Yesterday we told you about avid Bitterwallet reader Bryan and the unexplained account he had with Betfair, despite having never used the site. In that particular instance, Betfair emailed Bryan to notify him about unspent winnings, then again to explain it was all a big misunderstanding and he should never have received an email in the first place. Data privacy issues ahoy!

The post prompted fellow Bitterwallet reader Martin (no less avid a reader than Bryan, it must be said) to contact the British Bankers’ Association and asked them to search for accounts open in his name. Martin provided his details including his full name and two middle names. He expected the answer at least reveal the accounts he operated with Barclays – a current account, a savings account and 2 ISAs. Instead, the BBA replied to Martin less than twelve hours later, and had found… none whatsoever:

Following extensive investigations carried out on your behalf, we regret to advise you that, Barclays have not found an account in the name of [NAME] plus any other names (maiden name etc) which you have quoted.

If you are dissatisfied with the way the bank has dealt with your claim you have the right to appeal through the bank’s internal complaints procedure (leaflets are available from the bank’s branches). If your appeal is unsuccessful you have the right to refer the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service, South Quay Plaza, 183 Marsh Wall London E14 9SR telephone 0845 080 1800 website www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.

How thorough was the BBA search to completely miss four bank accounts registered under a specific (and quite possibly unique) name? We have since informed Martin of his lack of existence, and emptied the two ISA accounts with the personal details he passed on to us. It’s what he would have wanted.

EDIT: There was a colossal, White Lightning-fuelled cock up which saw Barclays incorrectly put through from round two instead of Royal Mail. So we’ll have to start again. We’re extending the voting time until noon tomorrow. Apologies for any upset, confusion and loss of sleep you may suffer from because of this technical error. (Thanks to keen-eyed avid reader Digital E)

It’s now semi-final time in Bitterwallet’s Britain’s Worst Company of 2009 voteathon. From the original 32, we’re now down to the eight shittiest companies according to you, our avid readership.

We’re altering the format slightly for the semis and over the next two days you’ll have the choice of four companies per day for y’all to direct your rage towards. The top two from each showdown will make it into next week’s pre-Christmas final.

Today’s quartet of consumer crapulence are eBay, BT, Phones4U and Barclays Royal Mail. Ugh – just typing out their names makes us want to vomit chunks into a pail.

You’ve got until midnight tonight noon tomorrow to cast your vote and you can check out the pretty-bloody-close-actually outcome of yesterday’s final second round tussle between T-Mobile and Orange here. Ooh, it was a tight one.

There’s also a rundown of all of the results so far here. Check back tomorrow for the second semi-final. Tense doesn’t even begin to describe it all…

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new light and we’re feeling like shining the spotlight on another pair of shabby contenders for the title of Bitterwallet’s Worst Company In Britain 2009.

The deeply troubled Royal Mail go up against the deeply troubling Barclays in today’s Clash Of The Bastards, with a place in the last eight awaiting whichever one of them amasses the most votes from you lot.

You’ve got until midnight to cast your vote and you can find out who triumphed between Phones4U and npower in yesterday’s contest here. All of the results so far can be found here. If it’s the sort of thing you’re into, you can see a picture of Santa Claus holding a gun to Jesus’ head here…

Hello to you and you and you and you! On the back of the bank charges farce (and let’s face it, it IS a farce) we’re pitting two financial institutions against each other in today’s brow-to-brow face-off in our Worst Company In Britain 2009 marathon.

In the git corner is Virgin Money – providers of mortgages, insurance, credit cards and heartache. In the shit corner is Barclays – providers of all of the above and more… and free bookies’ pens too.

You mission, should you choose to accept it, is to tell us which of the grim pair makes you want to sick up your dinner more than the other one. You’ve got until midnight, so take your time.

You can catch up with the result of yesterday’s clash between the Royal Bank Of Scotland and Royal Mail here and all of the results so far are here. You can find a picture of a giant toy giraffe outside a Travelodge here.

Right, here’s your homework for the weekend. If you haven’t already, spend a bit of time ploughing through The Guardian’s fascinating examination of tax avoidance by UK-based companies.

As most of us were already aware, zillions of pounds are being squirreled away from the public purse by companies that we all use every single day, leading to us all having to shell out more from our own hard-earned wedge. Th Guardian features have named and shamed some of the guilty.

Highlights include…

How Barclays diverted £30m away from the Exchequer with the help of the Irish gas board.

Walkers Crisps and their Swiss tax haven.

How GlaxoSmithKline transferred more than 40 trademarks (and a shed-load of  tax liability) to Puerto Rico

Whisky Galore! Johnnie Walker and their secret Dutch subsidiaries.

News breaking RIGHT BLOODY NOW – Reuters are reporting that Barclays are axing 2,100 jobs from their UK investment arm.

This follows the shedding of 400 London-based Barclays IT staff last week. Although the bank have been claiming they’re not affected by the Cr***t Cr***h and recently refinanced by selling a 30% portion of the bank to Arab investors for £7.3 billion.

One of the investors is the owner of Manchester City – could Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan be importing the legendary Curse Of City into one of Britain’s biggest banks?

Yes, we know it’s pigs that eat out of troughs but we liked the cat picture. Okay?

Anyway, as the government’s massive bail-out starts pumping into the banks’ cashstreams, it’s good to see that Barclays aren’t wasting any of it. Oh hang on, yes they f***ing are!

The Sun has tracked down some bankers from Barclays Wealth enjoying an all-expenses trip to Lake Como in Italy. They’re there for a dash of conferencing mixed in with lots and lots of swimming, sailing, shopping, and (probably) shagging.

The paper reports that the theme of the conference was “End of the World or Opportunity of a Lifetime?” – telling clients how they can profit from the current financial misery. Sweet. Something springs to mind at this point about leopards and spots but I’m so rage-fuelled that I’m not sure what it is.

It’s unbelievably ill-advised stuff. But, as taxpayers, we now own a portion of the banks, so I’m off down to my local branch of Barclays to help myself to whatever’s in the staff room fridge.

How do you treat a pensioner who wants to buy a new plug for his bathroom sink? The same way you treat a man caught with a suitcase stuffed full of headless torsos, that’s how. Quickly, call the police and slap the handcuffs on:

B&Q has racked up a depressingly impressive list of complaints over the years, from misleading advertising to neglecting health and safety rules. Two years ago, B&Q acknowledged a surge in complaints regarding its kitchen and bathroom installation service. The cause of such spectacular dissatisfaction? Obviously, the company put the blame squarely on… a warehouse fire. Er.

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