Barclays

[Mickb1969]

Hi, I sort of included this in another thread about capquest but I think it needs one of its own now.

Capquest link here: ---> CapQuest - allaboutFORUMS

Basically, I am crap where finances are concerned. I was shafted by my ex wife and to this day still feel the effects of that (10 years later).

I had some tome off work recently and had a chance to go through my standing orders and DD's properly. A Standing Order for £50 per month payable to Barclays had been running for some time and for the life of me I could not remember what it was supposed to be repaying.
I initially emailed Barclays asking them if they could find what it was for but I got no reply.

Then I wrote to them via recorded delivery and they wrote back saying they needed more information. So I supplied them with my addresses for the last 10 years, name, DOB, the account the money was being paid from and the account (Barclays) it was being paid to. That was returned saying information was missing so I sent it off again with a printout from my bank confirming that I had made around 76 payments to them and the account details as before.

Since that got me nowhere, I sent off a SAR with the £10 fee.
Today I received their latest reply as follows.....

"Dear Mr. B,

MORTGAGE OR LOAN ACCOUNTS

You may be aware that an organisation operating as a claims management company has approached the bank and we are requested to supply certain information concerning the above account types.

Our purpose in writing is to firstly advise that it is not the Bank's practice to supply confidential information to unknown third parties and were are therefore referring this matter directly to you.

Secondly, we regret that we are unable to locate any records in your name. Could you please therefore supply any further details you have about the account - such as the branch sorting code and account number, when it was opened and closed and any documentary evidence supporting existence of the facility within our records - for example an old statement or letter. it would also be helpful to know any previous addresses you may have used.

Once in a position to locate the account, any information that remains available will be supplied directly to you".

I have never to my knowledge had a mortgage or loan with Barclays. I have already supplied them with the information they ask for, or informing them that I do not have it because I have no idea what this payment agreement is for. The claims management company, I assume, is my SAR, since it is that they are replying to.

My question to you, my panel of experts, is what the hell do I do now? They have no idea who I am yet I have paid them £3506 so far for something I have no clue about. I had creditors coming at me from all directions during my divorce so did what I could at the time to avoid bankruptcy.

I have proof from my bank that I have made these payments, the account the money has gone to and the one it has come from. They haven't returned the £10 postal order, nor have they given me any information other than "We have no information".

Confused.com!!

If it was for a debt, at £50 a month it would have been repaid some time ago so I will have overpaid and would like any excess back. If they don't know what it is for, I want it ALL back!!

I look forward to all and any help you can offer.

Mick

Edited & formatted by Niddy 01.07.2011

[pompeyfaith]

Re: Barclays

Mickb1969,

I think you have done more than is needed to try and trace this debt, now providing this is not a county court debt I would stop paying.

I say this because you have tried tracing it and the bank has not come forward with any details.

By stopping it will do one of two things a) the bank will wake up and notify you or b) they will not contact you.

Why should you pay for something that you do not know about that is just paying good money after bad.

Like I say you have kept your side by trying to trace it, and if they come after you you can tell them that and if they respond to your SAR and letters with details of what it is for you will gladly re-commence payment but until they do no more funds will be paid.

Good Luck

Regards

[Mickb1969]

Re: Barclays

It's not about a loan though. I have never had a loan with Barclays. I think it could have been for a credit card but I told them that in an earlier letter.
You need a "Mystery" section

[Mickb1969]

Re: Barclays

Mickb1969,

I think you have done more than is needed to try and trace this debt, now providing this is not a county court debt I would stop paying.

I say this because you have tried tracing it and the bank has not come forward with any details.

By stopping it will do one of two things a) the bank will wake up and notify you or b) they will not contact you.

Why should you pay for something that you do not know about that is just paying good money after bad.

Like I say you have kept your side by trying to trace it, and if they come after you you can tell them that and if they respond to your SAR and letters with details of what it is for you will gladly re-commence payment but until they do no more funds will be paid.

Good Luck

Regards

Thanks Pompey (I live in Stamshaw by the way), but this isn't about letting it go. I honestly believe that whatever it was for has been repaid and overpaid as it was a standing order. I want MY money back off them!
It's amazing that they can't find who I am when I think they owe me money but they soon found me when I owed them!

[diddlydee]

Re: Barclays

Hi Mick.

The sort code and account number may well give a good indication as to what the standing order is for; it is incredible that they have not been able to trace the account from this information? If it is a credit card, you would also presumably have a reference (Barclaycard, for example, often start with 4929 XXXX XXXX XXXX). A sort code might start 25-xx-xx.

That's all I can personally offer to you, as I am not an expert in this field; I'm sure someone else may pop along soon and give you some more advice, but I just thought the above might be a starting point to discovering what the standing order might refer to?

Diddly

If they receive monies and cannot account for them, they are supposed to return the monies back to the sender - so they must know what they are doing with it?

[The Debt Star]

Re: Barclays

Q: Barclays have in-house debt collection agents, such as CDCS etc. Do such agencies collect for non-Barclays' creditors? Might that explain what is happening? Admittedly CDCS are involved in ex-Barclays loans in my case, but they do use Barclays sort codes and account numbers and are ostensibly Barclays but for the fact they appear to be a separate limited company owned by the bank. If they do 'outside' collection work for other organisations as well....?

[Never-In-Doubt]

Reply to Barclays

Mick

I have moved this thread to "Consumer Complaints" which is where it belonged originally. I have also added a link to the Capquest thread and edited your initial post by formatting/tidying it all up a bit.

Ok, so this is a major problem for Barclays - what you ought to do is send the template below off... You need to fill in the blanks of course.

The blanks represent the following:

[element 1] Account Number you are paying the money from
[element 2] Account number you're paying the money into
[element 3] The reference used alongside your standing order
[element 4] The quantity of payments made

You should email this, with a scan of your statement showing the payments made, not least a screen print showing the standing order from your current bank - this will show the actual existence of the account....

Email the top dog, pointless messing around anymore - send it to Bob Diamond as follows: ---> robert.diamond@barclaysplc.com

Best of luck.

Dear Sirs,

Account No: XXXXXXXX

I refer to my letter dated XX/XX/XXXX in which I made a formal request under s.7 Data Protection Act for all data held about me. Imagine then, my horror when I received your letter which, other than being more confusing, is not responding to any of the points raised.

This has gone on long enough now and I am formally giving you 14 days in which to deal with the simple issue as outlined below; the content of your last letter to me (copy attached) went into detail about a claims management company and asking for exactly the same info as I had originally sent in with my s.7 DPA (SAR) Request. I now formally demand that this is looked into and dealt with as a matter of urgency.

Put simply, I have been paying a Standing Order to Barclays for the sum of £50 per month for the last [Enter element 4]. This has been paid from my bank account [Enter element 1] using reference [Enter element 3] into your bank account [Enter element 2]. As you can see, as I've been paying £50 per month for the last XX months, this results in payments totalling £XX which I wish to reclaim in full, especially being you state you cannot locate me yet you're accepting £50 per month using reference [Enter element 3].

I also wish to reclaim the statutory interest rate of 8% per annum, bringing the total owing to £{add up the payments then add 8% to the total}. and expect a cheque for the sum claimed, no later than 14 days from the date of this letter.

Failure to comply will result in more formal action being taken, not discounting legal action for this blatant fraud. You are taking my money every month so please be so kind as to tell me why you're taking it and what it relates to.

As you've also defaulted on my s.7 SAR request I expect you to return my £10 fee, which as you know is only payable upon succesful completion of production of data, something you have already claimed to hold none about. All in all, it is not for me to prove anything to you; I am querying why I am making £50 payments to you and I therefore expect you to use the reference number used against the Standing Order to tell me what this is in relation to because as far as I am concerned I have never held an account, certainly not a 'loan or mortgage' with Barclays.

A formal complaint will be sent to the Financial Ombudsman and Trading Standards unless this matter is given your full attention.

I await your prompt response.

Yours faithfully


Sign digitally

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: Barclays

Email the top dog, pointless messing around anymore - send it to Bob Diamond as follows: ---> robert.diamond@barclaysplc.com

[oscar]

Re: Barclays

Hi Mick.

The sort code and account number may well give a good indication as to what the standing order is for; it is incredible that they have not been able to trace the account from this information? If it is a credit card, you would also presumably have a reference (Barclaycard, for example, often start with 4929 XXXX XXXX XXXX). A sort code might start 25-xx-xx.

All Barclaycard Visas start 4929 Mastercards 5301 (excluding the branded cards like sky) - all current accounts start with the sortcode 20 I believe (it used to be pre printed on the paying in slips at the branch)

[Mickb1969]

Re: Barclays

Haven't sent the email off yet, but have had another letter from a different department telling me that the account I am paying in to belongs to Connaught Collections Ltd.
I guess it's time to harass them then and see what they have to say.
Also, since they have no information on me at Barclays, should I ask for the £10 SAR fee back? I can use it to send to Connaught

Mick

[Never-In-Doubt]

Re: Barclays

Are you paying barclays or Connaught? ie is it Connaught you're paying, into THEIR account?

You're not making sense.

[diddlydee]

Re: Barclays

I read it as the recipient is Connaught Collections; they merely hold their collections account with Barclays Bank.

So whoever he "owes" money to, is using Connaught Collections as the DCA.

On this basis, Barclays have to return your £10, as they have nothing to provide under the SAR; you are not paying them (unless of course Connaught are collecting a debt for Barclays?)

I presume that you thought it was Barclays you were paying money to, simply based on a sort code as the account name and therefore standing order shouldn't be "payable" to Barclays?

[Mickb1969]

Re: Barclays

Sorry, sometimes I am as clear as mud on these things.
Whoever I owed money to must have appointed Connaught to recover it from me.
Connaught must have an account with Barclays which is where I have been making the payments.
I will write to Barclays asking them for my £10 back because they cannot comply with the SAR.
I will also write to Connaught but do I send them a SAR too?

Mick