Consumer complaint received 2022-12-23
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: NJ
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Closing your account
Sub-issue: Company closed your account

Complaint:
In early XXXX I called Barclays customer service to inquire about the approximate date I would be receiving my replacement XXXX, since my old card was due to expire in XX/XX/2022. I was proactively ensuring that I would receive the new card before my move date of XX/XX/2022. The rep whom I spoke with said that they could not track the card once it was mailed out but that the bank always mailed out replacement cards to be received by the customers before the old cards expiration. 

I never received my replacement card prior to the cards expiration. 

I moved from XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX in late XX/XX/2022 and changed my address via my Barclays ( XXXX ) XXXX online account. I received a letter from Barclays dated XX/XX/2022, asking me to call the number listed in the letter to verify the change made to my account. I called on XXXX, XX/XX/2022, and spoke with a representative XXXX XXXX XXXX who confirmed the information. 

Immediately after that call, I was unable to access my online account. I called customer service that same day XXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX and spoke with another representative ( XXXX ). I explained that I could not access my account and that prior to my call with XXXX, I had accessed it with no issue. XXXX was unable to help and told me that I should try accessing the account later and call back if I continued to experience the issue. 

On XXXX  XX/XX/2022, I called Barclays XXXX customer service and spoke with XXXX. XXXX tried resetting my password and setting up new online access. None of his troubleshooting options resolved my online access issue, and he told me that the issue was with the banks website. 

I called and spoke with XXXX in the Barclays XXXX assistance department on XXXX, XX/XX/2022, at XXXXXXXX XXXX EST. I explained my issue in detail and mentioned that she was the fifth representative I had spoken with about the problem. XXXX attempted to retrieve and reset my password, despite my telling her that this method had already been attempted unsuccessfully. The attempt failed, so XXXX transferred me to an Account Specialist by the name of XXXX at XXXX XXXX EST. XXXX explained that the account access issue probably had to do with my expired Barclays XXXX. 

The cards expiration date was XX/XX/2022. XXXX mentioned that a replacement card had been issued. Since I never received the replacement card, XXXX canceled the replacement card number and issued a new card. She explained that I would receive the card within XXXX - XXXX business days. She also told me to call Barclays before attempting to access my online account, in order to activate the new card. 

I received the new card and called Barclays, as instructed by XXXX, on or around XX/XX/2022. 

I spoke with a representative by the name of XXXX at XXXX XXXX EST. I explained the entirety of my issue to XXXX and asked to have the new card activated, but also to escalate my online access issue. XXXX did not escalate the issue and attempted to problem-solve, repeating the same exact steps that had previously been taken by the other representatives. The issue was still present, and XXXX had no solution. 

Again, I asked XXXX to escalate the issue to technical support. Instead, she opened Complaint Case # XXXX. I asked her how long it would take to resolve and when I could expect a call. She said that the issue would be investigated and that I would receive a letter about the root cause of the issue via regular mail. I never received a follow-up call, letter, or email from Barclays. 

On XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX EST, I received an email notification from XXXX XXXX- a service that offers free insights into credit scores, reports and personalized financial information. The notification was to inform me that an account listed in my credit report had been closed, and my credit score was affected. When I logged into my Credit Karma account, I found out that the closed account referenced was the Barclays XXXX account which I had been having issues with. 

I called Barclays at XXXX XXXX EST on XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, and spoke with XXXX. Once again, I had to repeat every detail of my ongoing issues with Barclays spanning XXXX months. XXXX was unable to assist and said the account was closed. She could not even find the complaint case that had been supposedly opened in late XXXX. I told her I was deeply frustrated and needed the call escalated to a supervisor. 

XXXX transferred me to XXXX at XXXX XXXX EST. XXXX said that nothing could be done because the account was closed. I said I was not accepting that and needed the call escalated. 

XXXX transferred me to XXXX at XXXX XXXX, EST. After I explained my case to XXXX, she said that there was nothing that could be done and that my account could not be reactivated because the bank had closed it. 
I told XXXX I had not received ANY communication from Barclays related to my Barclays XXXX account for months, and the account was closed without my authorization or prior notice. 

XXXX proceeded to state that a letter has been mailed on XX/XX/2022 ( 5 days prior to my call with her ), and she read the letter out loud. 

I told XXXX that I had not received that letter. Out of curiosity, I asked XXXX how the letter was delivered if electronically or via regular post. She said it had been mailed. I asked what address. She replied XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX. In exasperation I responded with that is yet another complaint I have to add to my list of complaints. I told XXXX that the XXXX XXXX address was my old address, and no correspondence should have been mailed there because I had changed my address with Barclays when I moved FIVE MONTHS prior to our phone conversation. Additionally, my account had been set up for paperless communications, and up until XX/XX/2022, I had been receiving all relevant account information via email ( I have all saved emails from Barclays as proof ). 

XXXX response was for me to write a complaint to Barclays XXXX XXXX XXXX at XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX 

I said I would be complaining to the Department of State, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau, and Attorney General about Barclays credit card services ineptitude and incompetence in their business practices. 

Upon reviewing my credit reports, I found that my credit score had decreased due to the unauthorized closure of my Barclays XXXX account, the same account I had been experiencing issues with since XX/XX/2022. I did not authorize the account closure. I did not receive notification from Barclays informing me that the account would be closed. I did not receive a follow-up call from my last phone call about the long-running account access issue.

My credit score was affected because of Barclays inaction. To resolve the problem, I would like my account reactivated and the online account access issue fixed. Once my account is reactivated, I would like Barclays to report this change to XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX immediately.

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