Closure of Credit Card Account

1999 take out a Sharkeycard.
2005 thru 2008 on a DMP thru CCCS.
2008 - 2009 paying Sharkeys on an informal AP as I'm working Down Under. So lots of AP markers on my cred files.
2009 back in England; notify bank and 6 months later my direct debit bounces and they don't get paid for 3 months.
During these 3 months Sharkeys are writng to my old address Down Under (they just start doing this for an unknown reason; hitherto they have been writing to my address in this country).
Eventually Mercers (or Merciless in the trade) send a DN to my correct address.
I pay up and avoid a Default.
I set up a direct debit with the bank over the phone which they subsequently don't collect.
Get on-payment chaser letters. So set up yet another DD. This time the bank manages to collect its money. In the meantime Sharkleys plaster my cred files with Late Payments.

Go to FOS, who order bank to remove LPs and pay me compensation.

Right, last week I called Barclaycard and they told me verbally on the 'phone that my account was closed in 2009. Blocked, closed. All up to date on cred files (ie not marked as satisfied) and still getting statements.

WTF is going on? Are the bank obliged to write and tell me the account is closed? Can they be forced to re-open the account? Is this something the FOS can look into?

Or is it the case that they can recall an account when they like, without notification?

My only concern in this - as I don't want or need credit right now anyway - is that they mark the account as satisfied with the CRAs and those AP markers get locked on file for 6 years. Whereas, if the account is curernt and still ongoing, those AP markers will drop off after 3 years.

Thats my concern.

Am wondering if anyone knows what, if anything, can be done about this?

[leclerc]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

If you have been to the FOS before then yes you might look at retaliatory action by then. Yes they should write to you to tell you they have shut the account. Is there another card on the account or was the account details changed?
I think you need to clarify in writing whether the account is open or closed, who closed the account, what the balance was on closure, etc, etc,

[The Debt Star]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

Nattie, there was no other card and the account details have not changed. The bank are refusing to commit anything to writing; a bod at their Directors Office keeps telling me she is investigating the closure but week in week out I hear nothing substantial from them.

Last week I lost my rag and wrote this letter to the bod in the director's office:

Dear Ms Shark

Your Ref: 12345678

I write further in the above.

I think I need to clarify matters as I am becoming increasingly concerned about what is happening. This dispute would seem to be far from concluded.

As I understand matters, Barclaycard closed my account in 2009. Is this correct? Your colleague confirmed this to me on the ‘phone today but nothing has been communicated to me in writing to confirm this.

From the Subject Access Request data I have to hand it appears the account may been closed on the bank’s internal systems as late as April 2009. Again, is this so?

You will appreciate that closing an account during a valid dispute is unlawful. It is also unfair and runs contrary to the findings of the Financial Ombudsman Service’s Full Adjudication, which clearly determined that the bank were in error for the breakdown in communication at the end of 2008. I need not go over the grounds of the dispute again; the Adjudication was quite clear. On this basis the account should not have been closed when it was.

Therefore, unless I am in receipt of written confirmation that the account has been recalled from closure within 10 days of the date of this communication, I will refer this matter back to the Ombudsman and ask him to re-open his file. I feel that adequate time has already been given the bank to look into this.

I am, frankly, disgusted by what has happened. Until the bank started writing to the wrong address I had never missed one of my agreed repayments. Even then, the bank had ample opportunity to investigate my complaint fully and properly and chose not to do so, forcing my hand in going to the Financial Ombudsman.

Yours sincerely,

The Debt Star

[Garlok]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

Hi DS,

Sorry to see you are having just a bit of a problem with Sharkley's Coven. The major problem is that either by design or just sheer incompetence, Sharkley's various departments are ignorant of what is happening in any other. They just do not communicate. Head office does not communicate with their business units, sharleycard isa separate compny and ne'er the twain shall meet unless it suits them like an illegal set-off and so it goes on.

We have even written to the plc head office in Churchill Place direct to CEO. After some toing and froing (letter ping pong) all we got was drivel from sharkleycard "director's office".

We instructed solicitors to deal with it all and Sharkelys (after over 18months now and many many letters to them, their cohorts of DCAs and threat monkey solicitors they are now claiming they do not know of this development.

Our stance is and has been for a long time that that it is deliberate, possibly criminal and that sharkley's as a group consider themselves totally above the law. They have been told both by us and our legal reps in writing to go to court if they think they have a case.

Now they are focussing on an F & F which was signed and sealed by sols six months ago.

Please note they have a new DCA on the block "Credit Style Limited" whose MD is an "ex" sharkleys man claiming they know nothing of the F & F.

Whilst ignorance is no defence at law, I believe that they operate like a terrorist cell in that any part is only allowed to know about its own tiny little sphere of activity and must not know anything at all about the activities of any other.

regards
Garlok

[CleverClogs]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

I believe that they operate like a terrorist cell in that any part is only allowed to know about its own tiny little sphere of activity and must not know anything at all about the activities of any other.

And also, when the UK banks went into melt-down, weren't Sharkley's bailed out by a bunch of A-rabs?

Hell, son, you got yourself a nest of jihadist snakes right in the city of London.

[Garlok]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

Absolutely CC.

regards
Garlok

[The Debt Star]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

You're right. Even when I go all 'Get Carter' on them it makes no or little difference.

And the reason is, as you say, their departments are too disparate and disjointed. You don't know who to gun after.

They are above the law, never mind they think they are. Seedy casino managers the lot.

They need taking down. Black Ops are go!

[Garlok]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

In fact DS the phrase "casino bankers" was coined during the great depression of the twenties and thirties about Joseph Kennedy and his mates using Wall Strreet as their own private casino.

Nothing has changed and now we have a man named Diamond as the CEO of Barclays!

regards
Garlok

[MEGLOS]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

we have a man named Diamond as the CEO of Barclays!

As the old saying goes,

If God had wanted us to bend over, He would have put Diamond on the floor

[The Debt Star]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

Garlok, do you know the identity of Barclaycard's CEO?

[Garlok]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

Hi Debt Star,

When we were dealing with this ourselves it was Anthony Jenkins. That was given out very reluctantly as well. He is named personally in a penal codicil to our wills as well in the light of the criminal allegations we have placed on the table about Barclaycard.

These days he seems to have become the sidekick of casino pit boss Diamond, ref the appearance before the Commons Select Committee.

I don't know for sure now but the last time I looked it was an Asian sounding name. I'll have a root around and if anything comes up I will pass it on.

regards
Garlok

[The Debt Star]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

yeah would be good. Its beginning to sound like the cast list for another Godfather movie.

[Caspar]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

Best I can find is the Managing Director in a list where all other companies list their CEO. He is David Chan and e-mail below if of any use:

david.chan@barclaycard.co.uk

[The Debt Star]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

Right, well, an email will be winding its way to Dave then. Or is that Jackie? He might be a blackbelt, I'd betta be careful.

Master Po: What do you hear?
Caine: I hear the grasshopper.

[Garlok]

Re: Closure of Credit Card Account

If Fred the Shred is anything to go by he could be a no belt at all.

Garlok