I’m not even a customer of Barclays in India or anywhere else, but seems like somebody in my wife’s name may be, so she gets repeated harassing phone calls as well as all sorts of threats and wierd "we are not scared of the law" kind of b/s. Some outstanding or some such thing. At first we ignored, but when it started rising to twice a day and more, I came on the scene. These calls come from 011-4500-5900 and are the usual crude Delhi tapori type guys, very brave behind telephones, but pyjama dheelaa when the matter is taken forward.
So I got on their website and this is what happened:-
a) The toll-free number sends complaints of this sort to a security guard who does not know what to do. These numbers are 1800-233-6565 and 6000-7888
b) The "Head of Service" is never available, throughout the day, nor anybody else from the bank. Except a very tired sounding receptionist. This is one S. Narayanan at 022-6719-6575
c) After this I notched up things a little bit, and sent eMails to whatever eMail addresses I could find, as well as to friends in the media, at RBI and with other banks. I also sent eMails to Barclays in London. This took some research on the internet.
d) I then got the mobile number of one of Directors in Barclays, who was in a train headed for Amsterdam, and who took all my details down. By now it is Monday early afternoon
e) About 15minutes later one Ms. Rawat from Barclays/Mumbai called me from 022-6719-6575 and gave me some patronising We Will try To Do Our Best kind of b/s. I told her where to get off and catch a bus.
f) 5 minutes later another lady, name unknown, called me from her direct line which is 022-6719-6598, by now she sounded worried. She said they are not responsible for what their agencies do. I said then why are you calling me. She said I want your wife’s phone number. I said you must be kidding.
g) 5 minutes after this a very worried sounding S. Narayanan called me from his direct line 022-6719-6693 . . . he gave all sorts of assurances and so on and so forth, but nothing tangible like - what is the full name and address of their agency.
Actually it is quite pathetic - these champions who work for foreign banks in India, they start grovelling and begging only after their foreign head offices take their case. This Narayanan would have rolled over and whimpered like a puppy if I had asked him to, he was whining so much.
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Point here is this - to all the reviewers and others who have been hassled by this Barclays Bank, don’t take it lying down. Escalate. To RBI. To the UK/Holland head office. To the media.
Direct consumer action is important. Maybe I will print a few posters and stick them in my car window?