Consumer complaint received 2018-01-31
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: VA
Product: Credit card or prepaid card
Sub-product: General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem with a purchase shown on your statement
Sub-issue: Credit card company isn't resolving a dispute about a purchase on your statement

Complaint:
We bought XXXX points from XXXX XXXX in XXXX, AZ, in XX/XX/XXXX ( total cost c. {$18000.00} ). We were made verbal promises about how we could use the points which turned out to be untrue. We were told not to log on to our account for 3 weeks, otherwise it could disrupt the set-up process. This conveniently took us beyond the 14 day cooling off period when we could have cancelled and received a full refund. When we did log on ( see email chain ) we discovered that we had been mis-sold and had not checked the small print carefully enough. We immediately asked for a refund and to cancel the contract. This was refused and escalated to higher authorities at XXXX, who also refused. We then sought to get our money refunded in other ways. 

We had paid using 3 methods, c {$1600.00} on my husband 's XXXX credit card, {$5000.00} on a new interest-free XXXX XXXX XXXX and the remainder as a loan from XXXX. The disputed transaction of {$5000.00} was made onXX/XX/XXXX on the new XXXX XXXX XXXX ( which I have not used for any other transactions ). 

My husband immediately raised the matter with XXXX, who contacted XXXX XXXX. On getting no response from XXXX, XXXX refunded the c {$1600.00} permanently on my husband 's card. We also raised the matter with XXXX but we learnt later that they never contacted XXXX XXXX on our behalf ( unlike XXXX ). They later said that they " were familiar with XXXX 's contracts and that if we'd signed, that was our fault. '' We then contacted the AZ Attorney General 's office and discovered 2 things : 1.  There had been a judgment against XXXX XXXX for mis-selling and that a an amount had been set aside by XXXX of {$800000.00} to compensate those who'd been affected. Sadly for us that money had all been distributed before our claim. 
2. In AZ law, the verbal presentation forms part of the contact. In other words they can not say one thing in a presentation and then make you sign something different. We were way to trusting with the pages and pages of contract that we had to initial after an intensive 4 hour presentation. We were not in a fit state to properly vet what we were signing. However the AG 's office said that we would have a strong case in a Smalls Claim Court. That is not a realistic option for us as don't live in AZ. 

Last summer XXXX XXXX offered to cancel the contract, closing and cancelling the loan but keeping the {$5000.00} we had paid on my new XXXX card. We refused and asked for a full refund. They declined. Soon after that they summarily cancelled the contract without notice to us, reclaimed all the points that we had been allotted under the contract but kept the {$5000.00}. 

We then escalated our claim with the XXXX XXXX, initially through their complaints procedure and then we were referred to the Office of the President. Initially we dealt with XXXX XXXX XXXX but were then referred to her superior XXXX XXXX XXXX. 

We spend part of the year in the XXXX and part in the US. We have called many, many times. Just before XXXX, XXXX XXXX said that she had not had time to look into it but would do so and get back to us. She didn't. Between XX/XX/XXXX and XX/XX/XXXX, I called maybe 10-15 times and got her voicemail every time. I left my number and asked for a callback. It never came. I also called the main number for the Office of the President ( of XXXX ) and was promised a call back in 24-48 hours. It never came. 

Much of this and the explanations are contained in the attached correspondence. My complaint boils down to : 1. We were mis-sold, which is XXXX XXXX ' issue, I know, but XXXX should protect us from that. 
2. XXXX helped my husband to get his money back. XXXX did nothing on my behalf. ( We were specifically told that they had taken no direct action in a call in XX/XX/XXXX ). This is a dereliction of their duty to protect me, the consumer. We even sent them the AZ AG 's ruling, which they ignored. 
3. There is a whiff of collusion between XXXX and XXXX as XXXX issue this card on their behalf. 
4. The Office of the President ( of XXXX ) has failed to pursue my case and completely failed to provide the basic courtesy of returned phone calls. I have mentioned pursuing a claim through the CFPB to them and they have asked for more time to look into it. They have run out of time. 
5. There has been no justification for withholding the {$5000.00}. We now have no product and are {$5000.00} out of pocket. Ultimately that is the nub. XXXX surely can not keep our {$5000.00} for nothing, can they?

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 monetary relief