Barclays won’t transfer wife’s Isa

Earlier this year my wife died after a long illness. In the late Eighties she had invested in a Unilever Share Isa with Barclays Stockbrokers. At the time of her death she held 1,623 shares, according to the last statement.

I notified Barclays Stockbrokers that I wanted to transfer the Isa to myself, as I am allowed to do as the surviving spouse.

It requested the usual documentation for proof of the circumstances. This was returned to me seven months ago.

The bank sent me a further letter a week later requesting more information and mentioning that a grant of probate was required.

Seven weeks on, after probate had been granted, it acknowledged my application and enclosed various forms to proceed with the transfer of the account into my own Isa. These I returned, but unfortunately I had nominated the wrong disposal method.

The whole process started again with express of wish and additional permitted subscription allowance forms that I returned with the correct option selected this time.

I nominated that all the 1,623 shares should be transferred to the account. PF, LANCS

You heard nothing back and called Barclays Stockbrokers, which said no forms had been received and another set would be sent that day. You didn’t get them and called Barclays. It said it would send more out.

You filled them in and returned them by recorded delivery.

Two weeks later, when you inquired, you were told nothing had been received. Then, when you said they had gone by recorded delivery, the person you were speaking to found them.

A letter saying your instructions had been carried out followed, but only 1,284 shares had been transferred. Time and again you asked about the rest of the holding, which was worth more than £14,000.

I became involved and things initially became worse. Barclays sent you a letter denying it held anything else in your wife’s name.

Then I was told there was a good procedural reason why the whole holding couldn’t be transferred. It was just that you and I didn’t understand it. There was also what you felt was a garbled telephone call from Barclays that concerned you as well.

A lot of to-ing and froing ensued until at last Barclays said: “Due to an administrative oversight and delay, not all the shares got transferred.

“To resolve the matter, we have now arranged for the remainder of the shares to be transferred to Mr F’s account. In recognition of the distress and inconvenience this matter has caused we have offered Mr F a gesture of goodwill.”

This is £1,000. Barclays has backdated the value so that the correct dividends go into your account.

Subsequently, though, you received a different letter from the bank that said that the incident was being looked into and that the bank expected to give you a result within a month. It seems this was sent by mistake.

A few months ago I returned my savings book to have interest added, as none ever had been.

The book was returned with the correct £1,404 balance but the most recent statement has it as £1,335.

Both my mother and I wrote to NS& I, but I was told my mum could not deal with it as it was not her account. NS& I asked for the book to be sent back.

It was returned to me and I was then informed that deposits from September 2010 to September 2011 had not been added to the