Consumer complaint received 2023-08-24
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: OH
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Privacy issues

Complaint:
First, I did NOT sign up for a Barclays Old Navy Mastercard. In 2021, Old Navy prompted me to sign up for an OLD NAVY card that would be used at OLD NAVY only. I received an Old Navy credit card that was a Visa and the credit card company associated with the account was XXXX. Without my knowledge as the consumer, my personal information was shared with Barclays and my account was converted into a XXXX. I did not authorize this at all. When I was in the Old Navy store, they automatically put a charge through to the new account under Barclays that they established on their own without my knowledge. I returned those items and told them I don't have a mastercard account. The Old Navy representative at the store said she could not assist me with anything regarding a credit card account and I would need to talk with Barclays ( the company I NEVER signed up with or authorized to have my account information ). I contacted Barclays several times and they said I would need to establish an online account for them to get access to my information. Upon establishing an online account, they locked me out of it. I ended up receiving a physical bill in the mail for something I did not recognize in the amount of {$180.00}. I decided to try and pay it just to ensure I don't have any issues with Barclays trying to discriminate against me and negatively marking my credit. The online system would not accept payment, when I called in the automated system demanded all my personal information and would not provide me with any of my account information but instead, transferred me to a live person in another country who prompted me to share all my personal information with her/him. 

After being locked out, of the online account I tried logging into, I contacted Barclays AGAIN, spending over a hour on the phone and I RECORDED THE FULL CONVERSATIONS, but did not get any help from them to resolve the issue in accessing my account. If I did not provide my mother 's maiden name or my physical address, they would not assist me. I was transferred to 3 different Barclay representatives in the XXXX and then to a 4th representative in XXXX. I was asked invasive questions which area a threat to my privacy and security such as my social security number, my address, my DOB, my mother 's maiden name, the full credit card number, my phone number and the 3 digit code on the back of my card. 

I had to pay for certifed mail to ensure a payment was processed because it is clear that Barclays is adding erroneous charges to an unauthorized account and then trying to keep consumers from paying the amount so they can collect late fees. Barclays is a scam and Old Navy is just as bad. I would not recommend that Old Navy or any of the other stores utilize Barclays for their customers. Further, I do not respect the encouragement of new credit accounts being opened by store representatives who will not be able to serve the customer in paying a bill or answering questions on the very account they establish. All the personal information being collecte and transacted across different software and viewed by different representatives in various countries is rediculous. 

I WANT MY ACCOUNT WITH BARCLAYS CLOSED!!!! And I better not have a negative mark on my credit in closing it being it is to protect my privacy and security.

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation