Halifax One entrap exisiting users to pay interest

siannsian

Having utilised free balance transfers and interest free purchase options on various credit cards, we have effectively loaned throusands of pounds over the past few years and not paid a penny interest.
We were naturally pleased to hear from Halifax One credit Card that, as our present card was due to expire, a shiny brand new card was coming our way with the added attraction of 9 months interest free credit on purchases bought with the new card. So, the new card arrived, and we purchased some windows for 650 pounds which we assumed was interest free for nine months.
The new card was mastercard, the old card was visa with a completely different serial number (although both in my name, both halifax One, and no variation in contract to be signed to accept the new card details)
The last thing we purchased on our old dusty card, was some furniture from IKEA for 506 pounds.
Today we received a statement with both transactions listed.(zero balance at beginning of month, followed by 506 IKEA and 605 for windows - total 1111 pounds outstanding balance, with estimated interst payment next month of over 11 pounds)
Ordinarily we would have paid off the full balance (506) before purchasing any other item, but the offer of 9 months free credit was an offer not to be sniffed at.
We have rung Halifax this evening and found out that if we pay 506 of the balance off this month, 50% of this will come off IKEA, 50% off the windows, so the only way we can avoid paying interest next month is by paying off the total amount of credit (650 and 506), which effectively means we have not been offered 0% on our purchase with the new card.
Surely if the two purchases in question were on different accounts the billing should be separate too?
We see this as entrapment of present customers paying interest, who think they are getting a bargain, into continuing paying accruing interest on outstanding balances.
What do you think?:mad:

siannsian

Lots of typing!

Jono

I had a similar issue when More Than "transferred" to a Lloyds card. I spend on my More Than card for the cash back, but they put it on the Lloyds card.

My reaction was that they had not told me what they were doing (in fact the More Than card should have run to the end of the month), and as such they were in the wrong. I never got my cash back, but I asked them how much "compensation" they were going to give me - after escalating to the manager i got 10 quid.

So, my question to you is, have you had it in writing that your old VISA card is going to be tranfered to the Mastercard, and if so, the date when this is going to happen. I suspect that you answer will be that you have not been informed. Simply phone them up, tell them that you have not been informed and ask what they are going to do about this. I would angle for the whole lot to be interest free and if they agree, then ask for compensation as your time is very expensive...

Let us know how you get on.

Hope this helps,

Jono

Clarety_2

siannsian wrote:

Having utilised free balance transfers and interest free purchase options on various credit cards, we have effectively loaned throusands of pounds over the past few years and not paid a penny interest.
We were naturally pleased to hear from Halifax One credit Card that, as our present card was due to expire, a shiny brand new card was coming our way with the added attraction of 9 months interest free credit on purchases bought with the new card. So, the new card arrived, and we purchased some windows for 650 pounds which we assumed was interest free for nine months.
The new card was mastercard, the old card was visa with a completely different serial number (although both in my name, both halifax One, and no variation in contract to be signed to accept the new card details)
The last thing we purchased on our old dusty card, was some furniture from IKEA for 506 pounds.
Today we received a statement with both transactions listed.(zero balance at beginning of month, followed by 506 IKEA and 605 for windows - total 1111 pounds outstanding balance, with estimated interst payment next month of over 11 pounds)
Ordinarily we would have paid off the full balance (506) before purchasing any other item, but the offer of 9 months free credit was an offer not to be sniffed at.
We have rung Halifax this evening and found out that if we pay 506 of the balance off this month, 50% of this will come off IKEA, 50% off the windows, so the only way we can avoid paying interest next month is by paying off the total amount of credit (650 and 506), which effectively means we have not been offered 0% on our purchase with the new card.
Surely if the two purchases in question were on different accounts the billing should be separate too?
We see this as entrapment of present customers paying interest, who think they are getting a bargain, into continuing paying accruing interest on outstanding balances.
What do you think?:mad:

This is exactly what has just happened to us (see previous post). My husband has spent ages on the telephone to Halifax objecting to the way the card was sold. It has resulted in a good will gesture of Halifax refunding the any interest we incur by only paying off the money we had spent on the old VISA card. We are taking the matter further....any advice on further actions to take greatly appreciated!!