Next Credit Account

JustMyUsername

Hi all!

A question for the more learned members of Consumer Law.

I recently made a purchase from Next (some sofas if you are interested). Now for reasons I won't go into, ordering from the website did not work.

So we had to ring up Next and order it, upon trying to make the order the telephone operative stated that I had to make a £3 payment for 'security reasons', this I did not understand as I stated that I wanted to pay for the goods at the end with a credit card and didn't see the need for it.

He said that it was only for 'Security purposes' to prove the address and it would be taken off the final bill.

OK, fine I said, we ordered the goods and then at the end I discovered that what he had done is set up a 'Next Credit Account' for me, and that I would have to wait for the final bill and ring them back to pay it.

This I never agreed to.

I asked to speak to his manager who put me through to another department so that I could pay the bill off in full.

Now, I later found out that they do a credit search when they set-up the Credit Account - again this I never agreed to or knew of, no T&Cs were read out to me or anything.

I have made a complaint to Next about this and their generally crappy customer service/website etc, and they say they are dealing with it.

But what I'd like to know is, have they broken any consumer laws, and if so which ones?

It's !!!!ed me off a bit.

Many thanks for any and all responses.

dancingfairy

Sounds dreadful. :eek:.
I'd phone them and ask them to send you a copy of their complaints procedure and write a complaint to them (I have a feeling that they will take it more seriously than a phone complaint (which I guess is what you've done so far?).
I'm not sure if Trading Standards would be interested? or the OFT? I suspect for an individual case they may not be able to do anything but should certainly keep a record of it on file. Next presumably have a licence to be able to offer credit and I assume it could be revoked if there are enough serious breaches.
I don't know which specific laws etc they have broken but it is definitely dodgy. Perhaps the Consumer Credit Act?
df

arcon5

Thats some seriously underhand tactics. You should report them to Trading Standards..

RadoJo

You could ask for a copy of the recording of the phone call if they have one - might be worth a shot to prove that they failed to mention the credit account or credit check and effectively lied with their 'explanation' of the security check.

lateandlive

I can understand the idea of a security payment - stops people phoning up and having random items delivered to random people as it confirms you live there (as your card details match up etc).

As for using it to set up a credit account, I imagine they have targets their HO expects them to fulfil and the majority of people would probably just go with it when they found out and never make a fuss!

JustMyUsername

Thanks for the replies peeps!

meggsy

I also had issues with Next before Christmas trying to order dinnerware. The website worked ok for me but basically they are trying to get you to sign up to the Next Directory @ £3.95 I think it was and a credit account. I just wanted to pay and be done with it and of course this comes at the very end of the transaction so I backed out.

There was so much to read and just one small line in amongst it all which says you 'can pay by credit card' but is easily missed so at the second attempt I did manage to avoid the credit account.

Very underhand tactics imo especially to tell you the £3 was for security reasons !

The tracking facility didn't work either said it didn't recognise order number or similar, so not impressed with Next at all.

lc83

I've got a similar dilemma & don't know what to do. I'd previously had a next credit account (but not out of choice as the website forced me down this route in order to purchase the goods I wanted and haven't used it over 2years). I was given a Next voucher for Christmas, went to purchase with it and it wouldn't work. Rang the helpline where I was rudely informed that as I have a credit account with them I can only use the voucher against paying off my account and I cannot make one-off purchases, especially not with a gift card (despite the t&c's stating "This card may only be used in participating Next stores, online at next.co.uk or to pay a Next Directory account."

I don't want a credit account with Next, and can't see how this is right.

Sorry if this is a bit waffley, but I'm angry and don't know how to find a way round this. Can anyone help? thanks for your help anyone.

fluffnutter

I've read quite a few threads where people have complained that they've had credit accounts set up without their knowledge. This has invariably been done via the web and is down to a (deliberately) badly designed site, no doubt making it difficult to see what you're signing up for.

But to have this happen whilst actually speaking to someone is outrageous! Write and complain and report them to Trading Standards too.

fluffnutter

lc83 wrote: »

I've got a similar dilemma & don't know what to do. I'd previously had a next credit account (but not out of choice as the website forced me down this route in order to purchase the goods I wanted and haven't used it over 2years). I was given a Next voucher for Christmas, went to purchase with it and it wouldn't work. Rang the helpline where I was rudely informed that as I have a credit account with them I can only use the voucher against paying off my account and I cannot make one-off purchases, especially not with a gift card (despite the t&c's stating "This card may only be used in participating Next stores, online at next.co.uk or to pay a Next Directory account."

I don't want a credit account with Next, and can't see how this is right.

Sorry if this is a bit waffley, but I'm angry and don't know how to find a way round this. Can anyone help? thanks for your help anyone.

Do you owe them money?

lc83

fluffnutter wrote: »

Do you owe them money?

Thankfully no I don't owe them money it was paid off in full over 2 years ago. In the same vein I don't want to owe them money, I just want to spend my gift voucher!

I can cancel the account but would only need to create another one in order to buy off their website. I find it hard to believe that a company can get away with making people open credit accounts so that they can purchase from their website.