Barclays

Barclays

One of the Big 5 of the UK banking World, Barclays can trace its origins and the Black Eagle Logo back to 1690. With 27 million global customers, it is truly a worldwide bank.

Barclays offers full retail and business banking, savings, investments, loans, and general insurance. It offers its own range of mortgages as well as owning the Woolwich, which specialises in mortgages. The bank offers a specialist Wealth Management Service, and has a private banking and Corporate Finance arm.

Barclays offer a current account called Additions Active. You pay £15/month and you receive RAC comprehensive breakdown cover in UK and Europe, worldwide multi trip family travel insurance, mobile phone insurance, home SOS emergency insurance cover and more.

Visit Barclays for a quote.


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I have had a bank account with Barcalys for a good period of time. I am disappointed to report that despite this I have recently been treated by the home sos team appallingly. I had the misfortune of needing this service as the pump on my central heating went wrong. I reported the problem to home sos on the 19th December and to date they have not repaired my heating. This is despite many assurances that an engineer would be attending. I am in the process of making a formal complaint and I am afraid to say that I am seriously considering moving my acccount to another bank or building society as a result of this.
Posted by Rebecca Fisher on the 30th December 2009 1 stars
I think it's about time the staff at Barclays started to realise that they are providing a service to paying customers and should treat their customers with care and diplomacy. Instead (as seen in the message below) - all they do is whinge and whine indicting that they are clearly unable to do their jobs. The customer is always right - until proven otherwise. Perhaps some of the selfish, incompetent staff of Barclays should remember this before putting their uncouth mouths into action.
Posted by Marge Everett on the 5th December 2009 1 stars
The biggest problem of all is the rude customers who visit the branches and are rude to the staff who have to put up with them!
Posted by Poppy on the 23rd October 2009 5 stars
The greatest insult lies in refusing to let customers telephone their local branch. It is extraordinarily arrogant, so obviously putting the bank's costs above their customers. It must be ten times worse for people who cannot easily get to their local branch. WAKE UP BARCLAYS!

I couldn't agree with this more. After some recent problems with my account - created by Barclays I might add, I have been left constantly jumping through hoops just to speak to someone, and even when I do talk to someone they only seem intrested in selling me something or getting me off the phone.
Posted by steve on the 19th May 2009 1 stars
Relatively few mistakes made, when compared with the likes of Halifax or Abbey, but when will Barclays wake up to the fact that overseas call centres are a BAD idea? Simple tasks can be handled far more quickly using online banking, and for more complex ones it has regularly been my experience that after a lengthy and pointless conversation with a call centre operative I am referred to someone more senior in the UK anyway. The greatest insult lies in refusing to let customers telephone their local branch. It is extraordinarily arrogant, so obviously putting the bank's costs above their customers. It must be ten times worse for people who cannot easily get to their local branch. WAKE UP BARCLAYS!
Posted by Chris on the 9th April 2009 2 stars
Banked with Barclays for business for nearly 10 years now. Generally it has been excellent and I really rate its online side – excellent security.

However I am beginning to question the wisdom of staying with them.... Last year I applied for a commercial mortgage, Barclays agreed to a loan but I thought it's rates were on the high side. Barclays informed me that was the best it could do. So I paid money to an IFA and they came back with a much better deal, exactly the rates and terms I wanted. And that was with... Barclays... the self same team that had just before told me the deal it offered was the best it could do. Annoying.

Now I need to extend the overdraft on my business account due to an increase in business (ie the figures are looking good). Barclays is happy to oblige... at 17.5%!!! When BoE base is .5% and Libor circa 1.88%. Total rip off. I asked if something was wrong with my credit rating. That, apparently, was good and this is 'just what they're charging people right now'.

Total rip off. I easily got the money cheaper elsewhere. I'm beginning to think I should look elsewhere to bank too...
Posted by tRuth on the 30th March 2009 2 stars
In my 50 years of banking in the UK, I have found no banks to be up to standard, let alone excel, In my opinion, Barclays has always fallen below average, but seems to get worse by the year. Their current ploy of stopping customers talking direct to the branch by making them use the call centre in Mumbai on their 0845 number, really takes the biscuit. Whilst the folk in India are very pleasant some of the time, those of us who have been in India know how bureaucratic things are there, often taking 30 mins to get the most simple tack completed with hand written ledgers still used and this mindset seems to pervade the call centre. Even after lengthy discussions in India which too often lead no where and you insist on talking to your branch, the best you get, if not cut off, is a voice mail which says you should ring 0845 (India) if you have any question that is not for that particular department, and even if you do leave a message, it can take a week or more to resolve, as the staff in England don’t seem all that sharp on anything that is the remotely complicated. If you are lucky enough to get one of those vary illusive rare people who are always on the ball, hang onto them for grim death if you wish to retain your sanity with Banks
Posted by peter carter on the 26th November 2008 1 stars
Got a small business then don't bank at Barclays..
We have for years but 2 weeks ago they froze our account with out informing us, they happily accepted the funds from 2weeks of card sales, but bounced all payments and cancelled all direct debits... Why ? because a an adverstiser with whom we had a dispute applied for a winding up order... we paid them.. but the Barclays Risk Team decided to freeze the account... so now we have a problem... we have had to fund the supply of goods from the last lot of of sales from our own pockets, because we would not want to let our loyal customers down... to re-instate the account they want a validation order for a case that has been dropped, this will cost me £5K.... what are these people on.. this case has not been heard in court and never would be... their actions have killed my business and my livelihood. Our overdraft with Barclays was sub £3k so what risk was there to them? The solicitor taking out the action spoke to them and said they were being over reactive.
I hear that Barclays have a problem, how would they feel if all their investors take the same view of them and pull out... yeah I know the government will use our money to bail them out... I'm fuming but can do nothing... see they are still adding charges to the account though... thought it was frozen... so small business watch out for Barclays.
Posted by Furniture Express UK Ltd on the 1st November 2008 1 stars
Persistently slapping bank charges on my account when it is totally in order. Absolutely no acknowledgment of my issue by phone or email. An absolute waste of space for customer service. I'm a customer of 20 years but not for much longer!
Posted by Rob on the 17th September 2008 1 stars
I have banked with Barclays for about 50 years, with never a problem. I moved to Abbey seven weeks ago, they have lost all my deposits, including their own counter cheque, and are totally unhelpful. They have £4300.00 of my money and the only answer they have is: call back tomorrow! We have had no money for two months, Christmas eve with £6.45, no presents and no food! Do not bank with Abbey, stay with Barclays.
Posted by Tab Brown on the 9th January 2008 5 stars
I have complained to Barclays Card that I did not buy any book at Amazon yet they still sending me credit card bill for the purchase I did not make. I have also notified Barclays Card and they have change my card. Why should I pay for the purchase I did not make?
Posted by Onyegbule Umunna on the 16th December 2007 4 stars
I have paid my bills through E-mail for a long time. I wanted to pay a deposit on a cruise and this was refused because they had a new check on payments requiring yet another card. No warning and I may lose my holiday if I cannot confirm my deposit!
Posted by James Leaver on the 11th December 2007 5 stars
Barclaycard have just reduced my credit card limit from £6100 to £250. Absolutely NOTHING has changed in my financial status - 'they' say they are not prepared to reverse their decision. In the absence of any prior communication, their unilateral decision leaves me to an obvious conclusion - good bye Barclaycard and good bye Barclays from a customer of 17 years. Minus 5 stars!
Posted by Peter Moseley on the 16th July 2007 1 stars
Barclays offer a wide range of comprehensive banking services and, provided you can live with the way they user inflated charges to fund their arrogant approach to customer-service, they are all the bank you will ever need.
Posted by M on the 1st September 2006 2 stars

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