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Hi all,
I hope you can help an elderly lady.
I am currently in Thailand. As a divorcee and on my own. I am in the South and had plans to attend a retreat in the North at the turn of this new year.
I had flights booked and when I went to take money from the ATM to pay for my accommodation the card would not work. I was told by the bank I must go to a branch to show my ID and get the card unlocked.
I explained I had a flight the next morning, I was without my passport which the accommodation was holding, and that I had pre-paid for the retreat at a cost of almost £1000 which covered my accommodation and food also for the next five weeks. I was given the option of faxing my passport to Barclays, which wasn't really an option at all as there were no fax machines around me at that time of night as it was a desert island, and by the time Barclays opened the next morning it would be too late to get to the airport. Thailand is 6 hours ahead of the UK
I missed that flight, the next day spending several hours finding a fax machine to send off the ID. The day after, having arranged to travel up North via train and bus (money is tight) I called Barclays and spoke to an incredibly rude man who refused to put me through to his Supervisor when I asked and then hung up on me. I called again (spending £5 a minute) and unfortunately ended up speaking to the same rude young man. I explained I had to get my card unlocked, I had no funds, the hotel had my passport, and that I had been told to fax in my passport to do so, and yet still could not use the ATM. He told me that I had been instructed to go to a branch, that he had been told by his Supervisor to tell him and that he did not need to put me through to said Supervisor, and then terminated the call again, but not before I insisted several times his information was wrong and that I had a right to complaint about him to his Supervisor in any case. He also would not give me the name of said Supervisor who told him to tell me to go to a branch, end of story.
I then called Barclays head office only to be told I had no other option than to call the same department that I was complaining about and there was no executive they were answerable to that I could speak to.
I lost out on the yoga retreat place and it cost me £1000.
I repeatedly emailed the CEO of Barclays, explaining my by now perilous situation as I was dangerously low on money, my hotel were threatening to go to the police, and all my funds were in my account.
I had to wait a week for someone to finally get in touch with me. They said, and keep saying, that they cannot call me in Thailand, despite trying, when I have had several calls from family and friends.
I eventually had to get another family member to send me funds to a Thai bank out here, and then snd the money from my online baking to them.
My money I was expecting from elsewhere has now arrived and I am scrimping and living a miserable existence for the remainder of my time here in Thailand. I return home in March.
This is because I have had to pay through the nose for accommodation for five weeks, and for about £300-£400 of call costs. I also lost the cost of the flights.
I have repeatedly told the executive at Barclays about all this and the two people I spoke to did nothing to hurry up dealing with my claim and have offered me £250 despite my being £1700 out of pocket.
I have also told them repeatedly I need them to pay this money so I can live a normal life instead of in hovels and completely and utterly miserable out her.e They have already ruined my holiday. The first holiday I have had in five years.
To make matters worse. their investigation is a joke. They have done nothing about the man who refused to help me, and despite my being told by one of them that the locking of my card was due to a clerical error recording my address, which is why I failed security, so it is their fault, they have now distanced themselves from this (I was told by two different members of staff) and are stating it is not the bank's fault.
I have done my research, I know I can get all call recordings under the Data Protection Act and the Ombudsman is an option. However, I have also read the Ombudsman would offer very low compensation and I intend to hold them fully accountable in Court, not least because they are now completely ignoring me, despite my requesting financial hope sufficient to salvage my trip.
Please help me with my Court claim - what ground do I have to sue them?
Sincerely,
Marie
I hope you can help an elderly lady.
I am currently in Thailand. As a divorcee and on my own. I am in the South and had plans to attend a retreat in the North at the turn of this new year.
I had flights booked and when I went to take money from the ATM to pay for my accommodation the card would not work. I was told by the bank I must go to a branch to show my ID and get the card unlocked.
I explained I had a flight the next morning, I was without my passport which the accommodation was holding, and that I had pre-paid for the retreat at a cost of almost £1000 which covered my accommodation and food also for the next five weeks. I was given the option of faxing my passport to Barclays, which wasn't really an option at all as there were no fax machines around me at that time of night as it was a desert island, and by the time Barclays opened the next morning it would be too late to get to the airport. Thailand is 6 hours ahead of the UK
I missed that flight, the next day spending several hours finding a fax machine to send off the ID. The day after, having arranged to travel up North via train and bus (money is tight) I called Barclays and spoke to an incredibly rude man who refused to put me through to his Supervisor when I asked and then hung up on me. I called again (spending £5 a minute) and unfortunately ended up speaking to the same rude young man. I explained I had to get my card unlocked, I had no funds, the hotel had my passport, and that I had been told to fax in my passport to do so, and yet still could not use the ATM. He told me that I had been instructed to go to a branch, that he had been told by his Supervisor to tell him and that he did not need to put me through to said Supervisor, and then terminated the call again, but not before I insisted several times his information was wrong and that I had a right to complaint about him to his Supervisor in any case. He also would not give me the name of said Supervisor who told him to tell me to go to a branch, end of story.
I then called Barclays head office only to be told I had no other option than to call the same department that I was complaining about and there was no executive they were answerable to that I could speak to.
I lost out on the yoga retreat place and it cost me £1000.
I repeatedly emailed the CEO of Barclays, explaining my by now perilous situation as I was dangerously low on money, my hotel were threatening to go to the police, and all my funds were in my account.
I had to wait a week for someone to finally get in touch with me. They said, and keep saying, that they cannot call me in Thailand, despite trying, when I have had several calls from family and friends.
I eventually had to get another family member to send me funds to a Thai bank out here, and then snd the money from my online baking to them.
My money I was expecting from elsewhere has now arrived and I am scrimping and living a miserable existence for the remainder of my time here in Thailand. I return home in March.
This is because I have had to pay through the nose for accommodation for five weeks, and for about £300-£400 of call costs. I also lost the cost of the flights.
I have repeatedly told the executive at Barclays about all this and the two people I spoke to did nothing to hurry up dealing with my claim and have offered me £250 despite my being £1700 out of pocket.
I have also told them repeatedly I need them to pay this money so I can live a normal life instead of in hovels and completely and utterly miserable out her.e They have already ruined my holiday. The first holiday I have had in five years.
To make matters worse. their investigation is a joke. They have done nothing about the man who refused to help me, and despite my being told by one of them that the locking of my card was due to a clerical error recording my address, which is why I failed security, so it is their fault, they have now distanced themselves from this (I was told by two different members of staff) and are stating it is not the bank's fault.
I have done my research, I know I can get all call recordings under the Data Protection Act and the Ombudsman is an option. However, I have also read the Ombudsman would offer very low compensation and I intend to hold them fully accountable in Court, not least because they are now completely ignoring me, despite my requesting financial hope sufficient to salvage my trip.
Please help me with my Court claim - what ground do I have to sue them?
Sincerely,
Marie
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