Barclays Account suspended/closed/restricted.

[Corporalsparrow]

My wife's business accounts at Barclays have disappeared from the app.

There are tens of thousands in these accounts

Apparently they are now "restricted".

She was in a 'queue' on the phone yesterday for four hours. Spoke to the mandate team, who gave her the number for the fraud team, who suggested she called the mandate team.

Yesterday we found the email address of the CEO, who's PA responded with one of the phone numbers we'd already phoned.

Today she's been on the phone for three and a half hours. She is now being restricted to the mandate team. Again.

Does any wise and experienced soul here have any insight into how to extracate herself from this byzantine nightmare and get her accounts back? Has anyone else had experience of this and found a solution? Is there an phone number that's actually in the UK that we could ring? Is there a human being in Barclays business who might have the authority to fix this?

Many thanks...in advance.

[Onelasttime]

I keep reading about this happening with other banks as well.

They're using sledgehammers to crack nuts and comply with anti-fraud regulations, but smashing innocent accounts holders with the same hammer.

Does your wife conduct many foreign transactions? That's usually the reason no matter how innocent or innocuous the transactions are.

Can she access it online rather than through the app? I expect not.

I can't offer advice on how to get in touch, but …

https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/banks...-your-24655584

[Peck]

Oh dear - she has my sincere sympathies. I’ve been dealing with Barclays business recently as I’ve taken over as the treasurer for a simple charity society. Just getting my details sorted via the mandate team has been horrendous and taken six months and counting. They are effing awful.

As already mentioned, foreign currency transactions (particularly US) seem to cause many of these issues. If your wife does do business with the US has she completed all of the relevant tax documents etc? I have two US clients and have been very careful and particular about this (my business account is with Santander, and no problems (to date at least))

Very best of luck getting it sorted.

[Corporalsparrow]

Hi both,

Thanks for your suggestions.

No US transactions.

This is a nightmare. Why is service so utterly grotesque in the 21st Century?

[Peck]

Hi both,

Thanks for your suggestions.

No US transactions.

This is a nightmare. Why is service so utterly grotesque in the 21st Century?

You’re being generous even using the word “service”. It’s a problem plaguing the western world now it seems, companies just see customer service as a costly inconvenience - they’re all as badly staffed and equipped as one another so even the threat of leaving for a rival carries no weight. They know full well the likelihood of someone actually shutting up and moving their business is so low it’s barely worth worrying about. They just don’t care (unless you’re a large heavy hitter, of course).

Having recently had awful experiences with Barclays, Nationwide and (to a lesser extent) NatWest I just despair. I feel particularly sorry for older and vulnerable customers. It’s disgraceful.

[thebuffoon]

Could there me an AML element to it? We had our business accounts frozen a few years ago when the income increased substantially all of a sudden and it was a nightmare to clear up.

We're currently trying to open more bank accounts above the SME level and it feels like a strip search.

Best of luck, wear a helmet when banging your head against things!

[bloater]

Go in to the branch and make a scene, it seems to get results with Barclays, that’s providing you go on a day when staff are actually working rather than directing you to a machine.
The fact I was in the bank was due to my card being cancelled again by them under some security reason, and I needed access to my money, to be told I’d have to wait for my new card or come back another day.
I now only use them for minor stuff like paying in coins from car boots etc, the rest I use challenger banks.

[Linocut]

I can’t help on this specific query but I’ve found that Barclay’s customer service levels have gone through the floor lately. A simple query on my credit card had me on the phone for over three hours last week. It wasn’t an important issue but business queries would be a nightmare I imagine.


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[Griswold]

Go in to the branch and make a scene, it seems to get results with Barclays, that’s providing you go on a day when staff are actually working rather than directing you to a machine.
The fact I was in the bank was due to my card being cancelled again by them under some security reason, and I needed access to my money, to be told I’d have to wait for my new card or come back another day.
I now only use them for minor stuff like paying in coins from car boots etc, the rest I use challenger banks.

This, and once you've got it sorted MOVE ALL accounts you have with them to a better bank!

[ralphy]

SWMBO had a sole account at Lloyds, she's been with them for 30 years.
I have a sole account at Lloyds, I've been with them for 25 years.
We have a joint account at Lloyds and have held that for 25 years.

Two months ago we decided to close her sole account and allow her to access my sole account, i.e. make it into a second joint account.

I can't even begin to list the hassle it took, finally cumulating in the insistance from them that we both had to have a face-to-face meeting in a branch with a Customer Adviser. It took nearly an hour.

R

[adrianw]

SWMBO had a sole account at Lloyds, she's been with them for 30 years.
I have a sole account at Lloyds, I've been with them for 25 years.
We have a joint account at Lloyds and have held that for 25 years.

Two months ago we decided to close her sole account and allow her to access my sole account, i.e. make it into a second joint account.

I can't even begin to list the hassle it took, finally cumulating in the insistance from them that we both had to have a face-to-face meeting in a branch with a Customer Adviser. It took nearly an hour.

R

The lack of face to face contact is getting scary, we trust these institutions with all our money, what happens if it goes wrong, you can't go in a branch and shout, no one will listen. they are wore likely to call the police and get you thrown out, as I said Scary!

[flame]

Hi

Approx 3yrs ago my youngest Son was basically accused of breaching AML / Money mule rules by Barclays....which he clearly wasn't , however we came to the conclusion he had possibly come into financial contact with someone who was a bit shall we say ' shady '.

It was easier for Barclays to close his account & ban him for life ( yes , life ! ) than go through the transactions on his statement.

Obtaining the funds which were his as part of the closure process was made difficult & prolonged by Barclays and involved a f2f visit to the branch.

He was able to open an account with another high street bank immediately after with no issues.

Good luck to the OP....

Best Neil

[Corporalsparrow]

After a full 11 hours on the phone, this has been put right.

She has been invited to make a complaint. They seem very happy to have complaints. It’s staff and accountability they don’t want.

But yes, a new bank is needed.

Anyone got a suggestions?

[MartynJC (UK)]

After a full 11 hours on the phone, this has been put right.

She has been invited to make a complaint. They seem very happy to have complaints. It’s staff and accountability they don’t want.

But yes, a new bank is needed.

Anyone got a suggestions?

Starling bank - totally online. Had great experience with them so far.

Nationwide Building Society as an alternative.

[joe narvey]

After a full 11 hours on the phone, this has been put right.

She has been invited to make a complaint. They seem very happy to have complaints. It’s staff and accountability they don’t want.

But yes, a new bank is needed.

Anyone got a suggestions?

Starling Business

[wileeeeeey]

First direct. Can't beat it.

[Thewatchbloke]

^^^Not Natwest! With regards to my dads accounts I'm in the process of activating the LPOA that I've had registered for the past 13 years. On Monday I spent 2hrs and 3minutes on hold trying to talk to someone about who to send the documents to to get LPOA registered. After an hour on hold (exactly an hour) the line started to ring which gave me hope that someone would pick up, but it had just reset back to the beginning of the automated process, i.e. press 1 for this or 2 for that. I went through it again only to be dumped back at the beginning after a further hour. I then hung up and went into a branch yesterday to sort it out. It then took 90 minutes in the branch to get my documents accepted and scanned and the correct forms filled in as the staff did not have a clue.

[Chris_in_the_UK]

First direct. Can't beat it.

This, 100%

[Mick P]

It's not so much the Banks, it's the law being over protective over money laundering.

Every foreigner in Spain has to prove where they get their income paid into the accounts by providing proof of state pensions, private pensions plus the source of lump sums. If you don't comply, the account is frozen.

My wife forgot to send them a copy of her new updated passport as they only had a record of her passport that had expired three months previous. She was able to easily give them a copy but failure to do so would have resulted in a frozen account.

Evidently once the account is frozen, you need the assistance of a lawyer to help you out as they will believe what he says but they don't trust Non EUs.

[Toshi]

First direct. Can't beat it.

This, 100%

Unfortunately, First Direct don't do business accounts.

[Corporalsparrow]

I hear Handlesbanken is pretty good. And they have branches. With actual people in them. Any experience of them?

[Bravo73]

But yes, a new bank is needed.

Anyone got a suggestions?

Another recommendation for a Starling Business account here.

I transferred from a Santander business account and the difference is light night and day. Starling feels like 21st century banking.

[mjc1216]

I hear Handlesbanken is pretty good. And they have branches. With actual people in them. Any experience of them?

Used by a lot of High end garages and rental companies in the North West and never had an issue with them.

[NickGaters]

Starling bank - totally online. Had great experience with them so far.

Nationwide Building Society as an alternative.

Totally my experience also. Got sole, joint and business accounts with Starling. No hassle whatsoever setting any of these up/porting in from other banks etc. The definition of simplicity.

Had a Barclays business account a good while back......never again.