Consumer complaint received 2025-07-03 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — Store credit card
Issue: Getting a credit card — Card opened without my consent or knowledge
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: NY

Complaint narrative:
Dear Sir or Madam, My years of excellent credit have been substantially downgraded as a result of Barclays Bank negligently submitting an initial new credit card and monthly statements to an incorrect address. At the time I applied for Barclays card at a XXXX XXXX store in XXXX, New York I resided at XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX XXXX, New York. I have been able to determine that Barclays sent both the card and subsequent bills to an erroneous address in XXXX, New York. I have never received communications from Barclays and no bill ever came to me. A purchase of {$43.00} has now, behind my back, ballooned into more than {$250.00} with interest and late fees. I was able unwind these events when I learned that my credit rating has fallen from very good to fair in an XXXX  report. A call to a Barclay representative named XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX, disclosed that Barclays had directed the card and bills to an address with my street name and number, but to the WRONG city. 
The fuller facts and details are laid out further as follows : XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, I signed up for a credit card at XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) in XXXX, New York, when I purchased a XXXX XXXX  wool sweater for {$43.00}, to give as a gift. 

XXXX. At that time, I was given a pamphlet, dated XX/XX/XXXX. I was told that I would receive my credit card in the mail, and that the credit card would enable me to receive discounts at XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  XXXX, and XXXX. The Temporary Account Number listed on the Temporary Shopping Pass given to me on XX/XX/XXXX listed my temporary account number as XXXX. It listed an expiration date of XX/XX/XXXX and stated that The permanent account number and credit line [ would ] be sent to [ me ] with [ my ] card. 

3. I never received the alleged XXXX credit card. I have recently been told ( see below ) that this account was closed. I was also told that this failure to receive a XXXX credit card resulted in late fees of {$190.00} and {$18.00} in interest charges on the purchase of {$43.00} made on the date I applied for the card. Indeed, I never received anything from XXXX or from Barclays Bank. Therefore, I had no notice of XXXX  accumulating and illegal charges made by XXXX. 

4. I recognized the problem on or about XX/XX/XXXX, only after I observed my XXXX  credit score had fallen from very good to fair and the credit report identified Barclays as an overdue account on a report that otherwise shows years of prompt and unfailing on time payments. 

5. In my call to the Bank on XX/XX/XXXX, I spoke with a customer service representative who identified herself as XXXX. XXXX told me the following : ( 1 ) My account had been closed, and the fact of its closure was the only reason she could speak with me. ( 2 ) I failed to receive a XXXX credit card because the Bank sent the card to the wrong address : it was sent to XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX, NY. I have never lived in XXXX. I lived in XXXX XXXX, NY from XXXX until XX/XX/XXXX, when I moved to XXXX XXXX. At the time I applied, I lived at XXXX XXXX XXXX, XXXX XXXX, NY XXXX. Neither Barclays nor XXXX ever caught or corrected this mistake. ( 3 ) My sole purchase on the card based on its application and the sole purchase of {$43.00} made on the date I submitted the application, resulted in a past-due amount of {$190.00} in late fees and {$18.00} in interest charges as follows : Late fees XXXX {$30.00} ( XXXX XXXX XXXX ) {$2.00} {$41.00} ( XXXX XXXX- XXXX. XXXX ) {$2.00} {$41.00} ( XXXX. XXXX XXXX. XXXX ) {$3.00} {$41.00} ( XXXX. XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ) {$4.00} {$41.00} ( XX/XX/XXXX XX/XX/XXXX ) {$6.00} Total Late Fees : {$190.00} Total Interest : {$18.00} Per my conversation with XXXX, the card continued to accumulate late fees after it was allegedly closed. 

6. This damage to my credit rating is ongoing. I have verified that the sole damage to my credit rating is based on this XXXX card, a mistake made by the Bank. Accordingly, am notifying you in the hope that the Bank will rectify the damage it has done to me. I also Im notifying all parties to this letter that I intend to pursue Fair Credit Reporting Act remedies and damages in the event that this is not promptly corrected.

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