Letter to cancel credit card

allie226

Hi all,

Slightly dim question I'm afraid! I'm just about to write to Barclaycard and Debenhams to cancel 2 credit cards - is it sufficient just to write something like:

Dear Sir

Credit Card number ……..

With regard to the above credit card, I would like to close my account with immediate effect.

Yours Sincerely etc

Or is there something else I should put in there? I've never closed down a credit card before (but I fully intend to close down another 1 soon - hooray!) and just thought I should ask for some advice first!

Thanks all very much for your time,

Allie
xx

MikeLB

In my cancellation letters I usaully also mention that the card has been completely destroyed and also request that any outstanding amounts owed to me are paid back by cheque, but if they are at £0.00, you probably dont need to do that.

tipsychick

I also add, "I would be most grateful if you could confirm in writing that this has been done".

You can then keep their reply with the back statements, etc. for six years.

I think you should have written proof from them that the card has actually been shut down. You do hear of companies not actually shutting the account completely in the hope that you'll start using the card again in the future which, now you've found MSE, you never will!

pingu

Hi
in the past i have cancelled few CCs and never written to cancel just a phone call and asked

can i cancel and close my CC account Please?

just ask the name and number of the person you speak to:)

thats it and they send you a confirmation letter.

i will be cancelling mbna and tesco soon so if any difference i will let you know.

MikeLB

Yes Egg are good at not closing your account completely, as I regained access to a lot of old statements when I closed and then returned 2 years later!

The_Boss

MikeLB wrote:

Yes Egg are good at not closing your account completely, as I regained access to a lot of old statements when I closed and then returned 2 years later!

Myself also - but that is because they stay saved under your username, not because your account is still open.

MikeLB

No, the account was closed and dissappeared completely off my Egg page for 2 years. When I opened a new CC with them, I was given a new number and then gained back access to my old CC statements through the new card account.

But what I notice they now do is have aspecific folder for 'closed' accounts.

david_hellier

I would love to write you the letter. I'm an expert at these. However I would be banned from this site if I did.

I suggest you add some colour to your letter, like why you are actually closing it and highlight the punitive charges they make on those people whom can often ill afford them. Explain the relief you feel from freeing yourself from such an unecessary, painful experience. Express yourself!

By the way, credit card accounts are, in reality, unclosable. But writing the letter helps you mentally.

student100

I wouldn't bother venting too much anger in the letter. The person who reads it won't have any influence over the powers that be in the company and really won't care what you think of their company's policies.

You'll just make someone's day-to-day job even more stressful than it already is.

humfer

Warning - don't trust Barclaycard. I phone up about a year ago to cancel my card and after speaking to a 'nice customer retention advisor' who tried to blag me instructed them to close the account down. I then thought it kind of strange that I kept getting Barclaycard cheques and loan forms through the post, so I rang them up again after a few months enquiring and I kid you not told me that they had decided to keep the card open 'just in case I needed it in the future'. Needless to say they were instruced in the strongest possible ways to close it. To be safe request proof of closure in writing from them

denise38

We usually just phone and cancel destroying the card. However this time when I contact Texaco I will phone and write and ask for confirmation .
When we cancelled our EGG cards we kept getting email &statements for about a year .We phoned and told them to stop as both accounts were cancelled and I think the only reason we didn't get anymore was prob cos we changed email address.
Lo and behold what arrives last week a new credit card. I phoned and asked why and they said because our cards had expired!!! So we had to go through it all again. They asked for our email address and I wouldn't give it to them . I told them it took years to get rid of them why would I give them my address so they could bombard me with more junk again.
Apparently they would only send confirmation of closure by email. So I guess I will just have to wait for another few years till the last card expires to see if the account really is cancelled.
Not taking any chances this time I will write and phone!!!