Abbey Zero Card Fiasco...

hondamad21

Hi, here is my story so far….

Applied for an Abbey zero card, wanted to the usual balance transfer and buying a few things from the states.
So being part of the Internet generation and thinking it was the fastest method (naïve yes I know) I applied for the card via Abbeys website.
Once everything was entered, it came up with a reference number and then just went back to the main Abbey page. Nothing about being accepted/rejected/referred… just no info at all about what will now happen. I though this was quite strange but no matter I have the reference number so I will just call them (naïve again, yes I know).
So later that day I called Abbey and asked what is happening with my application?
Got slightly worried that they could not find my application. But was told not to worry and call back the next day, as can take a while for the application to show up.
Called back the next day and was told still cannot see the application and advised that I should just apply again. I told them that I have a reference number and can they not search via that they cannot search via the ref number (what is the point of having a ref number then?).
At this point I though I will leave it for a few more days and if they still don’t have it will apply again. Called back a few days later and as normal department closed went through to the after hours team. They said that they could see my application but not what was happening to it, as they do not have access to that system.
So now for the last 2 week I have been calling Abbey every few day and I get one of 3 responses.

• Yes your application has been accepted and the forms have been sent to you to sign and return. No I cannot tell you what your credit limit will be.
• The underwriters require more information from you and letter has been sent to you asking for it. No I cannot tell you what info they require it will on letter.
• A contract has been sent to you to sign once we get that back we will do a credit search and tell you if you have been accepted.

Today I was given the number 2 answer . . . :mad:

Robert_Sterling_3

It reminds me of a song by Chris Andrews sung by Sandie Shaw

Venus must have heard my plea;
She has sent someone along for me.
I have waited a long long time
For somebody to call mine,
And at last he's come along.
Baby, ah, nothing can go wrong.
We meet every night at eight,
And I don't get home till late.
I say to myself each day,
"Baby, ah, long, long live love,"
Uh-huh!
True love must be the greatest thing.
I know now; I sing and sing
Of the moon and stars above.
How I longed to be in love.
We meet every night at eight,
And I don't get home till late.
I say to myself each day,
"Baby, ah, long, long live love,"
Uh-huh!
Now, of one thing I'm more than sure:
Since love's come, I don't want more
Than to kiss him every night
'N make everything all right.
We meet every night at eight,
And I don't get home till late.
I say to myself each day,
"Baby, ah, long, long live love,"
Uh-huh!
We meet every night at eight,
And I don't get home till late.
I say to myself each day,
"Baby, ah, long, long live love,"
Uh-huh!
Long, long live love.

blued

Abbey are a !!!!ing terrible and it only gets worse I'm afraid!

I applied online and went through the same process as you. They eventually found my application and said it would take 10-14 days for the agreement to arrive for me to sign. When it did eventually arrive it was an agreement for the wrong card. They said I could go into the bank, get the correct agreement and have them fax it over immediately. Two visits to the bank proved that this was not possible and I had to reapply at the bank. This was a very quick process and my card arrived within a week. They continued to send the agreement for the wrong card from the online application a further 3 times. All of which I ignored because I couldnt bare speaking to the useless staff on the phone.

My advice would be to wait if you can, obviously not possible if you need to make a balance transfer before interest starts on another card. If you cant wait go into the bank and get them to complete a form and fax it off right there and then. I'll never apply for a credit card online again if they have a bank locally. I'll also never use Abbey again, for anything.

rakkibeth

Oh no! I applied for one yesterday as Barclaycard are currently charging me a ridiculous rate of interest for a relatively small balance (that i'm paying a chuck off each month)...
I got the home page too, nothing about being accepted or when i'll find out if I qualified, but if I apply again then I may have 2 'footprints'...
Should I try and call Abbey now?

blued

You will have 2 searches on your credit file. Sorry I forgot to mention that. I was assured by both the person on the phone and in the bank that it would only show once, but it's on there twice.

It doesnt tell you at the time if you've been accepted on the website. Its a terrible website. Just wait til you see how rubbish their online banking is for credit cards. You have to enter your card number as part of the log in. Up until recently there was no log out button. No option to go paperless. Rubbish!

hondamad21

thanks for the song Robert, it cheered me up (well a bit).

thank for the advice blued, my interest free time is over so am being charged. Such a huge difference with crbbey compared to Virgin/Mbna. I had applied to them previously and everything sorted in about 15mins. Card arrived a week later. done!

And rakkibeth give up all hope now...
No seriously, if you apply again you will get 2 searches on your credit file. You can call crbby but I doubt they will have your application yet.
You can either apply again via the branch
Apply with a different decent credit card provide
Just grin and bear it ... sorry not much help I know.

lolarentt

Ah the joys of applying for an Abbey CC!! I remember it well!! I applied for one one line about a year ago when they were advertising 5% off supermarket shopping. I waited/chased 6 weeks and finally wrote to them again this is an extract from my letter:
I refer to your letter ******* advising me of your acceptance of my application for an Abbey credit card. I regret to say that I am so disillusioned with the response to my application that I will not after all be taking up your offer of an Abbey card. My application was made 6 weeks ago, and I have tried on a number of occasions to contact you by phone (every possible phone number) to see what had become of it. Your phone system is diabolical!! Eventually I had a reply to an email with an excuse about the high number of applications you had received (these responses were unexpected?).

.... this however was not the end of it - I continued from then on to receive regular reminders that I had not returned my acceptance docs and additional copies of the contract.....these continued despite my replying to each by letter with suitable comments. Finally this is an extract from my last letter , sent to Abbey in a much larger font than this, which seemed to do the trick!

I REFER TO YOUR LETTER ******, AND MY 3 EARLIER REPLIES, COPIES HEREWITH. WHAT DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ABOUT

“I DO NOT WANT AN ABBEY CREDIT CARD???

PLEASE STOP SENDING ME CONTRACT LETTERS (4 RECEIVED TO DATE)

hondamad21

OK people I hate to say it but...

You are not filling me with confidence here!!!

I was hoping to be told that this is just a glitch in the system. That no company, especially a finance company, can be so wrong, inefficient, useless, inept, incompetent…


Ohh well C'est la vie

elisebutt65

My story is kind of the opposite - I applied once and got 2 cards!!!! Both with different account numbers! So I cut one up and sent it back. Heard nothing else since so hopefully they've cancelled it - I still only had one search on my account though.

leachyd

Have an Abbey CC and Bank Account. Never really had any problems with either. I've been an Abbey customer for all of my life and recently took up their offer of a credit card with balance transfer. Filled in the paper form that they sent me, returned it, sent them a few more details and the card arrived. Direct debit easily set up so i never miss a payment. Happy days. Don't know what everyone else has against them! - So there you go, some confidence for you!

shizzle_2

Wow, first time i register on this site and this pops up!

Been an Abbey customer for over 12 years, and entered into a managed overdraft facility to reduce it last August. Before this i was pre-approved for a credit card with them.

Thinking i was still pre-approved, i applied in branch two weeks ago, and after chasing in branch was finally told today that i was unsuccessful! However, just been on Equifax and there's no credit searches recorded on my file for the last six months!

Does this mean that they've just screwed up, or is it likely that they used Experian as a credit search instead? I'd have thought it'd be on both. I've never missed a direct debit payment so can't see why i'd been rejected, and now i'm really reluctant to apply elsewhere in case my rating really goes down the tube!