Originally Posted by
Speedbird676
There was a lot of hassle but I finally managed to open the account. I'll tell you my story so you can decide for yourself whether the potential hassle is worth it.
I was in the same situation as you, I have had the Barclaycard Avios Plus since July. I couldn't see an option to apply in the Barclaycard app, so downloaded the Barclays app. Initially I signed in with my Barclaycard, once you're in the app looks identical to the Barclaycard app, but I couldn't find any option to apply for a current account - it was only offering insurance, mortgage and something else which I now forget.
So, I signed out and went down the "I'm new to Barclays" route. Got to what I thought was the end of the application process and got a message saying I couldn't apply in the app and I needed to visit a branch. Call to make an appointment.
I called up and my two closest branches didn't have any appointments until at least January, but my third closest had one on 30th November at 3pm. Cutting it a bit fine, but I accepted the appointment.
Then things started to go wrong.
Later the same day, I could no longer log into the Barclaycard app to service my credit card. Initially I thought it was just a glitch, but it persisted the following morning. I called Barclaycard and got through to someone who was particularly unhelpful and obviously couldn't give a damn. She told me to delete the Barclaycard app and try setting it up from scratch, at which point things got even worse. The app now insisted I needed a Pin Sentry (one of those card reader thingies some banks used 10+ years ago) to complete the registration. I didn't have one and the agent basically told me I had to wait up to 10 days for one to arrive and she had no way to override the system.
The concern I raised at this point was that I use the app to authenticate online transactions. She assured me that I'd be able to receive a one time passcode by SMS to authenticate any transactions, and so the 10 day wait for a Pin Sentry commenced. Later that day, I tried to pay the balance of a BA holiday booking and quelle surprise, I couldn't authenticate the transaction. I ended up having to pay the balance with an alternative card.
I called Barclaycard again and got through to somebody more helpful who tried a few things, but ultimately couldn't get me back into the app. She suggested I visit a branch, where they'd have a Pin Sentry I could use to get back into the app whilst waiting for my own to arrive.
I went into my closest branch the following morning. First helpful guy gave me a Pin Sentry and helped me try to set up the app, but each time it got to the final stage and the app just hung. He then sent me upstairs to see a personal banking "expert". Hats off to him he got me back into the app with a little perseverance and at the same time open my current account, which took three clicks of his mouse from the application he could see pending from the application I'd started in the app.
It turns out the application as a new customer had created a duplicate profile which then caused Barclaycard to lock me out of my existing access to the app. He merged my profiles and assured me all should be well. After a few hours I could see both accounts in the Barclays app and the following day received an email confirming my eligibility for the 100k avios.
90 minutes talking to the call centre and 60 minutes in branch. I have to admit at the point I was locked out of my Barclaycard, couldn't authenticate online transaction and couldn't get it sorted after speaking to two call centre agents I was on the verge of giving up. If it hadn't been for the perseverance of the person in-branch I would no longer be a Barclays or Barclaycard customer.
Similar story to mine!
Barclays and Barclaycard systems have been useless from start to finish - as have 90% of the agents available via chat. 50% of the humans I have spoken to have been fantastic - the other 50% not so much.
It took 3 reissues of the credit card before I finally had one I could use for online purchases (due to their own internal issues with Mastercard ID). The second 'new' card they sent me was the free one (I'm not worried about aesthetics but on calling to confirm it wasn't a mistake they immediately cancelled it and sent me a new one....). All of the cards had the same card number but Barclaycard insisted I needed a new physical card despite the issue clearly being with their back end.
Then onto the bank account - remarkably similar issues to you (including the requirement to attend a branch after the application 'failed'), during the in-branch appointment it was revealed that the sign up process had actually yielded TWO bank accounts - one premier and one standard. Despite the application process failing at the final stage and never informing me I had been successful. No emails or anything to confirm I was even a Barclays account holder - had I have given up there I suspect I may still be none-the-wiser. I'm waiting to see if both accounts had associated credit checks and if so will be asking for the second to be removed from my file.
One thing to note for those looking for an appointment - both online/call centre attempts to book an appointment would have had me waiting two months - in the end I went to a branch where they run a handwritten list and managed to get a face-to-face within 90mins (not sure if I was lucky...) which resolved the miriad issues with the application.
Once the bonus has been paid I think I'll be returning to Monzo for my day-to-day banking - I had forgotten quite how archaic these legacy banks are (which prompted the change to Monzo in the first place) - naievely I had assumed they might have caught up in the intervening years but it seems they are still stuck in the dark ages. I'd blissfully erased the memory of the two/three day "available balance" lag which has no place in 2022. Why the absurd cloak of secrecy waiting for money to clear when the bank know preceisely who's taken the money. Bonkers.
Anyway... chalk me up as another person in the "If it weren't for the 125k Avios" camp.