Perseverance pays....

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macliam
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Perseverance pays....

Post by macliam » Wed Aug 19 2020 12:05pm

Earlier this month I bit the bullet and decided I'd fly to Portugal for September. I noticed my Barclaycard was up for renewal whilst I was away, so dropped them an email to ask when the new card would be sent out. I got a reply next day to say it's normally 15 days before renewal and if I didn't receive it by 15 August, to call their 0800 number. Fair enough.

Yesterday, not having received a new card, I called the number they quoted. The automated system was a dog... but finally asked me to state what I wanted. So I said "replacement card". Mistake. It then said "OK, you need lost and stolen cards" and transferred the call, without giving me the chance to object.

The call was picked up somewhere in India by the most lethargic-sounding voice ever. I explained the issue, mentioning the earlier secure email. The agent said I had been passed through to the main Barclays customer service and wittered the usual excuses about Coronavirus causing them to have less staff, blah, blah.... then spent an age going through security questions - 5 in all, before sending a one-time code to my mobile and asking me to quote it!

After this he said "Will you need your card while you're away?", to which I replied that this was the general idea of having a credit card! So he said "OK, I'll mark your card as stolen and get a new one sent out"..... prompting me to ask whether this wouldn't invalidate my current card until the new one arrived. He seemed miffed that I didn't accept his suggestion, but admitted this was true - again asking whether this would be a problem! (I wonder if he actually knows how a credit card works!) Finally, he said that all he could do was give me a direct (payable) number for the Barclaycard team (which is already published on the website. Total waste of time. So, I went back to secure email and, quoting the original email reference, said that I had called the suggested number and got an unhelpful reply. I received a confirmation of receipt a short while afterwards. This morning, I had a follow-up saying that a new card, with a revised end-date had been sent out and should be with me in 2-3 days. Just what was needed.

So why the earlier runaround? The secure email service seems on the ball and helpful, the phone-in service was crap...... and just tried to pass me on to another dead fly, but on a payable number. Shame.
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pabenny
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by pabenny » Wed Aug 19 2020 12:17pm

I loathe dealing with call centres in India. The people are unfailingly polite - albeit long-winded - and with good English. It seems, though, that they have to follow strict scripts which give them no flexibility, no judgement, no discretion.
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by Sarah » Wed Aug 19 2020 12:37pm

Does your Barclaycard charge fees on foreign currency transactions? If so, another option could've been to apply for a card that's cheaper to use abroad...

https://www.which.co.uk/money/credit-ca ... 4qy3g3c0ky
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macliam
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by macliam » Wed Aug 19 2020 3:42pm

I've been travelling to Portugal for years, so I've already got all that tied up.... apart from a Portuguese bank account, I have a Halifax CC (no fees on purchase) and a MetroBank account and debit card (no fees on purchases or withdrawals) ..... the Barclaycard was for use on my return and to give SWMBO her replacement for when she returns to the UK - in Portugal it's just a last-resort standby.
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by BeautifulSunshine » Wed Aug 19 2020 7:32pm

Sarah wrote:
Wed Aug 19 2020 12:37pm
Does your Barclaycard charge fees on foreign currency transactions? If so, another option could've been to apply for a card that's cheaper to use abroad...

https://www.which.co.uk/money/credit-ca ... 4qy3g3c0ky
Portugal is beautiful this time of the year?
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macliam
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by macliam » Wed Aug 19 2020 7:43pm

Portugal is always beautiful, if it is what you like.

The Alentejo is vast and unspoiled, with great food and great wine - and it will now be starting to cool off from the high temperatures of midsummer, but still hot and sunny. The Algarve coast has crystal waters, stunning beaches and more to do (plus more tourists....). All other regions have their plus points, Lisbon and Porto are great cities, with great food and plenty to do... plus neither is far from the coast. There are some parts of Portugal I don't particularly like, but few enough (and I've been practically everywhere). Obviously, the working towns are working towns, so less attractive to the visitor.... but every town has its own specialities, particularly in food.
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by BeautifulSunshine » Thu Aug 20 2020 1:12am

macliam wrote:
Wed Aug 19 2020 7:43pm
Portugal is always beautiful, if it is what you like.

The Alentejo is vast and unspoiled, with great food and great wine - and it will now be starting to cool off from the high temperatures of midsummer, but still hot and sunny. The Algarve coast has crystal waters, stunning beaches and more to do (plus more tourists....). All other regions have their plus points, Lisbon and Porto are great cities, with great food and plenty to do... plus neither is far from the coast. There are some parts of Portugal I don't particularly like, but few enough (and I've been practically everywhere). Obviously, the working towns are working towns, so less attractive to the visitor.... but every town has its own specialities, particularly in food.
The way you describe seems magical. I wouldn't say I'm jealous but yes it is something i want, and want for myself and myself alone.

If you don't mind me asking, you are in magical Portugal by luck, by skill or by hard work?
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macliam
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by macliam » Thu Aug 20 2020 1:27am

A bit of everything.... I married a Portuguese girl 30 years ago and fell in love with the country. I spoke Castillian and French, so picked up enough Portuguese to get by and travelled all over the country, to some amazing places that few tourists would see and met some great people. Then I worked hard enough to allow us to buy a place in the Alentejo, which we both love...... nothing big, but enough for us and with 5 acres of land and far from the madding crowd, paying it off with my retirement lump sum. hey presto!
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by BeautifulSunshine » Thu Aug 20 2020 7:22am

macliam wrote:
Thu Aug 20 2020 1:27am
A bit of everything.... I married a Portuguese girl 30 years ago and fell in love with the country. I spoke Castillian and French, so picked up enough Portuguese to get by and travelled all over the country, to some amazing places that few tourists would see and met some great people. Then I worked hard enough to allow us to buy a place in the Alentejo, which we both love...... nothing big, but enough for us and with 5 acres of land and far from the madding crowd, paying it off with my retirement lump sum. hey presto!
I fell in love with and married a Portuguese girl 30 years ago and fell in love with the country?
Terrific success story your own place in Alentejo and 5 acres of land!

Do you help us mere mortals, be it for a fee, to follow in your footsteps and live a magical lifestyle?

A quick YouTube video is mouthwatering:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwIDGFrkeu0
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Re: Perseverance pays....

Post by blythburgh » Thu Aug 20 2020 8:00am

Cottages.com: Book holiday for May using £30 of Tesco points to get £100 off. Cancelled of course so offer is we can have holiday for next year without fees to them. So ask for same fortnight, same cottage next year. July we get email saying our voucher for no fees holiday next year is running out.

I have sent lots of emails since May. Keep getting the we will get back to you asap but those with holidays about to start are being prioritised.

Yesterday we got confirmation we can have the cottage for the fortnight we want.
Keep smiling because the light at the end of someone's tunnel may be you, Ron Cheneler

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