Not upheld: service failure - inadequate explanation of policy change; complaint handling process; characterisation of customer behaviour complaint against Barclays Bank UK Plc

Decision detail

Summary

Mr M complained that Barclays failed to notify him of a policy change preventing cash deposits via ADM using paying in slips, and that he received poor service when querying this change. Barclays acknowledged the service failure, offered alternative banking methods (counter service or debit card), and paid £250 compensation. Mr M continued raising the same complaint repeatedly after receiving final responses, leading Barclays to warn him about his behaviour towards staff. The ombudsman found the compensation fair, had no jurisdiction over policy changes or complaint handling processes, and upheld Barclays' concerns about Mr M's behaviour based on eight staff statements describing it as intimidating and confrontational.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that while Barclays failed to promptly explain the policy change to Mr M, it offered suitable alternative banking methods and paid fair compensation of £250. The ombudsman has no power to direct businesses to change their policies or internal processes - that is a regulatory matter. Regarding Mr M's behaviour, the ombudsman reviewed staff statements and found them credible and not orchestrated, and concluded Barclays was entitled to warn Mr M about his behaviour to protect staff safety. The ombudsman lacked jurisdiction to review complaint handling processes or data subject access requests as these fall outside regulated activities under FCA DISP rules.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website