Contributor ⭐

REPLACING OUR AARP CREDIT CARDS WITH BARCLAY BANK CARDS - SEE POSTSCRIPT WRITTEN 09/21/21 and 09-24

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
September 8, 2021
409 replies
239197 views

Has anyone else been concerned about the closing of our current AARP credit cards and its effect on our credit scores? We've had our VISA for many years and have built a lot of history with them. Now AARP is going to CLOSE those accounts and replace them with a new one that won't have any history. Just closing the account will lower our scores significantly. We, for one, don't want to use the Barclay cards, which offer significantly less rewards, so the total amount of our credit will be reduced, another factor in the building of our credit scores.

What do you think?

POST- Postscript 09-21-21: To head off what I was sure would be a catastrophe, and after looking up references on Barclay, we created a new Chase CC account (on August 12th, received it on the 15th), set up our auto-pay bills, and set up the new account for auto-pay from our bank. We paid off the balance on the old AARP account by 09-08-21, and cashed in all our rewards. Then today, we activated the Barclay account (online) and immediately canceled it (by automated phone call). We're in the process of setting up a second Chase card to compensate for the first CC account lower credit limit. Guess we're lucky to have managed to get through to our Barclay account. Keep trying, folks, and don't hold back on your comments to both companies. They certainly could have done a better job of planning all this. Giving their customers a voice in the choice should have been STEP NUMBER ONE.

AND yet another POSTSCRIPT on 09-24: Today Barlcays was daring enough to send us a 'welcome' email with a reminder to activate our card, to which we replied,

"Thanks, but no thanks!

We didn't, and don't, want your card. We have already activated and immediately cancelled our Barclay cards.

For those poor folks who are, to this day, still trying to activate their card or just talk to a live person at your company, we extend our sympathy. Your company has made what should have been a direct and automated process so overly labor-intensive for so many seniors that you won't soon be forgotten or forgiven.

Shame on AARP for choosing you and shame on you for being so ill-prepared to handle the conversion.

Signed, 'notsoyoung'

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DonaldS147760

Contributor ⭐

AARP dropped the ball on this one. My mom received a letter regarding the transfer to Barclays, and also received a letter from Chase stating she would be transferred to a Freedom Card. Confused, I called Barclays, and after waiting on hold for an hour, I finally spoke to a rep who could not answer any of my questions. In fact the rep rude, and in frustration, I hung up. To date, mom has not received a new card from Barclays. She did, however, receive her Freedom Card from Chase, and all is well.

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LakeishaT901230

Contributor ⭐⭐

AARP Member Benefits Team here to help. We certainly understand your concern regarding the service provided by Barclays. We’d be happy to forward your concern to the Escalation team we work with at Barclays. Please send me a private message in the AARP Online Community by clicking this link and entering my username, “AARPLakeisha” into the “Send to” box https://community.aarp.org/t5/notes/composepage. Please provide the following details in your message:

Your first & last name
AARP membership number (or home address)
Best contact phone number

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate you informing us of your concern. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

D

DonaldS147760

Contributor ⭐

Mom doesn't want the Barclays Card, as the transfer to Chase Freedom was flawless. As the negative messages mount from those unlucky enough to receive a Barclays Card, AARP needs to "escalate" a reversal of it's decision to leave Chase.

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PatriciaR647027

Contributor ⭐⭐

This is beyond ridiculous! Been waiting on the phone, tried multiple times on line to activate the AARP card. Called a different helpline talked to someone with a heavy accent to put me on another loop hold.

After locking the activate for the 3rd time, called that number put on another hold.

When I log into Chase all they have is my address no personal information was retained so that I could get a new card without starting over.

I just want to pay the balance on my card and be done with the AARP credit card.

AARPJanelleM

Community Champion ⭐

@PatriciaR647027 We understand how this can be frustrating for members which is also frustrating for AARP. Unfortunately, Barclays is experiencing an outage that is affecting their activation system and causing extended hold times. We sincerely apologize for this less than ideal situation, please try to contact Barclays again later today or tomorrow for assistance.

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lisaonthegoco

Contributor ⭐⭐

@AARPJanelleM - I appreciate how hard your job is right now - but please understand - your actions need to be directed at Barclays to clean this up - the problems you describe are unacceptable in this day and age and show Barclays blatant disregard for proper system testing and implementation procedures. - Asking members to be patient, tray again, in other words putting the assignment on them to fix a problem not of their own making is really not fare. WE DID NOT MAKE THIS PROBLEM. The team between AARP and Barclays did. We have all tried once, an din some cases many times already - Barclays created the problem, they need to own up to it, and clean it up..

So don't take this all personally - support staff in this type of crisis have a very very though job. Escalate to the leadership team in AARP responsible for this, and to Barclays who need to own up to this %100.

Thanks

W

WayneJ906531

Contributor ⭐

On music-hold for 3+ hours yesterday trying to reach support from AARP/Barclay's/MasterCard for issues caused by the switch from Chase card to Barclay's. Total mismanagement by all parties. Suggest AARP Members complain to the press/news media to get visibility so resources are allocated to solve the problems. Total fiasco. Utter customer service meltdown. Should be a PR nightmare for all guilty parties.

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ronaldl615664

Contributor ⭐

As directed through AARP and Barclays, on 9/20 I activated my new credit card. I checked my profile information and discovered that the bank I used for payments with the Chase card had been changed and showed an account belonging to someone other than me. I called to speak with Customer Relationship Manager and was on hold listening to their recorded message/music FOR OVER ONE HOUR AND THIRTY MINUTES. No one ever answered. I called back today, 9/21, and have the same problem. I've now been on hold FOR ANOTHER FORTY-FIVE MINUTES! STILL NO ANSWER. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!! NEXT STEP IS TO CANCEL THE CARD AND AARP!

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LakeishaT901230

Contributor ⭐⭐

AARP Member Benefits Team here to help. We certainly understand your concern regarding the service provided by Barclays. We’d be happy to forward your concern to the Escalation team we work with at Barclays for their thorough review and investigation if you’d like. To do this, we will need more information. Please send me a private message in the AARP Online Community by clicking this link and entering my username, “AARPLakeisha” into the “Send to” box https://community.aarp.org/t5/notes/composepage. Please provide the following details in your message:

Your first & last name
AARP membership number (or home address)
Best contact phone number

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate you informing us of your concern. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

L

LakeishaT901230

Contributor ⭐⭐

Here to Help, Barclays experienced unexpected errors yesterday, are aware if the errors and are actively working to correct them as quickly as possible. We appreciate you bringing your concerns to AARP's attention as we work with Barclays to get everything straightened out. Regarding the 24 hour wait to use your card, it sounds like there is incorrect information being passed around and for that I sincerely apologize. We have confirmed with Barclays that under normal circumstances where everything is operating normally, there is no wait to use the card after activation.

Your existing Chase trade line on your credit bureau report will be updated to reflect Barclays as the issuing bank. This will not appear as a new or secondary trade line, but will simply update the existing one. The history associated with your prior Chase trade line, including account open date and recent payment history, will still remain visible. The changing of the issuing bank will not impact your credit score, although your credit bureau report may take up to 60 days to update following the transfer. I hope this information is helpful!

M

md4192

Contributor ⭐

Can you explain the reason AARP switched credit cards? I seems there is no advantage to us customers. I was charged a late fee on the date that my Chase payment was due. My payment for the balance had always been withdrawn from my checking account by Chase. I used to almost exclusively used my AARP Visa. I now had to contact 16 different accounts that charge my monthly payments to the AARP Visa.

This change has effected my credit score. AARP may get that corrected but during the time this correction take place, this effect my applying for credit.

Finally, Barclay customer service seems to be non existent. I waited 1 hour and 45 minutes yesterday and am up to 45 minutes today on hold. This is unacceptable.

A

as25323663

Contributor ⭐⭐

They put me on hold and then after 15 minutes the call gets disconnected! Abysmal customer service

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as25323663

Contributor ⭐⭐

I already hate Barclays. Their customer service number does not work. They lagged two purchases as fraud. They were not. Nobody answers the customer service number. I hear Muzak and am then disconnected.

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AARPLakeisha

Contributor ⭐⭐

@as25323663

AARP Member Benefits Team here to help. We certainly understand your concern regarding the service provided by Barclays. We’d be happy to forward your concern to the Escalation team we work with at Barclays for their thorough review and investigation if you’d like. To do this, we will need more information. Please send me a private message in the AARP Online Community by clicking this link and entering my username, “AARPLakeisha” into the “Send to” box https://community.aarp.org/t5/notes/composepage. Please provide the following details in your message:

Your first & last name
AARP membership number (or home address)
Best contact phone number

We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate you informing us of your concern. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

L

lisaonthegoco

Contributor ⭐⭐

Thank you - I will

E

elayne24

Contributor ⭐⭐

I just attempted to add this new Barclay card to my cable and PayPal accounts again and - it worked! I will give it a chance at this point, but any more screw-ups and it's history. While I am keeping this one I think I will pick up another one too, just in case. I plan on being prepared!

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elayne24

Contributor ⭐⭐

It took me 30 seconds at the most to get a Chase Freedom card online this morning. Just saying...

I will keep them both for now, just because I don't want to affect my credit score by closing Barclays. I won't hesitate to close it if I have problems though.

P

PatriciaR647027

Contributor ⭐⭐

Finally talked to someone after 4 hours yesterday. The rep said that my account is partially there, but not completely built. She cannot build it. I have to wait till the system receives all of the information. The only thing I can do is keep trying on line. I tried this morning and still no account set up. The rep said that the 20th was just the date that Chase closed our accounts, but our accounts will begin to be built on the 20th. She could not give me a date when all accounts will be built.

So, I'm to keep trying till activation works on line. My guess is that the batch process of loading all of the data coming from the AARP records was too large for the Barclay system to handle. Chase must have a much larger database to handle the large volume of AARP members than Barclays.

We will get our account activated pay it off and then cancel the card. Then shop around for a better card with a larger company.

Though, I hate to, I'll keep trying

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wh7197

Contributor ⭐⭐

This is the third day that I can't get access to my Barclay's account. Let's keep up the comments of displeasure. The AARP VP should be fired for this mess. Keep filing those BBB complaints on both parties.

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as25323663

Contributor ⭐⭐

There is no customer service answer and the attempts are flagged as fraud. I was fine with Chase. Barclay is incompetent to the point of lunacy

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Red1016

Contributor ⭐

I was totally satisfied with my AARP Chase Card, the cashback benefits and APR it offered - neither BARCLAYS cards come close to fulfilling all that. We eat out often, get gas etc. We don't shop drug stores a lot nor do we travel extensively so neither card has me excited. I'm just going to try and cancel this credit card (although I haven't even attempted to activate it). I already went to my local Chase bank and received the Freedom Unlimited which is more aligned to our needs. Personally at this point I'm not worrying too much about my credit score. I believe I'll have to quit AARP once my membership expires --- so disappointed in the organization - I do not believe they had the consumer in mind!

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