Alliance & Leicester application

DAEGARR

I applied for Alliance & Leicester's Premier Direct Current account last week in order to use their 10% account. Got turned down because of a credit check- rather a shock but I'm in the process of finding out what's wrong with my credit.

Rather more shocked now to find that they have automatically set me up with their current account. The email I got refusing my original application said they were willing to "offer" me their current account, but I then get a letter through the post the next day with an account number, and since then I have received various pin numbers, been set up for internet banking, and even have received a cheque book! All for an account I have not even asked for! And I'm due a debit card in the next few days as well!

Furthermore, all the pin numbers and cheque book have been sent through general mail- not even any effort to send it by registered delivery. So anybody could have gotten hold of them.

All this despite my telephoning their offices on the day my original application was refused to find out why, and telling them not to set up a current account for me. I'm not happy and have written to their complaints department demanding that the account be closed immediately. I've also demanded a full explanation for their actions.:mad:

Has anyone else had this happen to them yet? Are Alliance & Leicester allowed to set up accounts in this way?

Daegarr

YorkshireBoy

Can't speak for the basic 'current account', but successful applicants for the Premier Direct current account are sent an 'agreement' to sign and return. This document contains your allocated 8-digit account number but NOT your sort code, which follows later.

I think a phone call is in order, but rather than going in 'all guns blazing', why not try and turn it to your advantage?

Tell them you're disappointed with your A&L experience so far and ask that, as a goodwill gesture, they overturn your initial rejection for the account you wanted.

DAEGARR wrote:

Furthermore, all the pin numbers and cheque book have been sent through general mail- not even any effort to send it by registered delivery. So anybody could have gotten hold of them.

I run 6 current accounts and 10 credit cards, and I can tell you that this is normal.

Blue_Lou

Same thing happened to my stepdad Daegarr.

I think I may follow Yorkshire Boys advice and urge him to turn it to his advantage.


The alternate complaints phone number is 141 0800 0688638. You should not need to pay to complain. However you are allowed to claim back telephone calls cost if they are to complain. (I only found that out in which magazine this week )

kambinky

My partner and I both took out an A and L account to benefit from the free travel insurance - interest rates and savings options however despite asking for Lloyds account to be transferred they never got round to it then complained that we had not put the £5oo per month in (when we had) the girl in the branch was all sympathetic and blamed it on other departments saying she would close it! We did . However we both still receive unwanted mail irrelevant to us when all we wanted was the benefits of the account as offered! Wish they would sort it out.

llktwelch

We had this to us but we wanted to change our account. But on reading this we have never signed anything in acceptance for the account. On what I have read on things like this. I don't think they ask you to sign naything because they are not offering overdrafts or credit cards.

Usually when open bank accounts the paper work is a credit agrreements and things to do with borrowing.

llkwelch

M_Thomson

DAEGARR wrote:

Got turned down because of a credit check- rather a shock but I'm in the process of finding out what's wrong with my credit.
Daegarr

Don't automatically think something is wrong with your credit. It may just be that you don't fit the profile of the type of customer they are looking for at the moment. By all means get a copy of your credit report to check everything is 100%, if it is then don't take the rejection to mean you are not creditworthy. You have just failed the criteria for Alliance & Leicester.

Blue_Lou

Okay.. I tried to turn to my advantage. I was told they couldn't overturn the initial rejection and will close the account.