Partially upheld: Card / payment disputes complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC trading as Barclays
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-6431786 of 2026-06-23T00:00:00+00:00. Card / payment disputes complaint against Barclays Bank UK PLC trading as Barclays. Outcome: Partially upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-6431786 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-06-23T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | Barclays Bank UK PLC trading as Barclays |
| Product | Current account |
| Claim type | Card / payment disputes |
| Outcome | Partially upheld |
| Remedy | Barclays required to pay total compensation of £350 to Miss L for distress and inconvenience caused by customer service failings. If Barclays has already paid the initial £200 offer, it can deduct this from the outstanding amount. |
Summary
Miss L complained that Barclays failed to adequately handle her dispute with merchant X over £11,960 in payments for boiler and heating system work that she claimed was defective and caused property damage. She also complained about poor customer service, including communication failures, missed response deadlines, failure to accommodate her communication needs, and incorrect information about document scanning. Barclays raised chargebacks under the appropriate reason code but both were defended and unsuccessful. The ombudsman found Barclays' chargeback handling was reasonable under VISA scheme rules, but upheld the complaint regarding customer service failings, increasing compensation from £200 to £350.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that while Barclays raised the appropriate chargeback reason code and the merchant's defence was detailed and responsive to key matters, Barclays made clear failings in customer service. These included communication errors, missed deadlines, failure to accommodate communication needs, and providing incorrect information about document scanning. The ombudsman determined that chargebacks are decided on card scheme rules rather than the merits of the underlying dispute, and that Barclays had done everything reasonably expected in handling the chargeback process. However, the service failures warranted compensation for distress and inconvenience.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| Barclays Bank UK PLC trading as Barclays, all decisions | 4 | 12% |
| Card / payment disputes, all decisions | 14,309 | 19% |
| Current account, all decisions | 52,014 | 19% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website