Vanquis asking for employer name and address

ange24uk

Hi, apologies if this is a really thick question, but I received an "invitation to apply" for a Vanquis card by post. I filled it in, with basic details and sent it off.
Got an email saying to call them to check "further information" - called them and they asked me:
Spelling of surname, 1st line of address, DOB, mobile and work phone number - which I said I don't give out - they said fine.
Annual Household income - only me working so I gave total gross wages, plus tax credits and child benefit.
Asked me job title.
Then they asked me for Employer name and address - alarm bells rang i.e. if I told them what it was they could google it immediately, get my work number and start "checking my details with my boss" and potentially using that contact number for marketing / harassment purposes!!
They said they wouldn't ring, but then said they would need to ring them to "verify who I was"!! So they lie to get the info out of people!!
Also, if my boss had told them my wages, they would wonder why I did't say the rest was tax credits etc - although they didn't ask how much of it was wages.
I told them they weren't having the info as I am not allowed to take personal calls at work (not as I want them ringing me at work anyway!), and I certainly don't want my personal business being given to my boss as it's none of their business if I apply for a credit card - and with it being Vanquis, my boss would know I had a bad credit history!!
They then said they would need my bank details as well, or they couldn't progress the application!
I told them no way and I wanted to cancel the application immediately and have all my details deleted and not passed onto anyone. I was very suspicious it may be either a scam, or just a way to get my phone number to harass me/sell on.
So, I have a few questions if anyone can advise please -
1. Will they delete my details as asked and not pass them on?
2. Did I do the right thing by being paranoid and not giving info, or is this "standard info" Vanquis and all other card companies demand nowadays?? I don't remember ever giving employment details to apply for credit before!!
3. Does the fact that Vanquis sent me an application form in the first place, mean my credit history isn't as bad as I thought??

thegoodman

Most if not all credit card companies will ask you for your work name and address. Also can check, not always, with the place of work to confirm your income as well as to make sure you are working.
It's the card company giving you the credit so it make sense.
1. After a few months info get removed. The credit search will stay for a year.
2. The credit companies do ask for employment info.
3. Not until you get the card.

immoral_angeluk

If a total stranger called your work and started asking personal details, I would HOPE that most sensible employers who abide by the data protection would not give out any information without your authority.
I've always given my employer's details on applications and not once had anyone call my work.
I'd think they want this information to A) Risk assess you and have an alternative contact should you default.

jamesd

It's routine information that you can expect to be asked for every time you apply for a credit card. Card companies will, at most, phone and ask to speak to you, once, but even that has never happened to me for a card.

What an employer does is let them check income levels likely in that work against what they have seen before. They will also know to factor in tax credits and such.

TrueUnitedFan

I'm sure if you made a credit application, and on it you said you earned like 100k a year. Surely a company cannot phone up your place of work and confirm how much your earning, that's sensitive data and you should be able to sue your company if they gave out any personal information about yourself unless you give permission from yourself or the person asking has the authority to obtain the information.

duchesspink1

I'd have a problem with them wanting my work phone number as frankly I'd not want any personal calls at work and certainly not ones about my credit status or loans etc.

I think its normal for them to ask for place of employment and employers address etc but I would be very uncomfortable giving the workplace number in case they rang me there

Road_Hog

TrueUnitedFan wrote: »

I'm sure if you made a credit application, and on it you said you earned like 100k a year. Surely a company cannot phone up your place of work and confirm how much your earning, that's sensitive data and you should be able to sue your company if they gave out any personal information about yourself unless you give permission from yourself or the person asking has the authority to obtain the information.

Really it does happen. Many years ago, when I had a promotion to management at work (one of the top 50 biggest companies in the world), I had to relocate, for which the company was going to pay my relocation expenses, including a rental property until I found somewhere to buy.

I remember ringing the lettings agency up (who I'd found a property through), to say where to send the faxed request through for my employment details and salary (I would pay the rent and claim it back). Only to be told, that they had already contacted my company (I'd already told them who I worked for) and got through to HR, who'd confirmed my employment and salary details directly to them, without consulting me first.

Don't ever believe that your details are kept secret.

chanz4

I have given my work number on every application, for one it looks better and secondly they never call

Roland_Sausage

I gave my work number when I signed up for the Barclaycard 0% card a couple of months ago.

A couple of months later my boss informed me that there had been one of those automated fraud checking calls wanting me to confirm that a transaction was genuine. (My boss had pressed the option to say he wasn't the account holder, and the call was made again to my mobile).

I don't particularly want these calls coming to my boss's phone so logged into my account to remove this number from my personal details and it doesn't even show in there - just has fields for home and mobile numbers.

Catherine_Johnson_2

duchesspink1 wrote: »

I'd have a problem with them wanting my work phone number as frankly I'd not want any personal calls at work and certainly not ones about my credit status or loans etc.

I think its normal for them to ask for place of employment and employers address etc but I would be very uncomfortable giving the workplace number in case they rang me there

So, let me get this straight....you'd give them your employer's name and address but not the phone number?

You don't think they might just be able to look it up?

creditcardhelp11

They only want the number so they can chase you if you default.