Abbey current account help?

davidhenson1

I have had a current account with abbey for 1 year. I have had a visa electron card from the start with a cheque book. Also i have got a charge on my account each month since i opened it, terrible but consistent. What do i need to do in order to get a visa debit? Other than no charges? I have just upgraded my account to the reward account where you pay £15 a month, will this help having other products with them? Also are you credit checked externally or is it all done on how you conduct your account so an internal score? Any advice appreciated

Brazuca

I opened an Abbey account 4 years ago and I am still with them. I started with a basic account as I was new to the country. After 6 months I got visa electron on my request and after another 6 months I got visa debit and overdraft facilities.
Request them the visa debit. Go to your local branch and apply. If it gets denied go there again after a couple of months.
They didn't check my credit score externally, it was all based on how I deal with my account.

Brazuca

But Visa Electron is still better in case you use Ryanair and Easyjet. When I requested visa Debit there wasn't this price difference with the airlines for electron/debit. Nowadays I would prefer to keep a visa electron!

davidhenson1

Lol fancy a swap then! So how did yot conduct your account ie with money in and out? Direct debits or any charges etc? How much overdraft did they give you? If you dont mind me asking

Brazuca

Yes, they just check regularly the account - salary coming in and all fine with direct debits, etc. Not being overdrawn more than the overdraft limit given etc.
They first gave £1450. A year later I asked 2000 and they gave it! It's a joint account, so for a single account I would have got half probably!

I also applied for Abbey credit card and they gave 2K limit, then I applied for Abbey zero and was given only 1000 (as they probably thought that I had already too much credit available with them).

davidhenson1

Mine is a joint account too. My problem is i have bad credit. Would me having no charges for 6 months help? Or longer as i have had them every month for the last 12!? Are you upgrading your account to one of the reward accounts?

Brazuca

I decided to not upgrade and I thought that £15 is quite expensive.
I was going to change bank account but saw that the there are no greener grass out there. Some other banks can be messy too. And Abbey still has good rates etc.

sutton111

so they don't check you externally once you have an account with them?
Is it based on account conduct? It did used to be like that at Abbey National, but the main problem i've known about abbey is there customer service.

flowerscotland

davidhenson1 wrote: »

I have had a current account with abbey for 1 year. I have had a visa electron card from the start with a cheque book. Also i have got a charge on my account each month since i opened it, terrible but consistent. What do i need to do in order to get a visa debit? Other than no charges? I have just upgraded my account to the reward account where you pay £15 a month, will this help having other products with them? Also are you credit checked externally or is it all done on how you conduct your account so an internal score? Any advice appreciated

You are credit checked internally for your abbey account overdrafts and cards etc. You are only checked externally if an appeal is done.

Your account needs to be ran within your overdraft limit, or not overdrawn, if you have no overdraft, and also with you paying £500 a mth in.

If you are doing all this and still not permitted an upgrade, it may be worth speaking to your branch about an appeal.

You mentioned you have been charged each month ? Are you going overdrawn to get this ? If so you can change your statement date to when you get paid as to not keep going overdrawn.

davidhenson1

The customer service is ok to a point. They are friendly but are useless and are programmed to ask certain questions. Not the one you want. From what i gather from speaking to them on the phone is that it is basically on how your account is run not extremal checks.

davidhenson1

Yes the charges have been each month for going overdrawn. Stupid as its my own fault due to being unemployed. I have a job now and i will make sure i wont go overdrawn. Ill be putting in over 2000 but withdrawing about 1200 for bill etc. So if i do this and steadily increase my balance surely that will help after 6 months?