Consumer complaint received 2019-06-23
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: CA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Getting a credit card
Sub-issue: Delay in processing application

Complaint:
I submitted an application for my first ever Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite Mastercard on XX/XX/2019. I also paid {$15.00} to expedite/overnight the approved card to my home address. Note that I've been an existing Barclaycard customer with a different card for over 4 months now.

I got a standard response saying that my application would be reviewed within 10 days with a response. Not having received a timely response from Barclaycard, I proactively reached out to them asking for an update on my application.

They put me on hold for quite a while before finally telling me that there was an issue with the address provided on my application. They asked me to send copies of 3 different documents ( Social Security Card, Bank Statement with a name and address, Driver 's License ). There were no other special requirements around these documents apart from what's listed.

They insisted that the only acceptable way to send this was by regular postal mail ( email and fax were not discussed as an option despite me asking for them ). Note that this is in the year 2019.

I obliged and sent copies of all 3 documents exactly as requested by post on the XX/XX/XXXX. I have a delivery confirmation from USPS stating that this was delivered to Barclaycard the week of the XX/XX/XXXX. Barclaycard however did NOT process this till they XX/XX/XXXX ( a week from then ) and couldn't even confirm the receipt of my documents that entire week.

On XX/XX/XXXX, I called them only for them to tell me that the bank statement I sent was unacceptable ( despite it clearly showing my full name and the correct address ). This was a statement printed out by a XXXX XXXX Representative in a local bank branch.

Barclaycard claimed that what they were really looking for was a completed computer generated statement ( this was NOT called out earlier ). They insisted that I needed to send in an official statement ( despite having sent one in already ). I was told that it'd be processed within 2-3 business days of receipt.

At this point they informed me that faxing the document was an option ( note that this wasn't an option the first time ). I faxed the document the same day and it was received on the XX/XX/XXXX.

I called them on the XX/XX/XXXX and Barclaycard told me they have NOT received or processed the new documentation and told me that it would instead take 7-10 business days to process this instead.

I called them regularly the week after that to check on the status and finally on the XX/XX/XXXX ( 10 business days after receipt ), they confirmed that the docs were received, my application was approved and that I'd receive the card by Wednesday ( XX/XX/XXXX ). The card did not arrive as scheduled.

I waited till XX/XX/XXXX before calling them where they said that the card was NOT approved and that they still needed MORE address related documentation before they can approve it. First they mentioned they can send in documentation via email and then said I can only send it by mail ( not fax ).

Surprisingly the card arrived by USPS regular speed mail later in the day on XX/XX/XXXX ( despite not sending in the docs for a third time ). I activated the card but still am unable to spend on it because of issues on Barclaycard 's side. I still don't know for certain if the card is valid because I can't reach their customer service team either.

- This has been an extremely harrowing experience for me over the last 6-7 weeks.

- Barclaycard has NOT been proactive at informing me of issues with my application. I had to call them each time taking more than 20 hrs of precious time out of my work days during this period.

- Barclaycard 's document processing capabilities in the year 2019 has been backward and slow.

- Barclaycard 's agents did NOT offer accurate or consistent information about resolving this issue.

- Barclaycard 's agents were not aware of basic details as to how their own systems work or how long a process might take.

- Barclaycard 's agents were unwilling to escalate calls to their supervisors when they didn't have the information themselves - Barclaycard was not keeping any notes about the multitude of interactions they had with me on this single issue over the last several weeks. My pleas to add notes fell on deaf ears.

- Barclaycard agents ' general tone ranged from rude to indifferent.

- Barclaycard did NOT honor the expedited delivery I had explicitly paid for and sent the card to me via regular mail In the year 2019, having a backward technology stack and doling out this sort of despicable treatment to an existing customer in good standing who wanted to give them several thousand dollars of new business is unacceptable.

At this point in the process, I've cried out in frustration and have wanted to give up and cancel the application several times. Any reasonable human being would have lost their patience many times over.

It's not a stretch to imagine how many thousands of customers have been mistreated by poorly trained Barclaycard agents. I pity all of them and call on Barclaycard to make this right at once.

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 non-monetary relief