Bankers
Posted on Sep 05 2006 | Tagged as: Barclays are useless
Having “worked” in the Welsh Assembly for six months, I’d really started to buy into the notion that the State is especially incapable of organisation. Between one person replying to an email whose subject header contained the words “Free Event” to ask how much the event cost, and another replying to an email stating that the correct version of a particular document was attached to ask which was the correct version of that particular document, perhaps I had good reason.
But then there’s the businesses.
Acorn Recruitment is only marginally more competent than the Job Centre; they physically can’t process a half-day holiday, and once lost a timesheet that I’d actually taken to the office and handed to them.
Despite Andy and I having lived in our flat for two months, Keylet still haven’t given him a front door key, or either of us a key for the mailbox outside. Lucky for us, it’s stuffed full of takeaway flyers and the postman has to put everything in the main letterbox.
I assumed it was wise, therefore, to just not trust any company with the word ‘agency’ in their name or description of what they do (recruitment ~, letting ~). Now there’s Barclay’s Bank, too.
Applying for a Career Development Loan is like pulling teeth. Actually, it’s worse: it’s like pulling Excalibur out of that rock, and I’m clearly not King Arthur. The first bit was easy - apply over the phone, give them a load of details. (Had to pay for the call though - clearly a racket with the phone companies. Maybe Gibson should direct his ire at BT…)
Now they need to verify my identity: they need a utility bill and phone bill with my home address and name on. Oddly enough, the electric and phone at my parents’ address aren’t registered in my name - so I don’t have them, and I’m a bit stuck. On the phone trying to explain this to them was possibly the most pointless thing I’ve done ever - were it not for the accent I swear the guy I spoke to would’ve failed the Turing test.
The worst part? I’ve banked with Barclays for five years - they know perfectly well who I am. Un-necessary bureaucracy isn’t the sole preserve of public services.
on 05 Sep 2006 at 3:40 pm 1 Coffee Lover said …
Did they accept the utility bill I sent through where Swalec had spelt your name wrong? I know I called Swalec once, to get them to change it, but they said they’d have to open a new account, despite the fact you were one and the same person and it was their fault. (You’d honestly assume Mr. White was a white unless told otherwise. Or at least I would).
Not as bad as BT though. Old housemate Sam’s surname was Hughes, which should be even more straightforward than your name. First time around they spelt it Huges. Upon ringing them, they promptly changed her name to Heghe. The first I can kind of understand if the person was incredibly dim and a bad speller. The second is beyond belief.
on 06 Sep 2006 at 12:01 pm 2 Christopher White said …
No, and I think it was because it’s not for my home address, though what they actually said was that it’s not in my name. I pointed out that it is in my name, it’s just spelt wrong. This prompted silence from the robot on the other end of the phone.
Could be worse. My Dad once got a bill or something addressed to Mr Shite.
on 09 Sep 2006 at 5:21 pm 3 Cat said …
Hahaha Mr Shite, s’funny.
The Barclays business baffles even me, who’s been busy teeth pulling for nearly two months. Can’t you just take their bank statement back to them as proof? They accept every other banks’ statement, why not their own.
on 15 Sep 2006 at 12:16 pm 4 Andy said …
You want to bank with the Equitorial New Guinea Miltary Coup bank, I find them most helpful. Also when you ring up you get to speak to a knight of the realm. Bonus.