After a day when my mobile phone bill must have racked up quite a bill we got there in the end.
My day started with calls to Barclays at 9.30 and I was passed from one department to another with each one informing me that I could not transfer my money without either going to a UK branch or writing a letter. Both of which were impossible bearing in mind the timescale I am working to.
As I explained myself over and over again I felt liked was banging my head against a brick wall but still they insisted I could not do it.
Finally my patience gave way and the poor recipient got full blast. After all this was my money, I was hundreds of miles away and by the time the postal system had got to work I would have lost the house. They offered to escalate a complaint.
Trying to speak to someone in authority was an impossibility and trying to get their fraud department to allow debit card payments until the full amount had been paid to Moneycorp also seemed to be an impossibility. “It’s the computer that does it” I was told.
In the end after 3 hours of continuous calls I got told that I should attempt to put the payment through and when it was declined I should phone the fraud department and they would unblock the card and allow it to go through.
Payment one was declined and I spoke to them; try again I was told. Still declined. Try again in half an hour and then in half hour intervals. Hooray one payment went through.
So as I set my timer for half hour at a time I held my breath each time praying that the payment would go through.
Payment two – success, half hour break. Payment three – success – set the timer – and so on until finally at 3 pm the final payment went through!
Then at about 6.45 pm I received a phone call from Barclays complaints department in which they apologised for the problems and the inconvenience and offered to pay my phone bill. As goodwill they credited £25 immediately to go toward the bill and asked me to let them know if it came to any more.
Success finally. The money has left my account and is en route into Moneycorp. Next it will start its journey across to my bank here in Mallorca and should arrive Friday morning.
Phew I know why they used to keep their money under the mattress!
Living In Mallorca 