Barclays Bank.

[wackysleet]

A query and hopefully a solution to my problem with Barclays bank in England. the 31st of March saw my debit card expire without a replacement being sent so on contact with Barclays helpline on the 2nd April I managed to get transferred to England, no sir, we have not sent a card as we have no Thai address for you, this despite receiving a monthly bank statement from them for years but they insisted that I would need to contact a lawyer here to verify my identity to which I replied, why are you discussing my personal account details with me then, well sir you have answered the security questions correctly so from there things went downhill fast.

After numerous calls, emails and letters Barclays Serious Complaints dept began a monthly transfer of cash while the problem was being sorted but still no card, in the middle of September a new debit card arrived but on attempting to use my account all ATMs here either said invalid pin number or allowed me into my account on screen but any request was greeted with, contact the issuing bank well I rang Barclays and told them, their reply was that the Thai ATMs were probably not able to read new security details on their cards and continued sending monthly transfers with promises that a new card was indeed on it's way via DHL well October still no card more weekly calls and a further promise of a card via DHL. November and December came and went but no monthly transfer but on January 2nd a new card courtesy of Royal Mail registered delivery posted on the 23rd December so straight off to the local bank of ATMs with exactly the same results as Septembers card had so now waiting for a response and cash from Barclays who were recently voted the worst High st bank in the UK with only 4% of satisfied customers so have any other Brits living here experienced these problems and if so have you resolved them.

[Somtamnication]

I had to get a letter from a bank here verifying my identification, for Barclays to send me a new debit card. They know I do not live in the Uk.

A few months later they canceled the account because I do not live in the UK.

I got screwed big time. I can no longer use my UK paypal to transfer to UK account.

[wackysleet]

Somtamnication.

Barclays also demanded a bank letter confirming my identity, I refused and instead sent a copy of my passport and a bill from 3bb showing my address.

The bank has admitted there is a problem by making two ex gratia payments of 400 pounds in total but still a nuisance without a card but I have also got the Ombudsmans dept involved, takes them weeks and weeks to kick start themselves but a young woman there seems to have done her best but nothing resolved yet.

[Forethat]

I had pretty much exactly the same problem with Barclays, they refused to accept my identity over the phone during a card renewal. The problem in my case was the PIN. Barclays refused to send it to an address in Thailand and since I didn't have an address in UK...catch 22.

I resolved the situation a couple of months later during a trip to London. The solution was simple: I moved all personal and business accounts to one of their competitors and after that I haven't had any problems at all with Barclays...

To be fair to Barclays, they DO offer their customers an option where the account is retained without sending out statements (if I'm not incorrect there's a time limit of a year for this), but they are not legally allowed to keep accounts for customers not residing in the UK.

[metisdead]

Not Thailand related, moved to the banking forum.

[SheungWan]

It is not good to be 100% reliant on a single bank. You should have a back-up bank, so that in the event of Bank A seriously screwing up, you can switch to Bank B and just use Bank A to transfer funds to Bank B while you decide longer term what to do. In your case I would be wanting to dump Barclays asap.

[lungbing]

Try Nationwide International on the Isle of Man. They don't mind if you live over here.

[Forethat]

It is not good to be 100% reliant on a single bank. You should have a back-up bank, so that in the event of Bank A seriously screwing up, you can switch to Bank B and just use Bank A to transfer funds to Bank B while you decide longer term what to do.

Correct in most aspects, though I would hate to be reliant on a transfer - something I'm sure NatWest customers are aware of following the 2012 cock-up - better have funds available in more than one place before the disaster strikes.

[SheungWan]

It is not good to be 100% reliant on a single bank. You should have a back-up bank, so that in the event of Bank A seriously screwing up, you can switch to Bank B and just use Bank A to transfer funds to Bank B while you decide longer term what to do.

Correct in most aspects, though I would hate to be reliant on a transfer - something I'm sure NatWest customers are aware of following the 2012 cock-up - better have funds available in more than one place before the disaster strikes.

I doubt if transferring monies between two British banks is going to present too much of a problem nowadays eg progressively transferring funds from Barclays to HSBC should be straightforward. Instead of making a big 'I am going to close this account down' statement. just drain it out and close at at end.

[Greenhill]

Try Nationwide International on the Isle of Man. They don't mind if you live over here.

Any off-shore bank will be willing to have expats who reside anywhere in the world! UK domestic banks i.e. those with UK branch addresses are only allowed to have customers that are resident in the UK!!

[MMarlow]

but they are not legally allowed to keep accounts for customers not residing in the UK.

Where do you get that information from? I opened an account as a non-resident of the UK with Barclays which is held at their Knightsbridge branch 6 months ago. The facility is featured on their website so I fail to see how it is illegal.

[MMarlow]

UK domestic banks i.e. those with UK branch addresses are only allowed to have customers that are resident in the UK!!

Nonsense.

[delboy]

I applied for a Barclays Connect Card in August, and they required proof of my address in Thailand, even though they have been sending me regular statements and cheque-books for 24 years. I got a Certificate of Residence from the Immigration office and sent that. The card arrived within a week and it's been working OK.

[meatboy]

but they are not legally allowed to keep accounts for customers not residing in the UK.

Where do you get that information from? I opened an account as a non-resident of the UK with Barclays which is held at their Knightsbridge branch 6 months ago. The facility is featured on their website so I fail to see how it is illegal.

correct mm.its not illegal for the banks in the uk.to let you bank with them if you no longer live there or dont have a postal address.it is up to the bank,if you have been with them previous and conducted your acc.in a proper manner there is no reason for them to refuse,it is up to them.

[MMarlow]

but they are not legally allowed to keep accounts for customers not residing in the UK.

Where do you get that information from? I opened an account as a non-resident of the UK with Barclays which is held at their Knightsbridge branch 6 months ago. The facility is featured on their website so I fail to see how it is illegal.

correct mm.its not illegal for the banks in the uk.to let you bank with them if you no longer live there or dont have a postal address.it is up to the bank,if you have been with them previous and conducted your acc.in a proper manner there is no reason for them to refuse,it is up to them.

I know.

[wackysleet]

As a further update to my problem, I went to the local Tescos store and again checked out the row of ATMs with the same results but thought to go and buy a few items and try to use my card, well I only spent a couple of hundred baht, offered my new Barclays debit card and it was accepted with no problems, but on trying ATMs on the way out still a big NO NO.

Obviously if Tescos or Big C offered cashback like supermarkets in the UK then I could obviously get around the problem but it seems that perhaps there is a possibility that ATMs here cannot read Barclays latest card so in the meantime I will continue with my free transfers of cash from England.

By the way, I do have other accounts here in Thailand, in fact two separate accounts with Bangkok bank and one with Kasikorn bank these are all fed by my Barclays account to maintain my money for my retirement visa spread over the three accounts as a safeguard.

[scooterboy]

Aah yes, Barclays - the once-upon-a-time very friendly bank, where a call or (more normally) a letter would get things done - without any ghastly "interrogation procedure" on the phone. I've been a customer at Barclay's for around 30 years.....

Sadly, things are like Fort Knox nowadays - in my experience, at least - and virtually any communication with the bank means being drilled by one of their Personal Assistants. Some are obviously friendly, while others have been curt - or even downright rude.

A few years back I had a Debit Card - something I'd had for years. That was suddenly not renewed - and with no explanation, whatever. After contacting the bank I was told that "Debit Cards" are no longer issued when living in Thailand. Really? Wouldn't it have been proper to inform me, beforehand?. No answer.

Then came the fiver a month fee, which later increased to a tenner. Interest rates decreased to next to nothing. Naturally, the top knobs receive annual payouts that could even cause concern back in England.

I asked for statements of my accounts, but only ever received statements for one account - and which never seemed to include any details of their transfer fees, for some reason.

Once, I had the 'pleasure' of being rejected from accessing information about my account by an impolite PA, who thereafter refused to even give any general banking info. I felt I was being called a criminal and a money-launderer - and it was some time before I had the courage contact the bank again.

Enough, enough! What used to be a friendly place to take care of my funds is now usually a battle of wits to get my own money transferred to myself.

I've recently closed my accounts - another difficult process, of course - and thankfully don't have to deal with that bank again.

Goodbye, Barclay's - and good riddance!

[SheungWan]

Aah yes, Barclays - the once-upon-a-time very friendly bank, where a call or (more normally) a letter would get things done - without any ghastly "interrogation procedure" on the phone. I've been a customer at Barclay's for around 30 years.....

Sadly, things are like Fort Knox nowadays - in my experience, at least - and virtually any communication with the bank means being drilled by one of their Personal Assistants. Some are obviously friendly, while others have been curt - or even downright rude.

A few years back I had a Debit Card - something I'd had for years. That was suddenly not renewed - and with no explanation, whatever. After contacting the bank I was told that "Debit Cards" are no longer issued when living in Thailand. Really? Wouldn't it have been proper to inform me, beforehand?. No answer.

Then came the fiver a month fee, which later increased to a tenner. Interest rates decreased to next to nothing. Naturally, the top knobs receive annual payouts that could even cause concern back in England.

I asked for statements of my accounts, but only ever received statements for one account - and which never seemed to include any details of their transfer fees, for some reason.

Once, I had the 'pleasure' of being rejected from accessing information about my account by an impolite PA, who thereafter refused to even give any general banking info. I felt I was being called a criminal and a money-launderer - and it was some time before I had the courage contact the bank again.

Enough, enough! What used to be a friendly place to take care of my funds is now usually a battle of wits to get my own money transferred to myself.

I've recently closed my accounts - another difficult process, of course - and thankfully don't have to deal with that bank again.

Goodbye, Barclay's - and good riddance!

Like you, previously a Barclays Bank account holder for a long time, but finally folded several years ago and moved to HSBC. Never looked back.

[wackysleet]

SheungWan.

I agree about changing banks but living abroad and trying to change with all the attendant direct debits and standing orders is certainly not a walk in the park if dealing with Barclays and would likely cause other problems like missed payments although I do understand these should now be automatically transferred from bank to bank. Ever heard the expression "AND PIGS MIGHT FLY" No way Pedro but next visit to the UK will be a probable.

[meatboy]

Aah yes, Barclays - the once-upon-a-time very friendly bank, where a call or (more normally) a letter would get things done - without any ghastly "interrogation procedure" on the phone. I've been a customer at Barclay's for around 30 years.....

Sadly, things are like Fort Knox nowadays - in my experience, at least - and virtually any communication with the bank means being drilled by one of their Personal Assistants. Some are obviously friendly, while others have been curt - or even downright rude.

A few years back I had a Debit Card - something I'd had for years. That was suddenly not renewed - and with no explanation, whatever. After contacting the bank I was told that "Debit Cards" are no longer issued when living in Thailand. Really? Wouldn't it have been proper to inform me, beforehand?. No answer.

Then came the fiver a month fee, which later increased to a tenner. Interest rates decreased to next to nothing. Naturally, the top knobs receive annual payouts that could even cause concern back in England.

I asked for statements of my accounts, but only ever received statements for one account - and which never seemed to include any details of their transfer fees, for some reason.

Once, I had the 'pleasure' of being rejected from accessing information about my account by an impolite PA, who thereafter refused to even give any general banking info. I felt I was being called a criminal and a money-launderer - and it was some time before I had the courage contact the bank again.

Enough, enough! What used to be a friendly place to take care of my funds is now usually a battle of wits to get my own money transferred to myself.

I've recently closed my accounts - another difficult process, of course - and thankfully don't have to deal with that bank again.

Goodbye, Barclay's - and good riddance!

you might know the name of the bank whose initials begin with B that were recently fined big time for ?

[54321]

Barclays bashing. I love it.

I told them to transfer some funds to my a/c in Thailand. They didn't bother. A number of emails and letters followed

They claimed:

The Thai bank rejected it. I challanged them and they confirmed it was a lie (I think they said mistake!)

I failed the security questions. I challanged them and they confirmed it was a lie

They thought it was a duplicate payment. I challanged them................

Utter useless

[wackysleet]

54321.

Strange that in the poll I read and customers stated the bank tells lies all the time but I could not understand why they would lie, one either has money or one doesn't have but then of course they sell all sorts of services which they have lied about and of course I have been lied to so many times I have simply lost count, the last lie was that my card was tracked to reach me on the 18th December by DHL but arrived on the 2nd January delivered by the Royal Mail and posted 21st December so why lie.

By the way, on several occasions transfers have taken a week always been told on making a call that Bangkok bank were sitting on my money, the last time it happened I went into Bangkok bank and they checked and said the transfer had indeed been returned 3 times to Barclays who had failed to complete the transfer properly.

Edited January 7, 2014 by wackysleet