Not upheld: account closure communication, chargeback dispute handling, customer service complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC trading as Tesco Bank

Decision detail

Summary

Mr G complained to Tesco Bank about multiple issues: lack of written account closure confirmation, insufficient explanation of the chargeback dispute process, unwanted telephone calls despite requesting post-only communication, and poor customer service from a complaints agent. The ombudsman dismissed some complaint points as outside jurisdiction or previously considered, and found the remaining points had no merit. The ombudsman concluded that Tesco Bank provided adequate information about account closure, sufficient detail about the chargeback process, and justified the telephone calls due to strict time limits. The complaint was not upheld and no compensation was awarded.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that Mr G was given clear information about account closure expectations via the online form, which adequately managed his expectations. Regarding the chargeback dispute, Tesco Bank provided sufficient information at each stage for Mr G to understand the process and be aware it might not succeed. The telephone calls, while contrary to Mr G's stated preference, were justified by strict chargeback time limits. The claims handler did explain what 'processing it' meant during the calls. The customer service agent's behaviour during the complaint call, while Mr G found it inappropriate, did not warrant compensation as the agent was completing the complaint logging action Mr G had initiated.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website