Are Next Directory legally allowed to open a credit account without my permission?

DomRavioli

It clearly states in the T&Cs that ordering goods allows a credit application.

Watchdog don't investigate being stupid, or not reading the T&Cs.

arsenaljamie

The number for Next Complaints escalation is
0844 844 8408

lous_2

Is there a way to make an account without having a credit agreement? I just want to pay outright as per usual.

kw66

I opened a credit account by mistake a couple of years ago with Next, I just wanted some free material swatches! I had £1000 credit I did not want and they kept refusing to close it until I changed all the details on the account to garbage (address, email, phone etc) and then emailed them and told them if they were not prepared to close it they were now responsible for any loses resulting from misuse of the account and it was no longer anything to do with me. They closed it!

If they had been more helpful in closing the account in the first place, I would probably of spent around £2000 on new sofas.

Why do they not just offer a non credit account?

sam_c

Most of all, I'm just shocked that Next are still doing this. I was caught out a few years ago, so when I bought something last week, I made sure I entered my card details and I thought I'd kept my eyes open during check out for any credit account references.

I'm in the process of applying for a mortgage, so I have Equifax alerts set up and I was properly hacked off to see Next had performed a credit check on me. Like the whole process hasn't been stressful enough with Next chipping in.

I just called up customer services to close the account and said I wanted to make a complaint about the credit check. The woman I spoke to was very good and she'd obviously heard it all before. She immediately said she would get the check removed from my file and then close the account. I was told I'd be informed in writing. I can only hope they follow through on it.

I can’t fault this customer service representative, but it's fairly shocking that this has been going on for years.

PlymouthMaid

I wonder if Next actually do perform credit checks as I have had an account with them for many years but it is actually in the wrong name as they mis-spelt my last name and I have never bothered changing it. Well I did try once but nothing happened. Odd. They don't send me their directory any more either.

Jonono

I bought some items on Next online for the first time in December 2013. I was happy with the goods and the fast delivery and treated myself to something every month. I paid with my debit card and was completely unaware that I had been signed up for a credit agreement. I was furious to find this out. I do a lot of shopping online and have never encountered a business who open a credit account for you, had I known this was the case there is no way I would have bought the items as I am extremely careful with credit. The only credit account I hold is with M and S and I know about that because I went into the shop and signed some forms. For those who state we are silly for not reading the T's and C's well yes that may be the case but I also believe that Next are cynically exploiting the fact that we all know very few us do take time to read the T's and C's. According to Next, my first payment was a debit payment but from then I had a credit account (though how I was supposed to know I had this is beyond me given that I was unaware of having applied and also had received no confirmation of such), when I made my second or third purchase, they claim I am offered the chance then to pay by debit or credit. As far as I as the consumer is concerned, if the payment is processed it is because they have kept my card details, and it's a debit payment. Over Xmas and New Year I had a family bereavement after long term illness so really checking that the debit payments had been taken out of my account wasn't on the highest of my priorites, so I was only alerted to this 'credit account' when I found out I had apparently missed a payment.
I then had a phone call to Next online who didn't seem amazed at all at an annoyed customer who had accidentally signed up to a credit account, so I believe this is commonplace. They told me essentially it was my own fault for not reading the T's and C's. I maintained they are exploiting the knowledge that few people read it and that a responsible vendor would factor this into the design of the website if they wanted to be transparent with customers.

I immediately paid my outstanding debt and mulled over whether I should close the account. When I did ask them to close the account it took another 2 weeks of emails back and forth before they 'regretfully' did it. Apparently they had refunded my £3 interest but I think I can only get that back if I continue to spend at Next! As if!

I find their attitude to customers contemptous and I will never shop there again.

pullenuk

Im sorry those of you complaining about being suprised about a credit acount was opened. It says clearly in terms and conditons. If you should not to read it that is your fault. You cannot complain about it. Firebox a while ago did a trick to show how many people read the terms and conditons. They put in theirs a code for a £20 voucher or something by emailing a address when ordering. Most people failed to do this showing that most people don't read it.

Yes next should have an option to buy online without a credit account but they don't. That's how they want to do their online shopping.

Anyway what is the deal? You can buy online and it takes a month before they charge your account in which it could be almost two months before you even have to pay it. That means you could order various items in different styles and sizes get them delivered tomorrow. Then try them on and take back what not wanted and pay for the ones you keep when the bill comes. There no interest as long you pay it in full.

Morale of the story. Read the darn terms and conditons!!!!

Morglin

I don't actually see the problem - I settle my Next bill when I get it, and have never paid any interest.

They let you pay the bill by debit or credit card, so in the end, it works out the same as using a credit or debit card to begin with, for goods.

I think they are great - nice household stuff, next day delivery, good customer services and returns, and interest free account (if you settle straight away).

The T&C's make it perfectly clear with regard to accounts, so it's down to the buyer.

What's not to like?

(And, no, I don't work for them!)

Lin

monkeynumberzero

When you request for your Next account to be closed, does anyone know how you would check they have actually closed the account?

Can you no longer log in through their website?