Barclays PIN Sentry customer service is a massive FAIL
This is a follow up to my previous rant about Barclays bank customer service.
I ordered my Barclays PIN Sentry card reader over a month ago so I could continue to use my online banking facility. The PIN Sentry card reader it yet to turn up, and Barclays have locked me out of online banking until this turns up. Nice one.
They gave me a special phone number to call, for the PIN Sentry help desk in India or something. Great.
So I call this number, hold for 15 minutes, then get to speak to someone who asks me half a dozen security questions - one of which the lady on the phone claims I got wrong. I know what it was - my mobile phone number - which has changed since I joined Barclays 10 years ago. Well, having realised my error in being honest, I offered to tell her what my old phone number was and correct this error. She refused to let on what question I got wrong (as if my date of birth or mothers maiden name might have changed), she wouldn’t let me tell her the correct answer, and locked me out of further correspondence with Barclays telephone support.
I now have to visit a branch to prove who I claim to be so I can continue to use services which previously worked fine, but they forced me to change - and then failed to process the change. I never actually wanted this PIN Sentry thing.
Barclays if your reading this your customer service fails harder than Northern Rocks balance sheet. You’re going to get dumped. First Direct will offer me £100 to go join them.
Posted in Uncategorized
February 2nd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Thats a total farce. These barclays pin machines have started turning up on desks at work revealing the barclays customers amoungst us. Its gonna make life difficult for all if other banks follow barclays lead, but if enough folk bugger off to different banks then maybe itll put a stop to it.
I had my details stolen before, bank called me when someone tried to pay off a £650 Sky bill. Had to chop my card up and all that but looking back Id rather go through the hassle of not having a card for a week or two than permanatly have to use some pin machine every time I want a dominos.
February 7th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
god your a very sad person if you have nothing better to do in your life than create blogs to moan about banks
February 7th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
If your bank pissed you about I bet you’d just roll over and take it. Typically British, no wonder this country is a joke. Get some balls and stand up for youself.
March 3rd, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Wow! I guess when Barclays was the first ever bank to introduce the cash point machine there was people like you who slated it but grow up boys its the 21st century. Just because you are too stupid to get it!
And if you think this country is a joke then why don’t you do us all a favour and leave! the grass always seems greener on the other side, plus one of those third world countries who deal in sheep and cow swapping as payment might be more your style (getting back to basics and all that).
March 3rd, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Unfortunately, I am finding myself now in a similar situation as the author of the first note. Waited for a week to receive PINSentry reader (which I didn’t chose to use/get), followed instructions only to be logged out, called support line (guy on the other side of the world couldn’t hear me so ended the call), called another line (chap asked me all the security questions, got me on the login website and when it didn’t work told me I could speak tomorrow to a specialist team between the hours of 8am-8pm). I am now unable to access my BARCLAYS online banking which already has been the most user unfriendly online banking system. I am not only fuming because I can not view my account and make necessary transactions but because this is more and more the way customer service is conducted by large scale profit-making businesses. I guess it’s time to say goodbye to Barclays. Has anybody else had similar experiences with this damn pin reader?
April 15th, 2008 at 7:38 am
We spent 3 months and 2 days establishing a Pin for online banking only to find that they were giving the wrong membership number for a company account to the incorrect party (not hard to work out really). The fact is and I’m not a racist person but they do not understand English fluent (merely pigeon English) we eventually demanded service in the UK from their dedicated business team (we were told this was not possible 8 times), we have 2 accounts with them with over £500K in credit balances and a parallel B of Scotland bank account to switch if we need to - it’s that bad - one more problem and were gone.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
DISASTER - DISASTER - DISASTER - The guy ought to be hung out and dried, who would think that it was a good idea to piss off so many customers who now have the inconvenience of carrying around a ruddey huge great calculator in their pocke so they can acess their money on line!!!
My latest incident in the trail of disaster is I have just wasted 4 hours of my life calling online banking support in India, who cant fix my PINsentry login problem - FIVE TIMES!!! - I can acess my account saying I dont have the dammed Pinsentry Calculator but, try with it and it spits a 1100 error and says I cant log in!!
I Think they are having a meltdown with this Thing and I suggest you all jump ship.
April 17th, 2008 at 9:46 am
IMPORTANT!
I was sick of Barclays imposing a pin century on me and complained a number of times to no avail. In the end I wrote to complain saying I was about to close my account. I then got a call from my manager and I explained that no other bank I bank with treated me like a child and the whole purpose of having an online account was so I could access my account when and where I chose and NOT have to have my card and a stupid Century with me. I said I wanted to close all my accounts. . .
They phoned me back in one hour and told me the pin century device had been lifted from my account! Got my new pass code in the post this morning and I am now back to normal online banking.
PIN CENTURY CAN BE REMOVED FROM YOUR ACCOUNT - JUST THREATEN THEM WITH CLOSING YOUR ACCOUNT!
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:44 pm
>I Think they are having a meltdown with this Thing and I suggest you all jump ship.
Just thought I’d post a positive comment…
I received my PIN sentry, I used it with my card and it works fine..
This should be the norm? To jump ship seems a little harsh for what should be
an increase in security?
Owen
May 27th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
The pin sentry is quite a unique bitof kit. regardless of the size ( to wwhich i agree is quite on the humongous side) It does what its job is supposed to do. To reduce fraud. As long as you read the instruction you are fine. The instructions are really that SIMPLE…
1) Put card into machine
2) Press identify
3) the one most people forget to do .. is on the WEBSITE itself.. make sure you type in the LAST FOUR DIGITS of your card… (yes the ones that are revealed even after entering your card into the machine!
4)Enter your PIN number in the pin sentry machine (if you’ve forgotten or lost your pin you’re buggered)
5)Enter the 8 digit number on the WEBSITE..
Following this it allows you to log on. You AREN’T forced to use pin sentry. So rather than jumping down the banks throats try to figure out why they are doing this. FOR YOUR SAFETY. Card fraud still happens… and why?.. well mostly cause people are too afraid to change their own old school method of banking..
Hope this helped
June 12th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
You are forced to use it unless you kick up a massive fuss and get it removed.
I agree it is simple to use, but a complete pain in the arse to have to carry the stupid thing around every time you want to log into online banking.
In no way is this remotely compareable to the introduction of cash points which actully make life easier not harder.
August 9th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Rimsky went the dazzlingly buy cytotec then announced held.
August 15th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
Not so sure whether this PIN Sentry thing is safe. I take mine to work and if anyone lifts my jacket with my card and Sentry in it (while I’m at lunch say) then they have free access to my bank account and I can’t prove that it wasn’t me who made the transaction. At least before I had a secret password.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:39 am
STUPID. online security is already better than telephone banking. and for telephone banking you dont need a pin sentry. i was given no notice about the pin sentry so now i cant make payments. and i live in China so it’s a nightmare getting it.
Does it not invalidate the WHOLE POINT of online banking? i.e. that you can do anything anywhere.
I recommend everyone do what I’ve done:
1) Write in to complain
2) Move to a different bank. F**K barclays.
j
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Applied for Pin Sentry a couple of weeks ago as it seems you can no longer transfer money out of an account of do anything useful online unless you do. Although the card reader thing turned up, I didn’t receive the new bank card that would work with the Pin Sentry system. Phoned them to see what had happened and it turns out that, as there had been some fraud detected on the Pin Sentry system and they were now being ultra cautious, the new card hadn’t actually been sent and I would have to go to a branch and apply for the upgraded card in person. It would have been nice if someone had actually let me know about this and I hadn’t had to spend 5-10 minutes being passed around their (pretty awful) customer service system to find out.
September 29th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
This Pinsentry is a completely wast of time. I have tried a number of times to login without success. I visited my local branch and they only tried to pass the buck to online banking. In fact the young lady was quite unfamiliar with that device and was only able to say contact online banking. I will be backl in my branch later to complain
September 30th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
I spent two months trying to move my business banking from HSBC to Barclays (chose them carefully). After a month of terrible access problems and slow to load web pages I was just getting used to Barclays online banking when this heap of shit hit my desk. HELLO??? I’m online anywhere and dont want to carry this around!!! I will make one effort of having this system removed or I’ll be off to First Direct too.
Security should be applauded, but Barclays…why didn’t you make this optional? What a huge mistake!
What next…”Bank Manager In My Pocket (c)”?
October 24th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I have only just discovered this horror. Tried today to add a new payee to my banking only to be told I could not do it without one of these machines. Trawled the website till I was dizzy which told me all about how it works - but not how to get one even if I think I do. I have another account with IF perhaps I’ll go there.
November 7th, 2008 at 1:31 am
Was with the Woolwich, having moved from Barclays after dreadful service and super-rude staff. Barclays then bought the Woolwich - sob. Card Sentry. What a load of shite. Don’t want this rubbish bit of complexity, didn’t ask for it, don’t need it.
Have just briefed my financial advisor to move my mortgage (and bank account) elsewhere. Jackie - your chippy little blog indicates you’re winding us up or (worse) you work for Barclays. As for leaving this busted country - too right girl. Master Plan is to emigrate just before the hideous disaster that will be the 2012 Olympics. Aren’t Barclays a major sponsor?!?! We’re doomed.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
I have pin sentry as does my partner. It is working with no problem whatsoever
November 12th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
am throwing in the towel. moving to hsbc. tired of this pin sentry crap. Technology that makes peoples lives harder is unjust!
November 17th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
I want to know why my pin senrty has stopped working.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:17 pm
After almost 30 years with Barclays, this pin sentry nonsense is the final straw and shall be moving bank asap. Their customer service is worse than John Sargents quick step.Just spent 20 depressing minutes speaking to some clown in an office god knows where,trying to resolve what should have been a straightforward query. Calling from France and having been kept on hold for 10 minutes, I requested that perhaps someone could call me back once the information was available.Oh that’s not possible sir is what I think he said but not exactly sure. In the end put the phone down in sheer frustration.
Barclays, you really are the biggest set of incompetent morons I’ve ever had the misfortune of dealing with.
Phew, rant over
Good day
December 7th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Jesus, Im 75 and find it a doddle to use….
Im all for more security..
December 11th, 2008 at 10:12 am
It sounds like an over-reaction. Yes you’ve been inconvenienced, but thats the price of security. It is their fault they had an old number for you, which should have been updated if you notified you. If you didn’t notify them I don’t have any sympathy. (you don’t say if you’d told them or not).
December 12th, 2008 at 1:42 am
Well I have read this whole blog and 80% of you just sound like a bunch of muppets. Do any of you not understand how much of a high risk there is of your bank accounts being hacked these days ? It can be done a number of ways. One of which is by e-mail (hence the reason why I just found this site), because i just had a fake e-mail from Barclays asking me to log in etc.. and confirm details. Im a clever lad
so I know better, but the vast amount of people out there would honestly think “Oh this is barclays, I better do it now”. This would result in them giving all their information and having money stolen from them and it would not be their fault at all.
Now this PINSENTRY business is fab. Its provides a new unique code everytime & you cannot get a code unless you type your PIN in first (because I noticed someone said that if someone picked up his coat and found his card and PINSENTRY together then they could get on his online bank)… eh no, PIN Number (which only YOU should know) !!! Further more, even IF someone did manage to hack into your account, the most they could do is transfer within YOUR barclay accounts or send money to payees that are already set up or just look at your balances. This is because everytime you want to make a new payment to someone, you need the PINSENTRY device in order to set up the payee before the payment is made. So if Mr Robber tried to help himself to your money, he may be able to find out your balance, but would not be able to get it from your account.
You all need to pull yourselves together. I am the first person to complain (and boy can I complain) about bad service etc .. but we are now in the 21st with millions and millions being stolen from UK banks every year so I think this is brill.
I understand its not amazingly convenient, but weigh up the pros on cons ? I would rather that bit of inconvenience for the piece of mind that no theiving git will get into my account.
One last thing I will say is directed to the stupid guy who suggests to complain like mad so that you can have the security reverted back to the old way … OK, yes Barclays should be able to give you the option freely, but if you do choose to NOT use PINSENTRY, then you forfit any right to try and claim money off barclays when someone hacks into your account and steals it. Barclays are trying their best to implement bigger and better security measures and if your life is so busy and important that you cant spend an extra few seconds to go through more strict security, then its totally your own fault and you should be out of pocket.
January 14th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I am a new customer in Barclays and I started from problems with customer service, no PIN for visa card, online banking blocked for more than month, 5 calls to India without results 2 calls to specialized team in UK no effect. Finally I collected PINsentry form my branch directly they borrow me one until I will receive one by post.
SECURITY OK but there are another ways to use one-time unique-code, I have another account in bank in Europe and they send me an SMS with authorization code for each operation, Of course I have registered before my mobile phone number. If you do not have mobile you can have a list of 50 unique codes in paper version to authorized the operations on your account All this in addition to normal user name and password login system.
Anyway Barclays should provide more options. I always have a mobile with me but I don’t wont to take this pinsentry.
January 25th, 2009 at 2:17 am
I have no problem with PINsentry, works fine. It’s just Barclays that’s S**TE!
February 5th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
My Pinsentry works fine apart from taking much longer to log in than previous and having to carry a lump with you at all times. If you sit at home all day with it in a drawer than it won’t be an issue. I need to have more flexibility than it offers so i will be changing bank, I hear that HSBC use a keyfob number generator which will be much easier to carry around.
It is a very inelegant pseudo-solution to a serious issue. It has already been hacked and does not protect the user 100% (nothing could). Internet banking fraud is still tiny in comparison to conventional identity theft fraud. Knowing how to protect yourself online(beware phishing emails, use antivirus, antispyware and firewall etc) and offline (shred bloody everything).
Anyway I’ve had enough of Barclays and will be moving to another bank even though I’ve been wth them for 15 years.
February 9th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Got my Pinsentry the other week - Its easy enough to use and the theory makes sense, but numerous times I’ve tried to log on and after putting my pin number in the code it give me is incorrect, even though I know I typed it in correctly, so I try again…same thing. In the end I get locked out. Ring the helpline. An Indian does some security checks, puts me through to another Indian, who then puts me through to an English woman who did more checks and confirmed I would be back on in 10 mins. Why didnt they just put me through to her in the first place?!
I dont know if its a problem with the pinsentry device or the site itself, but something cant be right if its saying the login code is incorrect all the time.
February 17th, 2009 at 3:18 am
Got a pinsentry a year ago, didn’t work from the outset. Eventually got Barclays to revert to old system, worked fine till this week. They have now blocked all payments until I get a new pinsentry, which probably will still not work. being in Canada it’s an absolute pain to phone uk and try and get someone who can actually understand and not merely reply from set Q/A. Eventually had to write to Manager of customer services to get something done, but now all unravelled again!
April 6th, 2009 at 8:12 am
I suddenly found myself being asked to use the PINsentry system when I didnt have the device. I thought the Nationwide version looked similar, used it as instructed and it worked fine. I dont have a problem with carrying the device with me nor using the system in general. However, a problem may arise when these devices become common place. A criminal could use the device as confirmation of a victims pin number without having to use the ATM because the ATM would only allow 3 wrong numbers and the card is kept by the ATM. In this case, a criminal can mug a person and demand their pin number and you can enter as many wrong numbers as they like, not good for the victim is being threatened with a slap on each wrong number.
I do think the bank will go down the biometric route in years to come either by fingerprint or iris detection (similar to some airport devices) in conjunction with a pin code.
I have been with Barclays now for 25yrs and to be honest, I have only ever had 1 real problem when using a branch transferring money but nothing, including PINsentry would warrant a change of bank
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 pm
With sympathy to all of you that has had problems, I found pin sentry easy to use and trouble free. You can also log in to Barclays website without it as I had to one night. I never take my sentry out of the house-why would you need to unless, I suppose, you do your online banking on your pc at work. Other than that, if you’re in town, go to your local branch or Post Office. They let you have cash on your Barclays visa. Phil- 15/8/08 @ 7.31pm If you leave your pin sentry and visa card together, unattended in your jacket, you can’t really moan, mate, if someone lifts it! Also, the scum-bag that nicks it will only be able to access your account if you’ve left your pin number with it. He would have to spend some time trying to guess your pin and keep trying it in the reader by which time, you would have found it missing and phoned the Punjab to report it stolen. I have to say that I’ve been with Barclays for nearly 26 years and they’ve always been good to me. Nat West and Midland both ripped me off big time and I would never go back to them or whatever they’ve now become. Hope things improve for all of you with bad experiences and things get much worse for the gob-shite called Jackie 3/3/08. (Try using spelling and grammar check, dear)
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:26 pm
grow up u bunch of idiots! its too bulky, right so ur not going to be carrying round a laptop to sit in star bucks and check ur bank balance, or a briefcase with all your other crap in. it works fine you just need to understand it!
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Hi all, I actually work for Barclays and I think that the PINsentry is a brilliant idea. At first it may seem a little strange/annoying to carry around what looks like a little calculator all of the time, however the amount of online fraud that it has reduced is absolutely staggering.
At the end of the day all of the people that moan about it and say what a bad idea it is are the people that are first to complain when they have been a victim of fraud.
If you worked in the financial sector like I do you would be greatful that you are getting extra little bit of security that actually does what it is meant to do and at no extra cost to yourself. There is a lot of fraud in the UK now and people do not realise it, on the team that I work on about 20% of applications for accounts are fraudulent, however we have to rely on new technology all of the time in order to stay one step ahead of criminals.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:57 pm
To add to my previous note if there is only about 20 of you that are having a problem with the PINsentry out of a few million customers that are using online banking fine every day, I dont know about you but I think that’s pretty damn good.
May 4th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Well said, Mike. As I previously said, I’ve had no problems with this at all or any problems with Barclays. I still can’t understand why anyone would want to carry the pin-sentry around with them. I do all my on-line banking at home and wouldn’t want to do it anywhere else. Certainly not in any public place! It’s a shame there isn’t a device to stop the fraud that’s continually going on in the Houses of Parliament! It’s about time we started dragging them outside and have a few public hangings!
May 16th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I had a very similar problem with the bank - PinSentry wasn’t working so had to phone the helpline for online banking. Eventually got through to a call centre in India and the service was appalling (I’m all for companies outsourcing abroad to save money but not at the expense of quality - I could barely understand the man I was speaking to and surely clarity in oral communication should be a prime factor for this job role!) He told me I had given the wrong answer for my mother’s maiden name, which I damn well hadn’t, and I even repeated it twice and spelled it out saying that the man had obviously misheard me. A trek to the city branch and a long wait later I get told “the cutomer service operator was wrong and this wont happen again sir” - what a load of bollocks it’s obvious Barclays customer service is shocking and they couldn’t give a toss about their customers.
Add to that several overcharging errors and a 2 month wait for an account statement that would be delivered in “5-10 working days”…I’m amazed they have any customers left as they really haven’t got a clue about customer retention.
I’d recommend Halifax or Natwest.
June 18th, 2009 at 10:30 am
Well done Barclays, now people can carry these devices around the streets and mug people for their PIN.
July 25th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Yes Mike online fraud has probably been reduced a lot but not because of the pin sentry, rather because customers cannot access their account so no transactions=no fraud either!
JC
Mike Says:
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Hi all, I actually work for Barclays and I think that the PINsentry is a brilliant idea. At first it may seem a little strange/annoying to carry around what looks like a little calculator all of the time, however the amount of online fraud that it has reduced is absolutely staggering.
August 9th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Hello
I will geting informations about check my mony balance by internet at home. If this work is possible then do not be wit. Please sending to me these information as soon as possible. And i am witing to your informations. Thank you
your costomer Hamid Noori
August 20th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Just thought i’d share another failed customer service story. So i’m on my last attempt in getting my pin no. correct on the Pinsentry card reader. I realise by now that i don’t have the correct pin no. for my card so i ring the wonderful Barclays customer service for help. I prepare to strain my ears in order to understand what the person is saying to me, it didn’t take forever to get though and i answered the questions. When i was asked again what my problem was and again i replied ‘i don’t have the correct card pin no.’ they told me they’d put me on hold while they redirect me to someone who could help. So the next person i speak to tries to understand what i’m saying gets confused and before putting me on hold asks me if i’m having a good day? After about 2 mins on hold he asks me to put my card in the reader and tell him the 8 digit no. that appears. I repeat, i can’t retrieve the 8 digit no. without first typing my 5 digit pin no… which i don’t have! So he asks ‘why did the person you were talking to pass you on to me? Haha i did actually laugh. So while HE demonstrated frustration about this incident he continued to ask me if I was interested in a loan or a platinum credit card! I was as calm as ever and just said No thankyou. He put me on hold again while he sorted out the situation. It got sorted within just under 20 mins and i’m waiting for my pin no to come through the post now. Wish me luck everybody!
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Again problem with the online banking…
October 16th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Well mine works fine and has done since i first got it, and to be fair it is hardly a huge calculator as some dim wit has said. Its jus another change of the ever changing world we live in. I say big up the barclays.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:52 am
On receipt of the new PINsentry machine I couldn’t wait to try it out. It blocked me out. I rang India and after a 5min conversation was told I needed to go to my Bank and get a new PIN number. I queued at Barclays for 10mins; the cashier didn’t really understand PINsentry but said she would arrange for me to have a new PIN number. Three weeks later I received the new PIN number and tried it out. On first attempt the message came up that the new PIN has been blocked. How? Why? I now have to return to Barclays yet again to try to get it sorted out. Will I ever have on-line access to my account? In the meantime I have to keep using telephong banking which lacks the convenience and purpose of on-line banking. Can anyone recommend a different bank that uses efficient on-line banking? Incidentally, my brother and mother have had the same frustrating problems with Barclays PINsentry. The machines just will not accept the PIN numbers.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:22 pm
I HATE PIN SENTRY!! I am so glad you all think the same. It is important to voice opinions about this.
No other bank I know does this - it is not safer and is just getting everyone annoyed.
I am leaving Barclays after 20 years being a banking customer because online banking is such a joke.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:20 am
You all speak rubbish.
It is a safer system then relying on a username and password which someone could easily get your information.
Pin sentry is a great innovation and should not be shunned by you people who jus’t cant use nor keep up with technology.
December 22nd, 2009 at 7:46 am
Barclays pinsentry is a massive joke. I ordered one when i found out i could no longer pay someone online without it, the pinsentry duly arrived but wheni tried to use it it did not recognise my details. I rang the helpline (or not very helpfull line)where i waited in a queue for over half an hour eventually someone checked my details and then discovered i only had a cash card account therefore i am not allowed to use online banking. iexplained that i had been doing online banking for years at which point i was for some strange reason transferred to the business accounts(i dont have a business account)the man at the business helpline could not understand why i has been transferred to him and recommended that i register for telephone banking so once again i was put on hold in a queue for 20 mins eventually someone answered and took my details yet again went through the whole business of registering me and then told me once again that as i only have a cash card account i cannot do telephone banking either. I am unable to upgrade my account due to difficulties i had when i was going through a messy divorce. My local branch of Barclays Bank are actually wonderful but unfortunately at this time I am unable to use it as it was severly damaged in the recent floodings in Cockermouth, I am therefore left with an account that I cannot use at all. Get yourselves sorted Barclays and let those of us who have difficulties have a chance
January 14th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
I would not deal with goodsam barkclay: they charge me $29 service on a $60 balance I tried to communicate on the phone and e-mail they was not interested in what I had to say this is not a good deal for any senior. watch out.
March 1st, 2010 at 8:47 am
Abosultely steaming here; cannot get online for some reason (I know all my details are correct) but have tried unsuccesfully to contact Barclays by phone and 1. have to listen to adverts 2. have to go through serveral gates 3. have had to wait 30 mins to get someone to talk to me 4. have had a the phone PUT DOWN on me twice. Note: I am a middle aged woman and have not been agressive or rude!