Not upheld: lending decision and account marker management complaint against Barclays Bank UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr I, a long-standing Barclays customer, was declined loans in 2023 and 2025 and subsequently took a loan elsewhere at a higher rate. He discovered an internal marker on his profile relating to arrears from 2006-2007 and believed this caused the declines. Barclays initially provided incorrect information about the marker but later removed it and offered £100 compensation. The ombudsman found Barclays was entitled to maintain the marker as it accurately reflected previous arrears, no formal applications were submitted to assess, and lenders may change lending policies over time. The complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Barclays was entitled to maintain the internal marker as it accurately reflected arrears from 2006-2007 on a previous account. The marker was internal only and not recorded on Mr I's credit file. No evidence was presented that the marker caused the lending declines in 2023 or 2025, as no formal applications were submitted. Lenders are entitled to change their lending policies and risk parameters over time as commercial decisions. The DSAR confusion resulted from the agent providing instructions rather than formally raising the request, though the instructions were clear.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website