Partially upheld: poor customer service and communication complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC (trading as Barclaycard)

Decision detail

Summary

Mr R complained that Barclaycard provided poor service after his credit card payment for a connecting flight was declined while he was abroad, and that he experienced disrespectful communication during subsequent telephone interactions. The ombudsman found that the payment decline was a legitimate anti-fraud intervention and not an error, and that the in-app chat unavailability was not a fault as alternative contact methods were provided. However, the ombudsman upheld the complaint in part, finding that Barclaycard's customer service professionals should have better managed the telephone interactions to minimise Mr R's frustration. The ombudsman ordered Barclaycard to pay £150 total compensation, with £50 already offered and an additional £100 to be paid.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that the payment decline was a legitimate anti-fraud intervention and not an error by the bank, despite Mr R's prior notification of travel. The in-app chat unavailability, while inconvenient, was not a fault as an explanatory pop-up message was provided and all account holders were affected equally. However, the ombudsman found that Barclaycard's customer service professionals should have better managed the subsequent telephone interactions to minimise Mr R's frustration, particularly given the difficult moments and misunderstandings that occurred.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website