Where did it all start

I was asked, why was I so angry with Barclays Bank well I suppose this could set the scene. In 2009 I was involved in a serious industrial accident. In the picture your can see the 120-130Kg object that fell some 4m striking me on the head, shoulder and then bouncing off to finally fall further and nearly break my leg. On the original picture of this you can actually see my face print on the screen. That hit me, it looked like some modern artwork, to folks unable to workout what had happened.

Are Barclays responsible for the accident? No, however their contribution was negative and entirely centred around their own position as I found out later. As you can imagine I was forced to take legal actions, against the people that had effectively tried to kill me. Which proved a massive and complex undertaking, the exhibition stand builder had run off. Never to be seen again. I did hear he some years later he'd started a new compnay soon after and was able to escape prosecution by having added a simple "S" to the new company's name and that made all that perfectly acceptable.

I on the other hand had establish who their insurance where, undergo loads of medical tests, learn to walk, speak and generally be me again, as I suffered a ABI (acquired brain injury) I had to come to terms with PTSD and that I was now a disabled person. Which still isn't something I see myself as, perhaps I'm still in denial about that? The massvie amount of upheavel brought about by that alone. Would have caused enough stress to anyone in the very middle of this whirlwind of activity.

While all this was going on I was in the process to paying down a small overdraft the business had with Barclays Bank. This overdraft was less than 8K as a business we turned over, in the excess of 500K

So for around 8K of exposure to the bank, versus 500K of regular income from us, they chose to pull the plug at a times of their choice...

I explained to barclays bank. I would need to pay some legal fees, medical expenses, there would be a period of turmoil in my opinion which we would weather. At their request I sent pictures of what happened, witness accounts, my medical information (well a summary as it wasn't yet finalised) I did everything I could to, keep Barclays Bank informed and I even stated from what I had been told, my compensation claim would be in the excess of 1 million pounds due to the injuries alone.

I did think all this was going really well, and really never gave it any other thoughts. As I was busy trying to come to terms with the accident. Come to terms that I had to legal actions, deal with physical changes to me and make changes to the business. So it came as a great shock to hear from my wife that a large inbound payment to the company had simply disappeared. To use her words, I was abroad at the time and really didn't have access to the web to confirm what was really going on.

On my return to the UK it became clear, Barclays Bank who inititally held out the hand of help, had withdrawn it as quickly. Had siezed all the money in the account some of which belong to HMRC and closed all my accounts with them. At first I thought this was some sort of mistake and tried in vain to get an explanation. Every question I posed was returned with a you'll need to speak to your business team. Sadly nobody was available.

So we went from having money, doing business, employing people, paying cpntractors to having no way to convert any inbound payments. No access to any money and no access to anyone at Barclays Bank to get an answer.

As I was unable to pay for anything and when I say anything I literally mean I had no account with Barclays, they refused initially to speak with me... After a while they would take my calls but held me to ransom as I had to make payments on our mortgage account, they said thie was routine... once I paid them some money I would then be placed on hold and forgotten about.

So everything took a turn for the worse, I was unable to pay our solicitors, mortgage, which ironically was held at Barclays bank. Food, Fuel, pay the staff, suppliers, HMRC and this damaged the company to a point it had to cease trading...

However this was only the beginning of a nightmare started by Barclays Bank, it took a further 7 years to get to a point where I was finally getting answers.

Unfortunatley the answers I was getting back made little if any sense, Barclays claims to have acted on behalf of the shareholders, to protect it's/ their interest. I did query this and the answers just raised more questions, the closure of my accounts was entirely within the policy of Barclays Bank. Which I pointed out at the time only had one outcome, that was to disadvantage me, I was also told that it was bound to happen bearing in mind my risk profile... I didn't even know what that was. This raised the question if Barclays caused the change to my status, caused this increased risk then surely this was a predictable or planned outcome? Barclays to this day have refused to give me a straight answer on that question.

Most importantly while I tried to get answers from Barclays Bank, the arrears they had caused piled up. So I was facing a legal battle with one of the largest insurance firms on the planet, who employed one of the most effective legals teams availabel to them.... I was left to fight them, an assortment of solicitors and now Barclays Bank. Oh and HMRC was keen to have a word about their money as well.....

All the while I was having a mountain of debt build up behind me from a certain company called Barclays Bank who had abandoned me. Is abandoned to correct term in this instance?

Perhaps a more accurate description should exploited a postion for commercial gain at the cost of a vulnerable person at a very difficult time. ALl this from a Bank that claims high client values and openly states it's the partner for any and all business. Irrespective of size or nature.

At the very worst moment they claimed I owed them around 100K, they would start a legal process to take away our family home, add all the legal costs ontop and that all this was my fault. Afterall I chose them as a bank.... When I offered a counter argument claiming that they had caused this by the unanounced closure of the accounts I was told this was impossible as no such action could be taken without them talking to me first and giving me fair warning of such an action.... and based on the balance of probability that it was my fault.... I know.... I know it's an unlikelystory but sadly it was true then and remains true to date as I've still not had a plausible answer that offers me anything can base the facts that happened on..

This year after many letters from me to gain some answers I finally got back that the Barclays business account was closed under the heading of BDTL (Bad Debt Total Loss) how can this be true when they took all the money..? and retained money that was HMRC's..? and even a small amount that belonged to me?

Anyway the summary of my legal case was such that I was unable to pay our solicitors, our insurance refused to pay out, the companies who caused the accident refused discuss it, disappeared and refused to pay put as did their insurance. Who incidentally where also the business insurance for us. Which suggested a conflict of interests... but let's never get drawn into the how I got screwed out of the 1Million plus compo deal.... cos that's an unlikelystory in it's own right.

I can appreciate the Ironic fact that the same company, was fighting itsself badly I might add, furthermore I can understand why they didn't fancy giving up on a sttlement of over 1 million pounds, cos that's off the profit column and legal expenses well that's another budget...

After 7 years of medical examinations, assorted treatment, I was told to either agree to surgery which could make an entirely bad situation much worse or accept the simple facts be declared disabled with a list of injuries longer than an average gibbons arms.

In the subsequent time Barclays refused to discuss, explain, provide me with evidence of their actions, answers questions about what happened, or how it happened. If this was standard practice, actually they refused to discuss anything. Without me first paying off some of the total debt caused by their hand, only to then be told they didn't like to the idea of discussing it anyway.

The only thing we had from them was we're coming to take your house away.... AN to that ends they sent a heavy set man to scare my wife, he turned up a couple of times, we had a few letters not from the 5,000 storng inhouse legal team... But some from sub contracted firm, which once I spoke with them removed themselves and would no longer send us any letters, as the complaints I had took them out of their assorted brief and comfort zone.

In one of many telephone exchanges between Barlcays Bank and I which are all recorded not just by me, I may have told them to go fuck themselves.... I'm not proud of that outbrust, but I did learn these words at school. I suspect it give the reader a better understanding of my level of education.... I have also used this sort of language when expressing a simple fact. I've had enough.....!

After years and years of bein in business, and never being in any toruble with anyonee. I now fully understood what it means to get on the wrong side of a large organisation that claims to be 100% behind it's customers..... While it throws them under a bus...!

This year is the year that, I reclaim my life and hold this high street bank to account for all the harm they brought to us. Stay tuned as this could become a bumpy ride.... share this thread with your friends, who knows it could proa useful insight in either how or how not deal with a customer complaint.

Finally considering, I'm dyslexic, English is my second language, I have an aquired brain injury, suffered from PTSD for a while, have been hounded by a ruthless high street bank to the edge of the grave. Never having written a blog before I think this isn't a bad effort. It's also cheaper than counselling.... I'm told....