Flute_Manhawk

Not sure if exactly the correct place to post, but here goes...
Just received email from Barclays, stating that 'Your Barclaycard will stop working if you don't get back to us by 6 August 2018", and then goes on to say that 'we realise you've had a Barclaycard for some time at your current (non-UK) address. As it's part of our terms and conditions that customers must have a current UK residential address, we're sorry to tell you that your account ill have to close..."
basically, in order to keep the card going, they require proof of UK residency.

assuming this is legit, any thoughts on why now, having used the card recently on Amazon.co.uk, m&s etc. and other uk sites ok, and if so, any way around it?
or even alternative UK cards too

thanks!

scrubbedexpat142

My Wife has just been through this, it is legit (unfortunately).

Siouxie

No friends or relatives in the UK you can use the address of? That's what some do.

Allie73

I went through something similar with HSBC UK, but I didn't have to close the account. They threatened to freeze the account until I sent them proof of my Canadian address, proof of my identity and deal with many people over the phone. I had to get my documents certified by my Canadian bank. I haven't heard anything from them lately, so I assume all is fine. I dread having to call them again to find out. This whole process has been very very annoying.

Snowy560

I had all this with Barclaycard. I managed to hang on to mine but I had to really plead. It was tough and I had to give them a UK address in the end.

J-A-UK

[QUOTE=
assuming this is legit, any thoughts on why now, having used the card recently on Amazon.co.uk, m&s etc. and other uk sites ok, and if so, any way around it?
or even alternative UK cards too
![/QUOTE]

I had to close one Bank Account but have held onto my Halifax account with Canadian Address (No UK Address) - However, I doubt you can transfer and open a new account without a UK address

Snowy560

You'd struggle to open a new UK bank account without a UK address. I managed to hold on to my existing one. I don't have a Barclays account though, only a Barclaycard.

DMajor

Yeah, Barclaycard did the same to us.
I was fortunate in that I still had a property in the UK (just sold it recently) and was able to give that address to continue.

DigitalGhost

They've been moving in this direction for years. I worked for Barclaycard years ago when I was in college and back then even though they allowed clients with foreign addresses, most additional services were secretly closed off to them. As soon as you registered a foreign address on the system, the account was flagged and considered to basically be a liability.

Most people didn't realise until they needed one of those additional services though.

scrubbedexpat142

Welcome to "global" Britain!

DigitalGhost

It's actually partly the EU's fault. Much of it comes from EU money laundering regulations.

A couple of years ago, PayPal demanded to see a copy of my passport due to compliance with EU financial regulations. They were told politely to F.O.

scrubbedexpat142

Tosh! Haven't they heard of Brexit

Actually the real reason is that due to brexit they will find it harder to collect debts.

DigitalGhost

You actually have a solid point there when it comes to EU residents. Not sure what difference that would make regarding Brits in Asia and the Americas though.

scrubbedexpat142

Well, the Brits aren't very good at geography & probably don't know the difference!

DigitalGhost

I think they do. When one of my old friends took a gap year working holiday in Australia but ended up immigrating there, the SLC were very quick to track her down and demand their pound of flesh.