monday) but the money cannot be drawn from the cash account until tomorrow. This has caused the dependant relative considerable hardship over the weekend because she has no money. I have spoken to Nationwide about this and they say that transactions on their accounts go ahead regardless of whether it is a bank holiday weekend. Is this another Barclays [problem] to sit on money and earn interest?

CORRECTION - They just refunded the charges. No interest has been added. Should I ask for 8% now?

Yes. I have to dash out now but I will do this on my return. N.B. Sent by private message.

The letter arrived from Barclays today confirming the refund of charges going back over the last 7.25 years (curiously) but no interest was added. Since, they have refunded more than the 6 years I asked for, should I be content or should I now go for the interest? I find this very strange. I used to work in financial services and once a claim had been agreed we would automatically have done the job right and added interest at bank base rates without having to be asked. :?

Last year I noticed Barclays had changed my wife’s account to an “Additions” account at a cost to my wife of £7.50 per month (rising to £9.50 per month in 2005). For this charge she received the following “benefits”: § An overdraft facility (which she already had on her old account) § Breakdown Cover (which she already had with the AA) § Legal Helpline including a Will writing service (which she already had through her professional association) § Family Benefits (which she already had through our life assurance arrangements) § Accidental death cover (which she also already had through our life assurance arrangements) My wife knew nothing about this. So we wrote to them and asked why my wife had been “sold” a range of financial services products without her full knowledge and without conducting a fact-find to ascertain whether she already had cover in the above areas. They replied to say that the account was set up in 1998 and my wife must have known about it but they had no paper evidence. They dismissed the claim. So we wrote back to them and explained that in 1998 my wife already had an overdraft facility, she had £40,815 of accidental death cover through our life assurance policies, she had legal assistance through her professional association the (her union) and a Will already in place signed on 18th September 1995 and provided free of charge by her professional association and said I could see no justification for making a charge for benefits she already had and didn’t need to be duplicated. We also stated “since you are unable to substantiate my claim that the product was added to my account without my knowledge.....I believe that, in law, it is incumbent upon you to substantiate your reasons for making changes to my account.” They have just refunded £572.50 in Additions account bank charges including interest over the last 6 years. There must be thousands upon thousand of people paying Barclays £10 to £12 per month for benefits that are worthless i.e. worthless in the sense that they probably already have them from other sources. No wonder their profits are so huge!

Update. Complaint about Additions Account – Barclays replied to me to say that since they couldn’t confirm whether or not my wife knew she had been given an Additions account, they were unable to investigate the complaint. I wrote to them and explained “since you are unable to substantiate my claim that the product was added to my account without my knowledge, and this appears to be verified by virtue of the fact that I clearly had no idea when it was added, I believe that, in law, it is incumbent upon you to substantiate your reasons for making changes to my account.” They have just refunded £572.50 in Additions account bank charges including interest over the last 6 years.

I see that bank fraud has been cut by 13% (£65 million) because of chip & pin: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4779314.stm Does that mean that we can expect a reduction in bank charges to reflect this!

karlkarl, You will probably find that they have set you up with an Additions account which provides dubious benefits such as Breakdown Cover (for your car - not you), Family Benefits, Overdraft, Will writing, Accidental Death Cover etc. They did this to my son when he asked for a Student Account. When I complained that he didn't need breakdown cover because he didn't have car and he didn't need family benefits because he was 18 and single, they immediately apologised and refunded his fees. They did the same to my wife between Jan 2000 and April 2005 and I am in the process of trying to claim back every fee she paid on the basis that she already had ALL of the benefits they were "giving" her and should have made enquiries to find that out before recommending this type of account. I reckon they owe her about £400 plus interest. They do this a lot so their agents must be on commission to push this type of account whenever they can. They make huge profits for the virtually worthless benefits (worthless because most people already have cover) so other banks are beginning to follow. I am amazed that the Regulator think that this kind of practice is OK. Take my advice and submit a formal complaint to: Customer Relations Barclays Bank PLC 54 Lombard Street FREEPOST LON13542 London EC3B 3PJ They will probably back down. And claim the price of your stamp as well.

karlkarl, You will probably find that they have set you up with an Additions account which provides dubious benefits such as Breakdown Cover (for your car - not you), Family Benefits, Overdraft, Will writing, Accidental Death Cover etc. They did this to my son when he asked for a Student Account. When I complained that he didn't need breakdown cover because he didn't have car and he didn't need family benefits because he was 18 and single, they immediately apologised and refunded his fees. They did the same to my wife between Jan 2000 and April 2005 and I am in the process of trying to claim back every fee she paid on the basis that she already had ALL of the benefits they were "giving" her and should have made enquiries to find that out before recommending this type of account. I reckon they owe her about £400 plus interest. They do this a lot so their agents must be on commission to push this type of account whenever they can. They make huge profits for the virtually worthless benefits (worthless because most people already have cover) so other banks are beginning to follow. I am amazed that the Regulator think that this kind of practice is OK. Take my advice and submit a formal complaint to: Customer Relations Barclays Bank PLC 54 Lombard Street FREEPOST LON13542 London EC3B 3PJ They will probably back down. And claim the price of your stamp as well.