new Current Account ?

v8lover

I am looking for some advice.

I am looking for a bank which may look symapthetically at someone applying for a current account. At this time I am not interested in basic accounts, as I have one of them already. At this time my credit record shows 2 defaults - one which was registered in december 2000, and the other in late 2001. I consider these to be ancient history, but obviously the banks automated systems will decline any application with such info on it.

The rest of my credit record is completely clean. I have another 6-7 credit accounts with perfect zeros for the past 2 years. I also have a perfectly maintained natwest step account for the past three years with an average monthly balance of over £1500. Natwest say they cant upgrade, which is quite frankly ridiculous.

My plan is to actually approach a bank face to face and try opening an account that way, then when it is inevitably declined, show them the backup info for appeal purposes.

Bascially, has anyone got any experiences with appealing current account opening decisions, with any degree of success ?

thanks

v8

Rafter

Ask to speak to someone more senior at NatWest.

This is obviously a case of 'computer says no!'

Other suggestions are to try someone like Nationwide - but over the counter rather than online.

They have a fairly good reputation for actually looking at the information rather than simply relying on a computer system.

Good luck.

R.

inmypocketnottheirs

I fully sympathise as I am in an indentical situation. Banks do not use common sense or excercise any discretion, as per the above post 'the computer says no'.

I have opened a current account with a cheque book and link card, so no delta/guarantee facilities, but it does have on line banking and all the usual facilities associated thereto. The problem is it is the Norwich and Perterborough Building society, so if you are not close to one of their branches then paying cash in over the counter is a pain. I transfer payments over to it from my business account on line.

Take a look at https://www.npbs.co.uk. When you apply for the account they ask that should you be refused for the full account with delta and £500 overdraft, would you accept a cheque book with Link. My account was opened without any problem.

I intend to use it on the same basis as you ahve used your Step account then ask in 6 months time if it can be upgraded.

Hope this helps!

Edited to add that both these defaults will drop iff your credit file after 6 years, so you may find it easier after the one that expires in December 06 has dissapeared.

bengal-stripe

Have the defaults of late 2000 and 2001 been paid-off in the mean time?

You can’t expect any bank to look kindly on someone who operates a scorched earth policy. If you can’t show these defaults being paid, can you blame the bank thinking, the same thing might happen again?

Wait at least a year and a bit until these defaults have fallen by the wayside.

v8lover

bengal-stripe wrote:

Have the defaults of late 2000 and 2001 been paid-off in the mean time?

You can’t expect any bank to look kindly on someone who operates a scorched earth policy. If you can’t show these defaults being paid, can you blame the bank thinking, the same thing might happen again?

Wait at least a year and a bit until these defaults have fallen by the wayside.

why did you ask a question, if in the next paragraph you were just going to assume the answer anyway ?

Of course they have been paid off. They show as satisfied on my credit report. Interestingly one of them shows as a current default, but satisfied with Experian, but with Equifax, no longer shows as a default, but has a current status of S for Settled, but a previous status of "D". It has nothing in the columns for default amount and date. I dont know what this means exactly,.