Barclays faces backlash after widespread online banking outage
- Barclays customers faced an outage preventing access to online banking and mobile app services, with nearly 1,000 complaints reported.
- The bank experienced previous issues in January, heightening customer frustration during the recent outage.
- Barclays confirmed that services have been restored and apologized for the inconvenience caused to customers.
In the United Kingdom, a significant disruption was reported for Barclays customers on Saturday, leading to widespread complaints through social media and customer support channels. Customers faced challenges accessing their online banking accounts and using the mobile app for various banking transactions. The outage affected almost 1,000 users, leading to difficulties in transferring funds, paying bills, and shopping. This prompted a wave of frustration as customers expressed concern that they would miss critical payments. Barclays attributed the disturbances to technical difficulties and was quick to apologize, assuring users that cash withdrawals and card transactions were still being processed without issue. A spokesperson stated their commitment to resolve the mentioned problems promptly and keep customers updated about the restoration. This assurance came after previous issues the bank encountered, particularly around payday in January, which had already tarnished its reputation due to a lengthy service disruption that lasted for three days. The bank's management acknowledged the significance of the recent outage, emphasizing that it impacted the core functionalities essential for everyday banking operations. Customers trying to contact support teams faced delays, adding to the overall dissatisfaction. Many banking users pointed out that the frequency of these issues raises questions about the reliability of Barclays' technology and customer service, illustrating a need for the institution to reassess its IT systems and customer communication strategies. By Saturday afternoon, Barclays reported that services were restored and that customers could access their online platforms without issues. However, the incident has reignited discussions on the necessity for banks to enhance their digital infrastructure, particularly as reliance on online banking grows. Customers remain wary about future disruptions, urging Barclays to take more substantial measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.