Not upheld: account closure and service quality complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC

Decision detail

Summary

Mr O complained that Barclays unfairly closed his basic bank account and provided poor service, causing him distress and financial impact. Barclays sent a 62-day notice to close the account but Mr O claimed he did not receive it. Mr O also complained about difficult phone conversations with staff, branch visits, and handling of data subject access requests. The ombudsman found Barclays acted fairly in closing the account in line with regulatory obligations, that the notice letter was properly sent, and that staff provided reasonable support and signposting appropriate to Mr O's vulnerable circumstances. The complaint was not upheld and no remedy was ordered.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Barclays' account review and closure were carried out in line with legal and regulatory obligations under UK financial services regulation. The 62-day notice period complied with account terms and conditions. While Mr O claimed not to receive the closure letter, Barclays provided evidence the letter was correctly addressed and sent. The ombudsman accepted confidential evidence from Barclays regarding the closure decision and found it justified. Regarding service quality, the ombudsman considered the phone calls and branch interactions and found Barclays staff acted professionally and reasonably in providing support and signposting, including directing Mr O to a food bank and contacting emergency services when appropriate given his circumstances.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website