Bad experience with Barclays

Tempestas

I went into my local Barclays after arranging to make a large cash withdrawal, I requested a large sum in £50 notes from my savings account so I could pay into one account for a house purchase. When I arrived they gave me £20's and just weighed the money to check it was all there, then handed it over to me in 2 x A4 envelopes, I then walked 50 meters to Nat West and paid it in. Whilst the lady was counting the large number of £20’s she found a fake one, gave me a receipt for it and told me to return to Barclays to report it, I thought fair enough shouldn’t be a problem. When I got there the woman behind the counter denied it point blankly and told me ‘It’s not possible’....and called the manager who then proceeded to accuse me of trying to palm of this fake £20 to Nat West. I closed my accounts immediately and withdrew the rest of my money, I do not want to do business with a bank that distributes fake currency without checking it and leave me out of pocket.

I am now at the point where I am out of pocket, seriously peed off and unsure how to proceed. When I returned to work today a colleague told me of a recent visit to the same branches cash point and receiving a fake £20, he felt the difference and checked it with a pen, it was a fake so this tells me it is not a one off.

Has anyone else had a similar experience or have any advice?

I am thinking of involving the Police, but not sure if it’s something they can help with.

Cheers

alex16zx

I'm not sure if the police could help you but I assume there is a regulatory authority for the banks. Don't know what it's called but a quick internet search should provide you with someone to contact if you feel you want to take it further.

DonDaddyD

Looks around sees LiT, Greg66, GregT Spen, Biondino et al.... "So it is the commuting forum right?"

To the OP, sorry for your ordeal.

The most immediate thing I'd do is use the fake note between two or so other real notes... but there is moral implications with that action.

As for banks, I hate Barclays and Lloyds. Abbey National is also useless.

Tempestas

DonDaddyD wrote:

Looks around sees LiT, Greg66, GregT Spen, Biondino et al.... "So it is the commuting forum right".

To the OP, the most immediate thing I'd do is use the fake note between two or so other real notes... but there is moral implications with that action.

As for banks, I hate Barclays and Lloyds. Abbey National is also useless.

Nat West seized the note to stop it going back into circulation

I had 1200 x £20 notes and Barclays response was 'you should have checked it then'.

I will have a net search and see if I can find the regulatory authority as suggested cheers

patchy

banking ombudsman, but they'll tell you to make a written complaint to barclays first. IMO, that's your best bet - make sure you copy it to CEO's office too.

Eat My Dust

You could always go back in and splash lots of petrol around and then, with match in hand announce "right, no c*nt moves 'till I find out who dunnit!"

el_presidente

As an owner of Natwest I wish to compalin that you are trying to palm off counterfeit notes to this proud nation's upstanding financial institutions.

spen666

you have no chance of proving the fake £20 note came from Barclays and that you had not tried to palm it off on Nat West after inserting it in the bundles yourself and keeping a good note for yourself.


I am not saying this is what you did, but you on the facts given could not show even to the lower civil standard of proof that the note was one of the ones given to you by Barclays.

don_don

Presumably for the sake of saving a £20 chaps transfer, you carried £24k in cash across the street and are complaining of one fake 20?

Consider yourself lucky you didn't get robbed :roll:

Why is this in commuting? Perhaps Soapbox might be a more appropriate forum.

lost_in_thought

Just pay someone unsuspecting with the dodgy £20... and maybe get a bankers' draft or do an electronic transfer next time.

Tempestas

don_don wrote:

Presumably for the sake of saving a £20 chaps transfer, you carried £24k in cash across the street and are complaining of one fake 20?

Consider yourself lucky you didn't get robbed :roll:

Why is this in commuting? Perhaps Soapbox might be a more appropriate forum.

Trust me when i say no-one would attempt to have robbed me

Except Barclays, who did actually rob me and have now lost me as a customer for life.

I posted here as it is one of the more sensible places to ask for advice...

DonDaddyD

Tempestas wrote:

Trust me when i say no-one would attempt to have robbed me

And this is true right up until a gang jumps you from behind, or someone approaches you and whips out their blade or someone goes oldskool and gets out their 9..... :roll:

Seriously though, I'm curious how big/fearsome are you?

don_don

I posted here as it is one of the more sensible places to ask for advice...

Ah yes, I made that mistake once as well!

Tempestas

DonDaddyD wrote:

Tempestas wrote:

Trust me when i say no-one would attempt to have robbed me

And this is true right up until a gang jumps you from behind, or someone approaches you and whips out their blade or someone goes oldskool and gets out their 9..... :roll:

Seriously though, I'm curious how big/fearsome are you?

:oops: I worked the door in my home town for a few years when I was a bit more into my gym training, I used to train with guys who were into their Strongman contests so it was always a good session, I was a track sprinter so spent a lot of time in the gym, now I am a bit smaller but still never seem to attract any unwanted problems

But yes, you are right, there are plenty of idiots out there with knives and such, I just can never get the theory of being scared of anyone into my head though, guess I am really stubborn which is probably not a good trait nowadays.

DonDaddyD

Tempestas wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Tempestas wrote:

Trust me when i say no-one would attempt to have robbed me

And this is true right up until a gang jumps you from behind, or someone approaches you and whips out their blade or someone goes oldskool and gets out their 9..... :roll:

Seriously though, I'm curious how big/fearsome are you?

:oops: I worked the door in my home town for a few years when I was a bit more into my gym training, I used to train with guys who were into their Strongman contests so it was always a good session, I was a track sprinter so spent a lot of time in the gym, now I am a bit smaller but still never seem to attract any unwanted problems

But yes, you are right, there are plenty of idiots out there with knives and such, I just can never get the theory of being scared of anyone into my head though, guess I am really stubborn which is probably not a good trait nowadays.

I don't doubt you can handle yourself and look the part it's just that I promote caution these days, too many kids are cowards and resort to weapons, tools and what not when facing the much larger opponent.

biondino

You've been unlucky, and I would also withdraw my custom from Barclays.

I should also say that NatWest are the single most frustrating, soul-destroying and positively evil bunch of ****s it has ever been my misfortune to come across, and I consider it a duty to tell anyone thinking of banking with them to not bank with them.

Eat My Dust

DonDaddyD wrote:

too many kids are cowards and resort to weapons

Yeah, that's right. Not like the good ol' days when the crims would just beat you to death with their bare fists!!!

cee

DonDaddyD wrote:

too many kids are cowards and resort to weapons, tools and what not when facing the much larger opponent.

The worst is when they come all fierce wielding a really nasty bottom bracket spanner. or a 6mm allen key....oooh the fear

DonDaddyD

Eat My Dust wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

too many kids are cowards and resort to weapons

Yeah, that's right. Not like the good ol' days when the crims would just beat you to death with their bare fists!!!

I guess they just don't make fists like they used to. I blame Playstations....

Tempestas

DonDaddyD wrote:

Eat My Dust wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

too many kids are cowards and resort to weapons

Yeah, that's right. Not like the good ol' days when the crims would just beat you to death with their bare fists!!!

I guess they just don't make fists like they used to. I blame Playstations....

But they can beat you in a thumb wrestle hands down....

itboffin

DonDaddyD wrote:

Tempestas wrote:

Trust me when i say no-one would attempt to have robbed me

And this is true right up until a gang jumps you from behind, or someone approaches you and whips out their blade or someone goes oldskool and gets out their 9..... :roll:

Seriously though, I'm curious how big/fearsome are you?

You said you'd stopped doing that :P

pneumatic

I closed my Barclays account in 1984. I have been racking my brains to remember what it was they did to upset me and, do you know, I just can't remember. All I can recall is that my little gesture of consumer free-will felt really good and I have avoided them ever since (even their ATM's).

Sounds like I was not petty, after all, but wise!

redvee

Makes me glad for the £2k I took them for along with the £8.5k I took from Lloyds

hisoka

Personally I lost my Barclays account due to a mixture of years of bad budgetting (my fault), wife becoming ex-wife putting a transaction through to feck the account (yes I guess on purpose), and them not willing to accept a payment offer from me (I guess they didn't want the £40 a month I offered to pay, but then again who would blame them as I had horrible budgetting so long with them).
Meaning a large overdraft, and graduate loan, all went to CCJ status. Upshot is they had to accept £20 a month instead of the £40 I originally offered.

They could have worked with me more, but looking back I understand why they didn't want to aka make an example of me and not trusting after I had buggered them around during my university days.
So, in closing, I don't like Barclays but at least gudgingly admit that it wasn't all their fault. hehehe
Does mean even if I had the chance I wouldn't ever bank with them again though.

don_don

redvee wrote:

Makes me glad for the £2k I took them for along with the £8.5k I took from Lloyds

First the CenterParcs furniture raid and now this :shock:

I'm getting worried about you red

Mr_Cellophane

I hate Barclays. I an only with them as an ex-Woolwich customer. I can't wait until August when the mortgage is paid off and I can close my account.
The branches in the City have one cashier and 20 people trying to sell you something, the branch in Upminster has 4 cashiers but is always full of pensioners having a chat with them.

Tempestas

Mr_Cellophane wrote:

I hate Barclays. I an only with them as an ex-Woolwich customer. I can't wait until August when the mortgage is paid off and I can close my account.
The branches in the City have one cashier and 20 people trying to sell you something, the branch in Upminster has 4 cashiers but is always full of pensioners having a chat with them.

I am the same, I was with the Woolwich for 14 years without a single problem before Barclays took them over. In the few months they have been looking after my account they managed to cancel/block my card 4 times due to unusual spending, cancel direct debits and then finally distribute fake currency to customers and deny it. They truly are a bunch of 'bankers'

always_tyred

Tempestas wrote:

Mr_Cellophane wrote:

I hate Barclays. I an only with them as an ex-Woolwich customer. I can't wait until August when the mortgage is paid off and I can close my account.
The branches in the City have one cashier and 20 people trying to sell you something, the branch in Upminster has 4 cashiers but is always full of pensioners having a chat with them.

I am the same, I was with the Woolwich for 14 years without a single problem before Barclays took them over. In the few months they have been looking after my account they managed to cancel/block my card 4 times due to unusual spending, cancel direct debits and then finally distribute fake currency to customers and deny it. They truly are a bunch of 'bankers'

You have to bear in mind that the people behind the windows at your local branch are pretty much bottom of the banking pecking order. The cleaners at the London HQ probably have more job satisfaction and are given more training (dangerous chemicals and all that).