Speak to a Human Being

3DOG

Hello,

I recently switched Bank Accounts from Lloyds TSB to the Halifax and was given a Halifax One credit card, I’ve been keeping an eye on the advice from Moneysaving Expert and some nine months later decided the Halifax Clarity would suit my needs better.
I applied on-line only to be refused with the message ending, it was due to the credit report from Experian, strange because I thought I was a reasonable risk.
From this site I know to get the credit report before doing anything else, so off went my £2.
While waiting for my report, my card statement arrived, I was surprised to see interest charges, as although I had only paid the minimum during the interest free period, I had thought I had paid off the outstanding balance in time.
I rang the enquiry number and asked about the interest to be told interest is charge on the outstanding debt etc, I asked the young lady to have a look at the previous statement as that was the first one to show any impending charges.
Without any prompting she said I had paid the balance in time and she would refund the charges, when asked she said she had no idea how this had happened.
While exchanging pleasantries I asked why I had been refused the Clarity card, while she was looking for a contact number she asked what the branch had said, I explained I’d applied on line. “That’s why then, you can’t have both cards, we have got an upgrade offer on I’ll do it now”.
So I’ve had my charges refunded, I’ve got the card I wanted (at a better interest rate), and I know a lot more about credit scoring.
Don’t know why but I still feel it should have been easier.
Speak to a human being.

izools

Sounds like everything went very well all the way along.

Don't really see how it could have been easier - given you can't hold two halifax cards concurrently the decline was inevitable when you applied online.

The referring you to Experian was part of default text on a failed application which will have said something like

"Unfortunately we were unable to approve your application as you failed to meet our criteria. We use a system called credit scoring which takes into account information we hold about you, information shared by group companies, and information obtained from a Credit Reference Agency, in this instance, Experian".

It wouldn't have categorically blamed the data on your credit file as the sole cause for the decline of your online application.

Anyway, all sorted now. Well done :beer:

ironlady2022

I didn't know you could only hold 1 credit card with Halifax at a time.

3DOG

Point taken, yes it did all work out in the end.

Ideally I would have liked notification during the application process either:
“You can only have one of the cards”
Or
“Your current card will be cancelled on completion”
Rather than an automatic rejection, I still have three credit cards from Lloyds TSB.
Oh yes and not being charged interest by mistake would have been nice.

Little_bit_dizzy

I agree with the OP, online is great but sometimes humans win!

Perhaps Halifax (or any other financial institution) could make it clearer that multiple cards are not allowed if indeed that is the case. I have 2 Nat West credit cards yet that has never caused NW a problem.

The Halifax website did actually stop me proceeding with an online application this morning, as an existing account I aready have could not be held in conjunction with the one I wanted to open. No word of that until I'd spent time getting best part through the online application process. Gave up with online, spoke to a human, sorted in less than 5 minutes.