Balance Transfer from abroad?

hurricanewyn

Apologies in advance for the long post.

When I moved to the UK from Southern Ireland I left two credit cards with balances behind as I couldn't afford to pay them before we left. So far I've had the bills sent to my mother's house, she sends them onto me, I get the bills and go change some money into Euros and post it back to her to lodge into my bank account, where finally I can pay the money off through online banking. As you can imagine it's quite a cumbersome way of doing things, but I didn't have many options open to me. One of the cards is a MBNA visa card which they have point blank refused to reansfer to the UK for me, saying that instead I'll have to apply for a card in the UK and then pay the Irish balance off by writing a cheque which will be treated as a cash withdrawl. I agreed to do this, even with the huge interest rate for cash withdrawls, as I felt it'd be a much easier way to pay this debt, but they turned me down for a card over here as I hadn't been in the UK long enough. The other card is with Bank of Ireland, who when I phoned them to see what the solution was, or even if I could get the bills delivered to the UK, said "If I note your new address they'll cancel the card and demand full payment as you've left the country, so you're better off as you are". Not much help there! I've now been approved for a nectar AMEX with a £5800 limit which will easily clear both cards, but is it possible to do a balance transfer for a foreign card? The customer services people I've spoken really aren't sure, and wanted to go ahead and try it to see what happens - I'm not too happy with the idea of possibly crediting random strangers accounts either. Any ideas or advice?

grumbler

hurricanewyn wrote:

Any ideas or advice?

I think the only way you can use UK CCs for this is by using Super Balance Transfer, although in your circumstanses it could be difficult. See:

What is a Super Balance Transfer?
REVENGE! Make Free Cash from Credit Cards
The Best Balance Transfers: cut the cost of existing credit card debts
http://www.stoozing.com/full.htm
http://www.stoozing.com/0fees.htm

You can also use The Easy Route described in the second article above, although this will take time.

Regarding transfering money to SI read this article: Sending Money Overseas: Moving money large or small and discussion. With your mother living there the simple and the chiepest way of sending money is by using Nationwide cash card or debit card. It can be used for small paiments or for a big one if you manage to make SBT.

hurricanewyn

Thanks for that. I've already got a Nationwide account, so I'll ask them about getting my mother as an additional cardholder for the time being. I can't do a SBT - I guess I'll have to be here a while and improve my credit rating before I can be trusted with a card that'll let me do that.

Thanks again for your advice

grumbler

hurricanewyn wrote:

Thanks for that. I've already got a Nationwide account, so I'll ask them about getting my mother as an additional cardholder for the time being.

Additional cardholder can be only with a credit card. You have two options:
1. Open joint account with UK resident (do you have a spose/partner?) and send the second card to your mother. You cannot open a joint account with your mother if she is not UK resident.
OR
2. Open a second account with NW (I have two joint accounts) and send your second card.