Consumer complaint received 2025-07-11 00:00:00
Product: Credit card — General-purpose credit card or charge card
Issue: Problem when making payments — Problem during payment process
Company: BARCLAYS BANK DELAWARE
State: AL

Complaint narrative:
I am a XXXX XXXX, since XXXX, living on a fixed income, which I only receive once per month on the XXXX day of every month. 

I am really very concerned about the condition of my Credit Card Account with Barclaycard. I have had this account for many years. And I valued having this account and kept it in very good standing. I had a very good relationship with Barclaycard until XXXX of this year, when it seems like " XXXX  XXXX broke loose. '' What I do not want is my credit standing deliberately or carelessly reduced because of an accusatory company who fails to adequately investigate issues and holds me responsible OR holds my credit HOSTAGE, unjustifiably, and I believe that is what happened in THIS case. 

If memory serves me correctly, I established this account I XXXX, when purchasing a new XXXX XXXX. So I have had the account for at least that long. Never missed a payment always paid them on time. Over time, they gradually began to increase my credit limit even if I did not request. IN NO CASE HAVE I EVER ASKED FOR A INCREASED CREDIT LIMIT. It seems that in my effort to get out of personal debt, every time would pay off a credit card, or installment loan, Barclays would immediately increase my credit limit without my permission. 
It began, when I paid off my car, I got an increase without asking for it. Then, I paid off two additional credit cards, again, I got an increase without asking for it. Then, I paid off a furniture bill. I got an increase without asking for it. Finally, my credit limit got all the way up to about {$14000.00} and I had not asked for any of it.

For years I consistently paid my minimum monthly payment on the Barclaycard with no problem. 

However, knowing I had accumulated all this debt, I began trying to pay the bill down, so I could eliminate the credit card altogether. I began consistently paying Barclays {$1000.00} per month, and I did this for more than a year ( maybe longer ). 

Something happened in XXXX of this year ( XXXX  ) and for some unknown reason, that I haven't been able to figure out on the XXXX of XXXX, Barclay was paid {$2000.00}, which totally out of the blue ALARMED ME. I went online to visit my bank account, and LO & BEHOLD, I didn't have ANY MONEY to live out the remainder of the month. That meant eating, having money in my personal checking account to cover my other bills ( which are paid on automatic bank draft ). Initially I couldn't figure out why I didn't have money in the bank, but ultimately I saw that XXXX ( XXXX ) {$1000.00} payments had been automatically debited from my account. By that point, I was panicking over it, so I went to my Barcklay account and sure enough they had the {$2000.00}. 

I can't say HOW this happened. But, I was livid. I had been XXXX  in XXXX. I had multiple XXXX, so I am aware that I have some XXXX XXXX XXXX and my XXXX  sometimes isn't what is used to be ; sometimes I make stupid mistakes, and my XXXX  " mis-fires ''. So, I did start to panic, but I called Barclaycard that very same day, and I tried to have a conversation with a representative. The conversation was horrible, because I simply asked them to " reverse '' XXXX of the XXXX {$1000.00} payments, so I could eat, pay my bills, and simply LIVE the remainder of the months. The representative I talked to started talking all this XXXX about it would take them 30 days to investigate what happened and I couldn't get the money back, and so-forth-and-so-on. THAT REALLY UPSET ME, because that " XXXX XXXX  acted like she was completely oblivious to MY concern over not have money to live on the rest of the month, and she kept insisting on 30 days, and I couldn't get the money and Barclays couldn't reverse the payment . WELL BY THEN, I WAS XXXX  XXXX  ANGRY, I told her " by hook or XXXX  '' I was going to get my money back. 

After NOT BEING ABLE TO GET ANYWHERE BARCLAYS, the I immediately picked up my phone and called my bank, XXXX XXXX XXXX in XXXX, Georgia. They had the record and could CLEARLY see clearly BOTH these XXXX ( XXXX ) {$1000.00} payments. So, I asked them if they could immediately reverse XXXX of the {$1000.00} payments. XXXXXXXX XXXX representative could immediately see and understand my issue. They emailed me some type of authorization, and my money was immediately reversed. I felt so much better. Well even though my immediate dilemma was corrected, NOW, I had a problem with Barclays, and I've had a problem ever since. The entire month of the remainder of XXXX, my credit card was locked and I couldn't use it. BARCLAYS started to accuse me of missing my XXXX PAYMENT, and I'm sure that my credit score was affected by it. I was upset, and started trying to ( find a card I could transfer my balance to, so I could pay interest-free for the first few months ). I applied for an interest-free balance transfer account, and was immediately declined, WHICH I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND, because [ my thinking was ] if I had earned all this huge credit limit with Barclay 's over these years, why dild n't I no qualify to open a new card that I could use to transfer this balance? 

By this time, I was just SICK OF BARCLAYS, and wanted out of the account. Somehow I could tell that they were TRYING TO HOLD ME HOSTAGE. I also started to receive " collection calls '' from Barclays. Just all kinds of " SINISTER '' XXXX that I would never have expected from a company I had such a good relationship with. 

It may have been sometime during XXXX, but certainly by XX/XX/XXXX, I logged into my Barclays account, and set up an automatic bank draft for the MINIMUM PAYMENT ON THE XXXX of every month. So, the next month, ( XXXX ), I only expected a minimum payment pre-authorized draft. 

By XXXX, I had already made up my mind that I was DONE with Barclays. When I got paid on XX/XX/XXXX, I MADE DAM SURE THAT THEY WERE NOT GETTING {$1000.00} from me again. Because this payment was a " SACRIFICE '' but I made it trying to pay it off, and keep my credit good. The same thing happened in XXXX. 

ON XX/XX/XXXX, I MADE DAM SURE that they only got the MINIMUM PAYMENT. So, I knew I paid them on time in XXXX. I still was getting " Collection Calls '' ( which I never answered, I knew I didn't owe them but they were trying to convince me I missed a payment in XXXX, and I knew that was a XXXX  LIE! ) I WAS NOT going to be talking to anybody on the phone and let them abuse me with that kind of talk. 

I did not attempt to use the card, because I assumed it was closed. I didn't want anymore to do with them. 

So NOW COMES XX/XX/XXXX. I ONLY EXPECT THE MINIMUM PAYMENT TO BE Auto-drafted from my checking account. BUT INSTEAD, Barclays has drafted XXXX ( XXXX ) payments totalling almost {$1000.00}. The total amount paid to them was {$980.00} ( and some odd cents ). 

I WAS LIVID, because I couldn't understand HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO JUST RANDOMLY AND UN-AUTHORIZED take that much of my money which I REALLY REALLYNEED for personal use, now, with everything costing so much ; unusually high utilities ; lights, and everything going up. 

IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS : I did not authorize this XX/XX/XXXX, double-payment on XX/XX/XXXX. I DIDN'T DO IT THROUGH MY BANK. WHO DID IT OTHER THAN BARCLAYS? BUT WHAT THEY REALLY DID, WAS injured my ability to survive another month, pay my bills, go to my doctors, eat healthy meals [ I am a XXXX  XXXX XXXX  ], and even do things like take care of my pet, put gas in my car.... and all that kind of stuff. The Took at additional ( almost {$500.00} ) out of my checking account WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. 

THEY HAVEN'T SAID XXXX XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX  ABOUT ANY OF IT. THEY NEVER TOLD ME IF THEY INVESTIGATED ; WHAT WAS THE FINDINGS ; DID THE CARD EVER GET REACTIVATED ; WAS I EXONERATED OR WHAT? CAN YOU IMAGINE HAVING TO ENDURE THIS TYPE OF WORRYING, AND CONCERN WITHOUT THE COURTESY OF ANY kind of RESPONSE FROM THESE UNCOUTH PEOPLE.

I WANT THEM TO REPLACE THE MONEY, THEY TOOK WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, BECAUSE I HAVE ONLY AUTHORIZED ONE ( 1 ) PAYMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF MY MINIMUM PAYMENT.

IF THEY GOT ANY MORE THAN THE MINIMUM [ WHICH I HAVE CONFIRMED WITH MY BANK ], I DEMAND TO KNOW HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? AND WHO AUTHORIZED IT, BECAUSE I DID NOT. THEY NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR MY MONEY. This looks like a repeat of what happened on XX/XX/XXXX. 

I ALSO WANT MY BALANCE TRANSFERRED, BECAUSE I NO LONGER WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THEM.

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