Why I cancelled my Barclaycard OnePulse
Posted on Jan 16th by William in Customer service
On impulse I signed up for a Barclaycard OnePulse – the credit card, Oyster and contactless payments all in one. But now I’ve had second thoughts, snipped it up into little pieces and written to Donna Middleton, head of customer services to say why:
Dear DonnaThank you for sending me the innovative Barclay-Oyster card and documentation. I filled out your form on impulse in West Ken tube, but recent events have made me – like many people – more sensitive about personal details, how they used and by whom.
I’ve had second thoughts about your card for two main reasons.
First is that while I’m perfectly happy to pay TfL to travel on the tube I’d rather not share my personal details with them as I go. It has always been possible to buy a tube ticket in relative anonymity. This is still possible with Oystercard but only if you pay cash and don’t register. Having spoken to your phone helpline I’m not happy with the level of information you share with TfL, unnecessarily from my point of view. So I shall continue to use my unregistered Oystercard.
Second, and much more serious in my view, is what I have this week learned about how Barclaycard treats customers who are victims of the growing problem of skimming and phantom cash machine withdrawals. What troubles me is not the fact that such attacks are possible – we all expect new technologies to be fallible. What shocks me is Barclaycard’s attempt to deny any possibility other than the guilt of the defrauded customer.
I simply do not want to place myself at risk of losing money through no fault of my own only to receive the sorts of letters I have now seen Barclaycard send others, accompanied with threatening letters from bailiffs. There is plainly a problem here, and I’m disappointed in how you handle it. I think it’s better we have nothing to do with each other until this problem is recognised, openly admitted to and the processes rectified…
Hanging out with FIPR gives you some scary insights into the world. Cheers Ross!
On numerous occasions I have attempted to cancel my Barclaycard OnePulse Account. My first two letters were ignored, then they sent me a statement with £0.07p outstanding! I contacted Customer Service to ask where this 7p came from (I was kept waiting on the phone for about 20 minutes). In order for me to completely and finally cancel the account I said I would send a 7p cheque (this was cashed). In reply to my question I was reassured this would be the last statement and my account would finally be cancelled. Today, I received yet another statement, this time saying ‘Interest On Your Default Sum Balance Interest 0.982% – New Balance: £0.04p’.
I shall be contacting Donna Middleton to ask the reason why am receiving Monthly Statements showing a few pence as interest charges, when I was informed my account was closed! I’ve never used this account!
what was barclaycards response to these alledged problems?