Consumer complaint received 2018-09-27
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: FL
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Other features, terms, or problems
Sub-issue: Problem with balance transfer

Complaint:
I have 2 accounts with Barclays Bank, A Juniper MasterCard which has been opened since XXXX or so and a XXXX Mastercard which has been opened since XXXX or so. My credit limit for Barclays was {$6700.00} whereas XXXX credit limit was {$8200.00}. Barclays solicits me to borrow money whether through balance transfer or convenience check with an interest free period of 12-15 months because of my credit. In the case of each of these cards, the moment I take advantage of either of these offers, my credit lines are reduced to the balance plus approximately {$200.00} of available credit, which negatively impacts my credit score because of the credit line utilization. For the XXXX Card, I utilized a balance transfer offer of {$3000.00} on XX/XX/XXXX and {$2300.00} on XX/XX/XXXX ( Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2 ). My credit line was {$8200.00}. I received a notice dated XX/XX/XXXX stating my credit limit was being reduced to {$5400.00} based on serious delinquency, which was a 30 day rating from XXXX that was on my credit report when Barclays extended me credit and length of time accounts established ( Exhibit 3 ). Key note, my credit line was increased to {$8200.00} due to my outstanding credit history with Barclays. I contacted Barclays notifying them of the error in their decision and they did nothing in XX/XX/XXXX. I received a subsequent credit line reduction letter XX/XX/XXXX ( Exhibit 4 ) that my credit line was reduced to {$4400.00} AFTER i was I was continually solicited for balance transfer offers. 

The Barclays Juniper MasterCard shows a pattern of deceptive and predatory lending. In XXXX or XX/XX/XXXX, I filed a complaint with the CFPB regarding Barclays practice of reducing credit lines after a customer borrows money interest free ( Exhibit 5 ). Barclays addressed this complaint by correcting my credit limit. My credit limit was decreased to {$5000.00} then taken back to the the credit limit of {$6500.00} after the complaint.

Barclays Juniper MasterCard has been soliciting me to take advantage of balance transfer offers through XX/XX/XXXX ( Exhibit 6 ). I took advantage of the balance transfer offer XX/XX/XXXX borrowing {$6000.00} interest free against my credit line of {$6700.00} ( increase in credit line due to my outstanding credit history - see Exhibit 5 ). I received a notice dated XX/XX/XXXX indicating my credit line was cut to {$6200.00}, {$200.00} above balance ( Exhibit 7 ). 

I contacted Barclays on both accounts XX/XX/XXXX. XXXX, an escalations manager from Barclays with no direct line, contacted me @ XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX to inform me Barclays performs the review systemically and with human eyes and refused to acknowledge the deceptive practices of soliciting consumers to utilize interest free balance transfers then cutting the consumers credit line to balance + {$200.00} as well as the contributions to a negative credit reporting for credit limit utilization.

Barclays rewards me with credit line increases, interest free balance transfers then penalizes me for taking advantage of the offers. I have revolving credit lines totaling approxmately {$150000.00} with a 17 % credit line usage and my credit lines have been cut because of Barclays scoring, model errors and human eyes which are not consistent with other lenders. In fact, Barclays avoided issues in XXXX by correcting the scoring error when i notified the CFPB regarding the rationale.

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