Thread: barclaycard won't let the full balance be paid?

Not heard this one before - a person I know has been chased for months due to late payments and being over the limit etc, meaning late payments and default fees being added monthly, and the person not being able to pay off enough each month to get it back under control.

That was until today, due to financial circumstances suddenly making it possible. She phoned Barclaycard to pay off the full amount, and was told that she can only pay the minimum payment, and has to wait 48 hours before paying the rest off?

This has to be BS, surely? A way to make money from the interest, or another bill? I think the bill she just got was dated 27th August, so I'm guessing this 48 hour period enables them to charge her some more next month even after she's "paid the full balance" and intends to cut up the card?

I want to double check this, because if I can confirm it's a con and no reason why they can't accept a full payment, then I'll threaten the call centre staff with a letter to the Financial Ombudsman or something and demand to speak to their supervisor.

Don't know, but I do know she paid the "minimum payment" and waited till tuesday, as per the call centre's suggestion, where she has now been told, she can't make any further payments until the 10th!

She then asked why, and they said "because that's how we work", and so she said, "so in the meantime you continue to charge me interest on the remaining balance?" and they confirmed that.

She then asked if she can just go to the bank and pay and they said, "yes".

So why are they such stubborn stupid b*****ds that won't let her pay it over the phone, and surely the bad advice to "wait till tuesday" has cost her more interest?

Just a shame she didn't take names down so that she could make a formal complaint.

On the bright side, I've encouraged her to reclaim all the charges they've added to her account over the years, so she should be due some money back from them eventually.