Consumer complaint received 2022-09-29
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: OR
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:
Barclays is not resolving my dispute and not being responsible. 

I am XXXX XXXX XXXX, have a XXXX score of XXXX and have never done a chargeback with Barclays. Here is what happened : I paid XXXX ( XXXX ) XXXX  ( online video and animation service ) {$6200.00} between XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. I paid another {$1400.00} between XX/XX/XXXX to XX/XX/XXXX. Total {$8000.00}. 
The merchant would not do work unless prepaid. 

All work was part of a Phase 1 campaign due the first week in XXXX XXXX  - invoices document most detail clearly. I have a signed document from XXXX as part of a campaign rollout for a project that was to include XXXX characters, segments, XXXX wife XXXX, etc. Again, the invoices and emails, support chats and all I provided to Barclays lays it all out and is clear. 

XXXX and rigging animation services are expensive and also require significant time ( so I trusted the merchant and used XXXX as a layer of protection from a previous experience with a service, unrelated ). Online they claim to work with XXXX, XXXX XXXX large companies and they told me they have a studio that works with XXXX. The signed XXXX I got from them says they have 11 years of experience, 825 clients, 59 employees, and completed 3,288 projects. They are located in XXXX, allegedly. I am in Oregon. 

XXXX did not deliver any of the 3-D promised projects ( animated video ) or anything in time for our agreed deadlines. Bottom line, XXXX never delivered the entire Phase 1 marketing as agreed. There was some initial turnover in staff at XXXX ( they said promotions ), so I gave them the benefit of the doubt to continue as I needed the Phase1 asap and too far in to stop and find another service. 

Finally, after only getting two complimentary '' XXXX videos where I provided voiceover and all video at my expense, I could not wait any longer. 

This is an excerpt from the SIGNED Phase 1 proposal text from XXXX XXXX XXXX to me : Our phase 1 strategy will lay our foundation to build out phase 2 in a rapid and focused manner. We will never sacrifice quality in return to release something that does not meet our high standards. With that in mind, we anticipated having a rollout of phase one in the first week of XXXX. We talk to XXXX multiple times every day, so we are working hard to get this phase one done. We look forward to earning your trust, not by words but by results. Let 's light this rocket together! 

Here is the online chat with the COO XXXX XXXX ( my very first contact in XX/XX/XXXX ) of XXXX  who signed the doc for a XXXX delivery ( given to Barclays as well ) : Visitor XXXX ( XX/XX/XXXX ) *online-chat* I can not get ahold of anyone XXXX - remember all the calls- I have paid, nothing done, now on the verge of getting fired. We have time to salvage, but need to talk asap - no one reponds to me at all. What is happening? I did not do anything wrong, just keep paying- I am reasonable, you know my XXXX- please call me asap ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX Can I fly down tomorrow to meet you? 
( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX Seems like you guys no longer care about me... we were best of friends when I started ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX I paid all bills - immediately ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX from my own pocket ( XXXX ) *** XXXX XXXX left the chat *** ( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX what? 
( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX you just left? 
( XXXX ) XXXX XXXX you told me I could trust you XXXX XXXX, here is part of the email I sent to XXXX from XX/XX/XXXX : From : XXXX XXXX Sent : Thursday, XX/XX/XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX : XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX Subject : proposal - please reply asap Hi XXXX XXXX I have tried repeatedly to make contact to no avail. We really have 2 options at this point. 

One simply refund all monies. I have lost status with my group and have vouched for you beyond your understanding based on our conversations. I am the same guy never hard to communicate with. 

Two Into small chance we want to work on healing our relationship and retaining me as a client quietly, I recommend we complete some baseline Annex work and eliminate half the paid order. This gives you an out. I need the XXXX and XXXX cadet content as listed below : 1. I am assigned a PM who is not new 2. You explain to me in detail what happened so we both understand and can build trust I am willing to work past if I know real truth, even if bad. 
3. I have access to the creative team instead of a constant back and forth filter it would save us all time. 

Ultimately, nothing changed and I lost my job and salary as I was not able to deliver and a {$10000.00} bonus just for context. 

My main contact kept changing from XXXX, to XXXX to a new guy named XXXX. XXXX sent some 3D drafts and I was encouraged to continue. Then they all disappeared- XXXX, XXXX and XXXX along with the XXXX XXXX whom I spoke to initially as well. 

After several calls, I was told verbally by the project manager that all of those workers as well as the CEO ( XXXX who also talked to me at the beginning ) were gone : fired for fraud. 

So I was not going to get anything delivered unless new people started over. Who would reasonably continue? 

At this point, they assured me verbally that they would refund my money call my bank and they would handle. 

Apparently, that was also a lie. Barclays told me that the merchant delivered work. I assume they mean the two complimentary videos? There was not one 3-D item completed and what I paid for as Phase 1 due in XXXX  never arrived. Not one thing and I can detail as shown in invoices and in emails. 

I lost my job over this. Now Barclays is denying a refund, claiming several things : XXXX. Barclays first sent a letter that they investigated and they say the merchant says they delivered how? I can not prove that something didnt happen The FTC states I am not required to prove innocent I simply want them to refund they did not do anything. Put my payment history, credit and the ridiculous amount of work and hoops I am doing here against their actions it is unfair. 

2. I called the Barclays XXXX office. XXXX there said they would look into it. No updates. 

3. Today I get a letter Despite our best efforts, we were unable to obtain a credit for you from the merchants bank, and we must now consider the matter closed. How is that even my fault? I used XXXX and Barclays for the added layer of protection isnt that part of the 25 % interest and fees this card charges. I have XXXX power in this relationship and it is so wrong. My balance with Barclays would be a credit after this refund but now I owe all this for no delivery and lost my job?? 

XXXX appears to be straight up scammers. No one has looked at the correspondence and contact me in detail. I offered to travel - who does this when they are at fault? I reported to Barclays as soon as I saw the issue after asking for a refund from the merchant to no avail. Their entire team at XXXX working with me vanished. 

Again, per my last contact, I was told they would refund the money, just call the credit card company, they will not dispute. They said that they fired all my contacts for fraud as I asked over and over where everyone is They also said they would give me 50 % off next project if I had one. No ne would trust that. 

Bottom line, they took my money, delivered unusable content as drafts and then their team left. They missed every deadline and simply did not deliver on promises work gave me a complimentary 2-D 60 sec video 2x that was it. 100 % theft and Barclays has a fiduciary responsibility to me to refund for fraud. I have all documentation that a reasonable person can review. Is this what thew FTC and CFPB envisioned for consumer rights? 

I will visit whatever local office or travel to resolve this if you need me to do so. I can not afford to be swindled out of {$8000.00}. Barclays is trying to stall me so I go away, in my opinion. I will be contacting my State senator next. Then proceed based on advice.

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