Off-Topic: Barclaycard APR Increase

I try to keep my off-topic rants to a minimum, but Barclaycard has recently made my blood boil. Last month I received the following letter concerning my Bhs Mastercard, which is operated by Barclaycard:

Let me quote the important part: "Your interest rate for purchases is changing from 18.9% to 23.9% from 31st January 2011. This is happening because we've taken a closer look at how you've been managing your account lately, as well as other financial information we have."

Well, this was like a slap in the face to me. I've been mismanaging my account? They have other negative financial information about me? Let me state for the record that the APR doesn't matter to me because I pay back my credit card balance in full every month. But when a credit card company tells me I'm doing something wrong I want an explanation.

I wrote to Barclaycard and asked for the reasons for their APR increase. I received a reply which was very vague, not answering my questions. In retrospect I suspect that it was a standard letter. Because of this I rang the Barclaycard customer support today. There was a special extension to answer enquiries about the APR increase. The person on the phone, probably a junior employee, stuttered around, and it seemed to me he was repeating standard phrases he had memorised. I kept pressuring him, insisting on finding out how I had mismanaged my account, and eventually he said, "Mr. Hood, it has nothing to do with you. We raised the APR for all our customers."

This left me speechless. So the truth is that Barclaycard had to increase the APR due to their own financial difficulties. Rather than admit this they sent a letter insulting their customers. This is the most disgraceful way I have ever been treated by any financial institution.

Comments are welcome from anyone else who has had problems with Barclays Bank, Barclaycard or any other credit card companies.