Consumer complaint received 2022-12-21
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: VA
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Other transaction problem

Complaint:
On Friday, XX/XX/XXXX, an electronic payment of {$2600.00} was made to Barclaycard US through the Bill Pay service at my bank, XXXX Bank. I mistakenly made this payment, that was intended for a different institution, as the credit card associated with the Barclaycard US account was closed XXXX years prior, in XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I noticed my error, and called my bank to see if the payment could be stopped. As the payment was already in progress, I was unable to stop it from going out, and was informed I could dispute the payment the next business day. I also tried calling Barclaycard XXXX to notate that the funds should be returned when received, but since the account was closed XXXX years earlier, Barclaycard US was unable to assist. 

The next business day, Monday, XX/XX/XXXX, I opened a dispute with my bank XXXX Bank, informing them again that I had made the payment to a closed account in error. XXXX Bank contacted Barclaycard US to have the funds returned and were informed that Barclaycard US would not discuss the matter with XXXX Bank as they would not release customer information to third parties. 

When I received written notice from XXXX Bank by mail on XX/XX/XXXX that Barclaycard US was unwilling to discuss the funds sent to them in error, I contacted Barclayscard US directly. I spoke with XXXX individuals, each telling me that they are unable to see any record of the funds posted to my account ( as I expected since the account was closed XXXX years earlier ), and that they were unable to determine what became of the money they received on XX/XX/XXXX. They were also unwilling to provide me a contact department or phone number where I could confirm the disposition of the missing money. I received different responses as to what they believed would happen with the money, saying at XXXX point that if funds were received for a closed loan, the funds would be returned in the same manner received ( funds were never received ). I was also informed that since the account was sold to a different institution after being closed, the money would have gone to them, however, no one would confirm that to be the case. 

On Tuesday, XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX Bank, and their representative and I contacted Barclaycard together. Barclaycard continued to state that they saw no record of payment being posted to my closed account ( as expected since account was closed ). They, again, refused to provide contact information for a department that could confirm the money was received, and what happened to it, saying that funds would have been returned in the manner received, or that possibly funds were sent to the institution where they believed the credit account had been sold ( after I closed the account ). XXXX Bank who spent hours on the phone with me and Barclaycard US was very helpful, and repeatedly offered to send Barclaycard US the Transmittal report evidencing when funds had been received by Barclaycard US.

Final result was that Barclaycard US, who received my {$2600.00} on XX/XX/XXXX ( sent to them in error ), refused or was unwilling to confirm receipt of the money and what they did with it, and further unwilling to return my money to me since the payment was in error to a closed account. 

FYI, account number provided with complaint is last XXXX digits. The account is so old that I no longer have the full number.

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