Barclaycard

A question about : Barclaycard

Been with Barclaycard for 2 years now, and they are driving me bananas.

Just for reference, I am 21 years old, Young Business Owner on PAYE income of 25k:

I hold 3 Credit Cards

Mint: 1.5K Credit Limit, 1k Balance on the 0% OFFER.
MBNA: 2.5K Credit Limit, 10.9% flat rate card, no balance.

Now comes to my gripe, Barclaycard 800 quid credit limit!!

And i have been with them the longest of all three, and my credit file is spotless, On the Electoral Role For 2 years, 25k Income, No Defaults, CCJS, Arrears or voluntary agreements, No Late payments. Relatively few credit searches about 15 in the last 2 years over a long span of time.

I pay the account off in full every half a month because I use the credit limit so fast, as it is my spending card. I put more than double my credit card limit through the card every month anyway.

Is crazy, they won't tell me why they are declining me for a raise, except to say it isn't my credit file , I have sent them my reports and information to prove my income, and they have just turned round to me and said try again in 6 months.

Don't want to chuck the card in, because of the benefits, any ideas anybody?

Best answers:

• I also have a gripe on Barclaycard(0% for life deal). I received a credit limit of Ј1250 only compared to other cards - Virgin, MBNA, Egg all gave me Ј3K. However I have now paid up the balance in full and asked to extend my credit limit. THe first service advisor told me I had a very low credit rating and that I should check that out - which I did with Equifax and it came out as Excellent 5 star - so not sure what BC was looking at. I then wrote to them with a copy of the rating but was told I had missed 1 pament so I could not extend my credit limit, but to try again in a few months time. I then asked whether I could transfer another balance but was told that I could not. I am now awaiting their answer. So presently I have a credit card with a limit of Ј1,250 which I want to use for balance transfers only but cannot even do that! ???
• I suggest you make your opinion known by simply taking your business elsewhere. Since you don't care what the rate is if you pay it off in full just use the MBNA card. You could even try asking them for a limit increase as well. If you do move don't forget to let Barclays know exactly why.
• Isobelm - I have had exactly the same problem with Barclaycard.
  I cleared the balance on my Barclaycard so that I could do a balance transfer. When I called to do this they said that my credit rating wasn't good enough. Apparently they look at 2 scores: one in regards to your existing account with Barclaycard and one from the credit reference agencies. Despite having 2 late payments from when I first started the card they said my score with them was excellent and that the problem was with my credit file. I checked both files and have corrected a mistake on my Equifax file. When this was apparent on my credit file I called back and they said no again, due to the same reason.
  They advised me that they get updated files from the credit reference agencies every 3 months, so for me to call back then??
  Very frustrating in that I too have a balance (of Ј3000) to transfer and I can't!
• Thanks Jemma
  At least I dont feel I'm the only one. I have emailed their customer services and will post their reply to me once I've received it. As far as I can see I have no mistakes on my Equifax credit file, however like yourself have one late payment against me. But I cant understand why they wont let you transfer a balance up to your agreed limit.
• I would use the MBNA card, but it doesn't give me a extra years guarantee on the items that I purchase, nor do I earn nectar points. I have accumulated over 15,000 nectar points with the Barclaycard so far, and have 3 different free extended warranties, one on my fridge, one on my digital camera, and one on my tv. Also I have used the price match feature over 6 times in the last 2 years, which is great, I find a computer item I want online, and then buy it in PCWorld, so i get it straight away and then claim back the difference from Barclays.
  I pay the balance off in full every month, so even though it is 17.9% APR, which is also another gripe, they won't reduce it, I get full use of all the benefits.
  I guess they are being tight with me because they aren't making any interest off me, and I am using all the benefits to the max.
  P.S IF YOU SIGN FOR A NEW BARCLAYCARD ON THE NEW 0% OFFER YOU DON'T GET NECTAR POINTS, IN CASE YOU ARE THINKING OF APPLYING ON THIS FACT.
• yup. I opened a Barclaycard to do a bt, the first statement showed a transfer of Ј350.00 against the Ј4,000.00 I requested. I rang and was told new customers were allowed only Ј600.00 credit. I was assured that my credit rating is fine and that it was policy.
  So I went to my existing bank First Direct and asked for their blackcard with a limit of Ј4,000.00. with 0% for 6 months. This was agreed at once. I am the second card holder with their gold card.
  What is it with Barclays??
• I am stunned by all these negative comments about Barclaycard! I have held two Barclaycards for over 5 years and have had nothing but excellent service! My original Barclaycard was issued 5 years ago with an original credit limit of Ј2,000 (so where this nonsense is that new customers get a limit of Ј600 is beyond me!) then I got offered another Barclaycard (Mastercard this time) several months later with another initial credit limit of Ј2000. So, I got Ј4,000 credit limit upon opening my two Barclaycards (Mastercard & Visa)
  Six months ago I phoned barclaycard to ask them to close my Visa account (which was empty at the time) and I was asked why? I explained that I have numerous credit cards, all of which are Platinum and I found that I didn't use the Barclaycard Visa as it wasn't a Platinum one and I found the 'bue colour' unattractive !;D LOL Well, the commotion that followed was funny! I was immediately transferred to an Account Manager who assured me that the only reason I had not been upgraded to 'Platinum' was due to the fact that I had not used my cards in some time. The system had not bothered to upgrade me although as an excellent customer I should have been. Yeah! Yeah! I said, but I still want to close as I have 'far superior' cards elswhere! I then got told both my accounts had been reduced to 11% interest and both been upgraded to Platinum! The credit limits they gave me were unbelieveable!
  So, just because I wanted to close my accounts as I didn't use the cards, and gave the most ridiculous excuse as to why I didn't use them, I got a new fabulous 11% interest rate on both cards, massive credit limit increases and both cards upgraded to Platinum!
  I find Barclaycard fantastic! I have never had any problems with them and just for the record, had 'no intention' of closing my accounts as the benefits are too good! I was seeing what I could get and I got a fabulous deal! If you don't ask, you don't get!
• 11% twice sounds great. It's not as good as 0% they could have given you as a new customer. Try knocking the 11% down to zero or to 6.9% even 2.9 like many other customers get before calling 11% fabulous. Barclays are too tricky for me to even consider applying for any of their products.
  If you do not owe them money and can pay the bill of every month then who cares what the rate is.
  J_B.
• Credit card companies pay me money because I chop and change.
  Capital One are offering a 5.9% variable flat rate (Non introductory).
  It sounds like you are a victim of consumer inertia. This is how financial institutions make their money by offering poor deals to existing customers. This was the gist of Martin's spot on 'Tonight with Trevor McDonald'.
  It is easy to become a victim of consumer inertia as !change is much harder than doing nothing.
  J_B.
• I wanted to transfer my balance from another card to Barclaycard and they said that I could not because of my credit rating. I checked my rating and this was clear. When I tried to complain about being refused they were extremely unhelpful so I decided to cancel my card. When I told them this they tried offering me a balance transfer, however by then I had had enough and told them I was going to cancel my card anyway as I had got another card with 0% on balance transfers. However in your case it may be worth threatening to cancel your card to try and get what you want.