Dec 14, 2011 -- 12:03AM, TheMaskedAvenger wrote:

Pootle is spot on.I have a major dispute currently with Barclays, a couple of years back I got another account with their stockbroking arm. A few months ago I decided to shut it as I changed to a firm which are much cheaper for transactions and do not charge £18 per year to keep it open.They said to shut it I needed to pay a closure fee of £60. Yes, you read that correctly, SIXTY POUNDS to tell them I no longer want to use them! After lots of arguing with them, it didnt make any difference, I told them my current account (which I had with them for over a quarter of a century) would be shut (by the way, I am their dream customer, regular income, homeowner, been in my job for 15 years, never overdrawn, excellent credit rating blah blah blah) It made not one jot of difference, I got a load of laughable waffle about the "extra administration" needed to close my account (honestly ) So, after transferring all my details to a new one, I made a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman, as I am certain their conduct breaches the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999 as well as the Competition Act of 1998 (it pays to have a decent knowledge of consumer law ) On the 1st Sept, I was told it would be allocated to a caseworker within 12 weeks who would then make a decision. This was about 3 weeks ago, so after phoning up they admitted they had a backlog and could take 4 months or even more.Barclays Stockbrokers are keeping £100 of my money as a minimum balance which they claim they can do to cover any closure charges, so I withdrew just enough to put me £100 overdrawn on my current account, phoned them up and told them what I had done, to deduct one from the other and to close the pair of them.This didn't quite have the desired effect - I was told they could not close the current one unless the balance was zero, however because I had an interest fee and fee free overdraft for many times that sum it wasn't actually going to show as any amount payable! However because there are no other transactions on the account and the overdraft is payable on demand I suspect that very shortly they will request it back.At this point, I will tell them to take it from my other account, and to take me to court if they don't like it. Simmilarly, if the Ombudsman rules against me (I can't honestly see how they can but you never know...) and they ask me for the closure fee and the maintanance fee for the last few months...they can also take me to court and there will be a big splash and loads of bad publicity in the tabloid press....actually Im half hoping that happens, I've always fancied myself as a lawyer, and I'd bet 1.01 that I'd win in court 

Your right there man,Fight the Bastards