pTeronaut

In '88 I opened an account with Barclays after a bad situation with an overdraft with the then Midlands Bank, an account which I have kept open despite being ~4,000 miles away from my nearest branch.

All has been well, until last year, when my debit card expired. Because I haven't used it enough ( ~2 times since july 08, but the zero times between feb 03 & june 08 didn't seem to bother them), they chose not to renew it. And for me to get a new one, I will have to go to a branch and fill out an application for a new one.

Fine, if I have to go to a branch while I am vacationing in the UK this October it will be to close the account. Or shall I just draw out the remaining balance and leave it empty ? (I have an agreed overdraft, so they may keep the account open for a while)

I think that it is stupid for a bank to not renew a debit card on the grounds of lack of use as it only costs them pennies to press and program the replacement.

Now that I don't have a means of storing my vacation spending money in the UK, and now am prone to fluctuation exchange rates, and my local bank's fees, aside from travelers checks, are they any other means to move money to the UK and have convenient plastic access to it?

avanutria

Change to Nationwide; they've been great.

N1cky

If you have only used it twice since 2003 what does it matter that they have closed it?

pTeronaut

They haven't closed the account, they have ceased to automatically issue debit cards. Besides in the two weeks in '08 it was in constant daily use.

Because it is convenient to transfer money to that account paying a one time transaction fee and fixing the money at one exchange rate, enabling one to more accurately monitor ones spending a foreign currency.

N1cky

You have done this how many times? once in 7 years, so a quick calc shows you have used your debit card 14 days out of 2,555.

It's hardly going to be a huge inconvenience for you is it?

tonrob

Or, more to the point, it's hardly profitable business for the bank.

N1cky

No, but we don't really care about that do we

tonrob

Don't care about their fortunes, for sure, but can understand their actions though. It's not like they're trying to keep a loyal customer.

N1cky

Totally agree

pTeronaut

But they'll happily rake the interest off of the money that is still in that account.

And now, they are effectively denying me access to it. After all, who in the US will accept a cheque from a UK bank, or who in the UK will easily accept a cheque without a cheque guarantee card?

N1cky

All valid points if you were using the card, but you aren't

tonrob

Who, in the UK, pays by cheque any more anyway?

If you have significant funds invested with them then you might have legitimate grounds for complaint. If so, go for it. If it's just beer tokens then I think not so much. I think 'denying you access to your money' is dramatizing the situation, somewhat.

pTeronaut

I would have used it last year, if that had sent me one, I would have been using it this year also.

anne55

My husband and I opened an account in late 2008 with Barclays a current account without all the bells and whistles. Anyway we were staying in the UK for an extended period of time we ended up being there for 18months, We were not asked when we opened the account if we would be staying indefinitely I think that the girl we were dealing with just presumed that we were?

Whilst in the foyer of Barclays one day I overheard a conversation between a man and one of the Barclays employee's about opening an account.
He told her he did not permanently reside in the UK but wanted to open an account so he could transfer money for when he was visiting the UK she told him he could not open an account if he was not residing there.

Maybe you know something I dont about the rulesif you are even entitled to have an account? I am just hoping now that when ours come due for renewal we dont have the same problem you have. I dont know for sure when our next visit will be, but I do use it often to purchase from Amazon UK and some other on line stores for things for my family. Hopefully that will cover the usage of the debit card.

Bob

Doesn't matter, they've still got his money.

They should have closed the account and sent him the money or put up and kept service.