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

zppp

SiRaff wrote: »

I just wanted to share my experiences of shopping online with Next. I tried to use their online shop for the first time today and when I went to check out, I was prompted to create an account with my email address and password. Fine - most websites expect you to do this. However, the next page gave me two options: free delivery if I agree to pay £3.75 for a Next directory, or I pay for delivery and do not get the directory. The text below said that by clicking Continue, you are agreeing to a credit check. I didn't want this as I don't want an unnecessary search on my credit file, I just wanted to pay for my shopping up front using a debit card. As I soon found out, this is simply not possible. I even read the terms and conditions (which I have to admit I found a little unclear - it just wasn't clear which parts did and did not apply if you opted out of the directory) and it seemed so ludicrous that they would force you to take out credit regardless of which option you took, so I went ahead with the no directory option and clicked Continue.

At this point I cancelled my order anyway, as I was hoping for my items to be delivered next day but they weren't able to do this due to stock levels. However, I was shocked to find that I now have a £250 credit account open with Next. Considering all I did was opt OUT of the free delivery and did not even place an order with them, I find this quite appalling. The website was simply not clear and was at best worded ambiguously. I will be calling them tomorrow to cancel the account and get the search removed from my credit file.

I would advise anybody thinking of using their online shop to be extremely careful as even if you read all the small print, it is ambiguous and do not be fooled - you will be setting up a credit account whether you want to or not. Won't be using their website again!

Are you certain they conducted a credit search, or is that an assumption?

ItsAGas

It's happened to me as well (but then again I have a habit of not reading fine print) and had to promptly cancel my account. I wonder how much extra sales they get from doing a business this way.

JTorbitt

Just to keep you all posted this farce is still going on and we are lodging formal complaints - they lost the order online as we had a credit account set up before we even tried to pay for anything, clicked the 'pay up front' option which failed after 3 attempts despite using a proven debit card. This was followed by Verisign saying no and Next.co.uk saying that 'there has been an error' followed by 'your order is processed' and now there is nothing showing as their online ordering only updates 3 times daily...

Also found out from CS that if the website 'takes too long to process an order, it will automatically set up a credit account for you' without prompting you for any bank or payment details! Something clearly wrong here with how they are doing business, if this was a bank they would be up in front of a parliamentary inquiry!

Having made several calls to CS they say that 'In stock' now means being delivered despite it being sunday on a bank hol weekend and it cannot be cancelled. This has been put to them and apparently CS has no way of communicating with the warehouse so the order can't be cancelled despite T&Cs saying it can be cancelled at any point up until it is marked as 'despatched'!! So we can't cancel or pay for something we ordered but no longer want (purely based on the shockingly bad service we received) and now their complaints department has no telephone number apparently!

Now we have to wait until 9pm for the ordering system to 'probably' update... what's worse is that I have worked in website design companies who build these type of websites and after 2 years of complaints they should have done something about it by now!

Their solution is that CS contacts the courier who returns it to the warehouse as a refund/return, which then credits the account to zero balance, which then we have to call to cancel none of which is on a freephone and cannot be done through the online account section of their website.

All this because of a £10 off voucher... utter nonsense and they deserve to sack someone or go out of business for this sham - all to charge 25.99% interest per month on any unpaid balances - watch out anyone who has not been given the option to pay up front!

This clearly warrants a Martin or Watchdog over irresponsible lending practices and unnecessary credit searching!

DCFC79

JTorbitt wrote: »

Just to keep you all posted this farce is still going on and we are lodging formal complaints - they lost the order online as we had a credit account set up before we even tried to pay for anything, clicked the 'pay up front' option which failed after 3 attempts despite using a proven debit card. This was followed by Verisign saying no and Next.co.uk saying that 'there has been an error' followed by 'your order is processed' and now there is nothing showing as their online ordering only updates 3 times daily...

Also found out from CS that if the website 'takes too long to process an order, it will automatically set up a credit account for you' without prompting you for any bank or payment details! Something clearly wrong here with how they are doing business, if this was a bank they would be up in front of a parliamentary inquiry!

Having made several calls to CS they say that 'In stock' now means being delivered despite it being sunday on a bank hol weekend and it cannot be cancelled. This has been put to them and apparently CS has no way of communicating with the warehouse so the order can't be cancelled despite T&Cs saying it can be cancelled at any point up until it is marked as 'despatched'!! So we can't cancel or pay for something we ordered but no longer want (purely based on the shockingly bad service we received) and now their complaints department has no telephone number apparently!

Now we have to wait until 9pm for the ordering system to 'probably' update... what's worse is that I have worked in website design companies who build these type of websites and after 2 years of complaints they should have done something about it by now!

Their solution is that CS contacts the courier who returns it to the warehouse as a refund/return, which then credits the account to zero balance, which then we have to call to cancel none of which is on a freephone and cannot be done through the online account section of their website.

All this because of a £10 off voucher... utter nonsense and they deserve to sack someone or go out of business for this sham - all to charge 25.99% interest per month on any unpaid balances - watch out anyone who has not been given the option to pay up front!

This clearly warrants a Martin or Watchdog over irresponsible lending practices and unnecessary credit searching!

well dont shop there again

lilac_rainbow

Is there even an option to pay as you buy on the Next site? I have an account with them and am happy enough with it because if something isn't suitable I return it promptly and never have to pay for it in the first place

LovelyLeeds

Eek, same thing has happened to me. I made an online order, requested no catalogue, and opted to pay the p&p. The order arrives but the shoes were wrong size, so I took them back to Next store along with the catalogue. I told the store lady I specifically didn't ask for the catalogue. I am aware there is a charge for these catalogues, so I asked the assistant to ring 'her' powers that be to cancel any subsequent catalogues as I certainly wasn't intending to pay for them.
Today, I receive a pack from them including a pre-contract credit agreement to sign and return for a credit limit of £600!!! What a flaming cheek.
I paid for my order with my debit card - presumably then, this gave Next permission to open a credit account?? That is sharp practise.

Would I be correct in saying that as long as I don't sign and send back the pre-contract agreement that this unasked for credit account will just lay dormant?

juliebunny

I would never shop at Next Online or use their Phone service either.

I ordered flowers over the phone - the call centre was in INDIA....:eek:....I really could not understand the lady's accent so the call was very painful. She certainly never told me she would open an account for me (I paid on my credit card for bereavement flowers.)

Sure enough, statements starting arriving!! :eek:

I contacted them to tell them to close it immediately which they did.

But they obviously hold onto your details for future use because a YEAR or so later I got an email from them about MY ACCOUNT! When I complained they said oops you should not have got that email.

So why am I still on their mailing lists?!

Don't trust 'em they are underhand. I don't know why people go mad for Next, personally I don't think they are anything special. I only buy Next stuff if it's at the Car boot sale and some other shopper richer than me has paid full price for it :rotfl:(or look for the red dots for sale items.....)

sophieh_3

I found this forum thread after my first order at Next Online. I read some stuff through at their website before my order. It was strange as I felt I havent understood fully what I read. Finally att the delivery page there were 2 choices. Either pay the 3,99 shipping or pay for a directory 3,75 and shipping is free. I checked the icon next to it to check what this is, and it was not really clear. However it said something about "credit", so i got suspicious. Finally I chose to pay the 3,99 delivery. The other thing that was strange for me was that I wanted to get my items shipped to a different address (as im gonna be abroad in the next week) other than my account address, so I entered a second address. They said that I could only get my stuff delivered to this address if i paid by credit card (??). I could also pay by debit card, so i said fine. I didnt understand why they said that Anyway I'm now curious what is gonna happen, as I dont want them to do a credit check on me! I paid for my order, paid the delivery, lets see. Actually I found the info just now that they cant ship to a non-residential address. I gave my works address, so i dont know what is gonna happen again. It is very strange anyway...Also it is strange that most of the sale items i ordered was not available in stock, they said they would deliver them within 5 weeks time...

cocktail

next are notorious for this. no option is actually given to pay by card or opt for or out of a credit account. and before you know it the transaction online is completed.
write them an email and ask for the account to be cancelled as you did not ask for it anyway.
if you have oedered anything refuse to take delivery.

sophieh_3

Cocktail I dont know if you wrote this to me, but I've paid for my items and there was no other option (maybe because i chose a different address than the account address)? Does this really mean that they opened a credit account for me (or they are going to open it?) I dont know how to check. Some sites say if you choose to pay the 3,99 delivery then this should not happen. I think I will ring them up tomorrow to check this.

Actually this years summer sale was the first time I spent some money in store as they had nice stuff and also my size (usually my problem is that they dont have sizes 6 or 8). Then I found some other nice stuff online in size 6 so i thought I would order some more...I would prefer not to cancel it But lets see...