Credit Reference Agencies - Who Really Uses Who? II

izools

Its-A-New-Age-Thing wrote: »

Because i dont need to, im older than you wiser than you have experienced everything banking and credit card wise youve YET to experience, so i know im right.

anyways thats dinner time so ill catch ya later.

If you're so wise and confident about being right, why don't you answer with a response that takes into account all I've written instead of running away?

You think you might've made a point but you really haven't.

f10101

Im not 100% on this but i think there is a UK call centre for the HSBC advance/premier customers

When i use the telephone banking and enter my advance account details ive always ended up with a UK call centre, even out of hours

Using my standard account details always diverts me to India

With regards to the adverse data i got my account with a 2 1/2 year old CCJ, basic at first, then solo, then full CGC

Got offered the CC after 6-7 months, regular increases since then

Dr_Cuckoo3

izools wrote: »

I don't have a Clydesdale branch in town.

But they do have a presence in your town :think:

tescomilk

izools wrote: »

LTSB have clearly started to recognise my ability to handle an acconut properly and I hope that carries on. I have built a history over time with them and I don't want to have to start from square one again with another bank.

iZools can I please ask what type of account did you start with at Lloyds?
.........and how long it took you to get a decent internal with them?

izools

tescomilk wrote: »

iZools can I please ask what type of account did you start with at Lloyds?
.........and how long it took you to get a decent internal with them?

I started with a Classic Vantage account.

Two years later they finally removed my CPD (credit policy decline) marker.

I am supposing that this is to do with my ex - we opened a joint account and two sole accounts in September 2008. We closed the joint account in Jan 2009 and kept our sole accounts. I also at that time completed a notice of disassociation on our credit files.

He closed his sole account, meaning he was no longer a LTSB customer mid-august. The subsequent "monthly score update" they did on 23rd August I was offered everything that I'd never been offered before - a choice of any account, not just Vantage, Silver, and Gold, but Platinum and Premier, too.

And for the first time ever I was approved for an overdraft increase from the £150 I started with.

I can't be sure but given the timing I think they were still scoring my account jointly with my ex's account despite having gone through a NOD, given we once held a joint account, until he left the bank.

I've asked them to look into this but I have little confidence in their ability to establish the cause for the CPD marker and I don't mind anyway - what counts is it's finally gone and I hope it stays that way

tescomilk

izools wrote: »

I started with a Classic Vantage account.

Two years later they finally removed my CPD (credit policy decline) marker.

Congrats iZools on your progress so far. :beer:
What you have done in building trust with a bank is what I want to do, perhaps you offer me some advice...?

I have very little credit history after a stormy patch 7 years ago. This year I finally got the Barclays basic acc with visa debit and a sub-prime catalogue/credit card. Happy enough with Barclays though the biggest problem is that the account can never be upgraded nor will running the account positively ever offer me any internal credit score. Should I ever want to get the Full Normal Barclays acc, I would need to apply for a whole new account. It seems the basic account itself is like a giant CPD in itself :rotfl:

Anyway I've just applied to switch to a Santander current account (still waiting for decision but likely be a decline). If I don't get it I'm not sure what to do for the best. I used to be with the HSBC before I was naughty. Was with them from a teenager, they auto-upgraded my account to Maestro and sent me an approved Credit Card and later an overdraft offer. While I don't need those things in my life now, I do wish that I had an internal credit score that I can work towards improving.

Do you think I should maybe look at the LloydsTSB basic cash card account and try upgrade from there or does that have an eternal CPD on it too? If not, maybe I will just build up my standard external credit score and in a years time try a full account again?

Dr_Cuckoo3

izools wrote: »

I don't have a Clydesdale branch in town.

Clydesdale Bank
First Floor Kensington Court
Pynes Hill
Exeter
EX2 5TY
Tel: 01392 442500

izools wrote: »

Co-Operative bank won't give me a full account nor are their branches open on a saturday. I have been with them before and their customer service hours are not to my requirements and queue times horrendous in branch and on phone.

I notice that the poster complains about branch access:question:

izools wrote: »

The only bank account I'd consider having other than what I have now is the First Direct account. HSBC don't offer several things that I require from a bank - like a UK Call centre open 24/7 accessible on a 01 number.

and then indicates that the only other bank he is interested in is First Direct , who do not have any branches:think:

izools

tescomilk wrote: »

Congrats iZools on your progress so far. :beer:
What you have done in building trust with a bank is what I want to do, perhaps you offer me some advice...?

I have very little credit history after a stormy patch 7 years ago. This year I finally got the Barclays basic acc with visa debit and a sub-prime catalogue/credit card. Happy enough with Barclays though the biggest problem is that the account can never be upgraded nor will running the account positively ever offer me any internal credit score. Should I ever want to get the Full Normal Barclays acc, I would need to apply for a whole new account. It seems the basic account itself is like a giant CPD in itself :rotfl:

Anyway I've just applied to switch to a Santander current account (still waiting for decision but likely be a decline). If I don't get it I'm not sure what to do for the best. I used to be with the HSBC before I was naughty. Was with them from a teenager, they auto-upgraded my account to Maestro and sent me an approved Credit Card and later an overdraft offer. While I don't need those things in my life now, I do wish that I had an internal credit score that I can work towards improving.

Do you think I should maybe look at the LloydsTSB basic cash card account and try upgrade from there or does that have an eternal CPD on it too? If not, maybe I will just build up my standard external credit score and in a years time try a full account again?

I would recommend against Santander personally, you're better off with a cash card account elsewhere than a full account with them! Have you googled "Santander Complaints" lately?

Also, basic accounts anywhere are, as you have noticed with Barclays, a "CPD" of sorts in themself. They don't build a rapport with the bank and most will frown upon those that already have a basic account with them.

Once you've held your Barclays account for 12+ months I'd recommend applying for the Lloyds TSB Classic / Vantage account. The Barclays Cash Accounts appear on your credit file as full current accounts so having had yours for a while (12+ months) will help greatly.

After six months of paying in £1K+ a month, leaving a running balance, and avoiding the overdraft as much as possible with LTSB they'll set pre-approved limits. These can change quite wildly month on month, much like with Next catalogue, but they are usually very generous once you've proven your worth through impeccable account conduct.

They are quite strict on CPD markers, and, having read other people's reports here they can be quite arbitrary - LTSB keep an eye on your credit file and if they see anything they don't like (possibly too many searches or new accounts) they'll pre-decline you for their credit products until your credit file activity has fallen back in line with what they want to see.

No one can, of course, be sure of their "criteria".

HSBC are a better bank to be with and if your relationship ended with them six+ years ago, they shouldn't hold any data on your account activity from back then so you could be alright going back and getting a full account with them, instead, once your Barclays account is 12+ months old.

Either way, good luck! And whatever you do, I'd recommend against getting another basic account. Hold on to the one you've got until you can get a full account elsehwere

Dr_Cuckoo3 wrote: »

Clydesdale Bank
First Floor Kensington Court
Pynes Hill
Exeter
EX2 5TY
Tel: 01392 442500


I notice that the poster complains about branch access:question:



and then indicates that the only other bank he is interested in is First Direct , who do not have any branches:think:

Ah! I didn't know there was a Clydesdale in Exeter - although Pynes Hill (if you Google Maps it) is right out the edge of town in an industrial estate and several miles away from anywhere I'm ever likely to be for any other purpose, so unfortunately would be really inconvenient for me. Otherwise I'd seriously consider them - they've had good feedback.

And I read from several sources that First Direct account can be serviced at HSBC branches. Is this not correct?

tescomilk

izools wrote: »

I would recommend against Santander personally, you're better off with a cash card account elsewhere than a full account with them! Have you googled "Santander Complaints" lately?

Hehe yes thanks I know how bad Santandar are, but that was also part of why I applied along with the £100 switch incentive. I hoped that maybe with floods of customers leaving, and them splashing the cash then maybe they would lower the credit score and accept me for a full account. Unfortunately i'm still waiting on their decision....

izools wrote: »

The Barclays Cash Accounts appear on your credit file as full current accounts so having had yours for a while (12+ months) will help greatly.

Yes I recently noticed this on my Credit Report. It just says Barclays Current Account and nothing about being basic etc. which is great. I think timing is important here, like you said, by end of next spring my account will be over 1 year old.

izools wrote: »

Once you've held your Barclays account for 12+ months I'd recommend applying for the Lloyds TSB Classic / Vantage account. After six months of paying in £1K+ a month, leaving a running balance, and avoiding the overdraft as much as possible with LTSB they'll set pre-approved limits. These can change quite wildly month on month, much like with Next catalogue, but they are usually very generous once you've proven your worth through impeccable account conduct.

Excellent tips thanks :beer:
With regards to the setting of "pre-approved limits and scores" is there a way once I'm a LloydsTSB customer I can ask what my internal score is? Or would this be frowned upon in Branch? ...also how did you find out you had a CPD marker on your account?

izools wrote: »

HSBC are a better bank to be with and if your relationship ended with them six+ years ago, they shouldn't hold any data on your account activity from back then so you could be alright going back and getting a full account with them, instead, once your Barclays account is 12+ months old.

This did cross my mind, and I know they are a good bank but I had so much hassle with them I promised myself I would never go back. Having said that a lot of water has passed under the bridge so to speak, maybe next year I will feel different. I do really like HSBC's internal customer score system, seems very fair to me too.

izools wrote: »

Either way, good luck! And whatever you do, I'd recommend against getting another basic account. Hold on to the one you've got until you can get a full account elsehwere

Yes - this is clear to me too. I'm happy with Barclays, to the average non-mse-savvy person in the street I seem to have a normal account and my debit card (although not contactless) is really nice accepted everywhere and has a £15 buffer too. I would have considered getting another basic account and try upgrading but after what you said it seems little point, plus my repayment history on my catalogue and credit card should put in a much stonger position next year. Guess its just a waiting game.... :cool:

izools

tescomilk wrote: »

Excellent tips thanks :beer:
With regards to the setting of "pre-approved limits and scores" is there a way once I'm a LloydsTSB customer I can ask what my internal score is? Or would this be frowned upon in Branch? ...also how did you find out you had a CPD marker on your account?

You can call LTSB telephone banking and ask them "I'm interested in (taking out a credit card, loan, extended overdraft), but wanted to know if I have a limit set for that product". They'll be able to let you know if / what your pre-approved limit(s) are.

I knew I had a CPD as although Telephone Banking saw a £1,600 OD limit being available (at the time, couple of month ago) they were unable to apply an increase to the OD above the £150 I already had.

They can also let you know your risk score in branch, too, but the main thing (IMHO) is being able to call telephone banking and find out if / what your pre-approved limits are, just like with HSBC.

Good luck! :beer: