Don't trust the Fluid Card soft search

***trumpeter***

Martin's monthly email praises the Fluid card for allowing you to pre-apply without marking your credit file. I tried it. It said yes. I applied. It said,

"Unfortunately on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful. We will email you shortly to confirm this.

To ensure that you receive all email communications about your application, add mbnaapplication@mbnaapply.co.uk to your email Address Book or Safe List.

Should your circumstances change we may consider you again in the future. Please wait 6 months before applying when we look forward to hearing from you again."

No further comment required!

BugsyBrowne

Always check your credit files first before using soft searches.

RichL74

Yeah, there must be something on one of your credit reports or not on the electoral roll, that kind of thing.

***trumpeter***

My point was that the soft search is misleading... a complete waste of time, in fact.

Best wishes, Neil

RichL74

Not at all, its not pointless, there must be something on your credit report that is causing it.

BugsyBrowne

RichL74 wrote: »

Not at all, its not pointless, there must be something on your credit report that is causing it.

It was pointless for the OP as the soft search said he would qualify for the fluid card and when applied was declined.

So it was very misleading from his point.

RichL74

Yeah I guess so.

blitzboy

BugsyBrowne wrote: »

It was pointless for the OP as the soft search said he would qualify for the fluid card and when applied was declined.

So it was very misleading from his point.

It says 'a good chance' of being accepted. It doesnt say it is guaranteed. Its the same as moneysupermarket's 'out of 10' guide for liklihood of acceptance, just a guide before the full checks are carried out

If 'soft searches' could give you a definite answer then no one would ever need to have more than 1 search on their file. But they cant.

RichL74

It's like a game of Russian roulette.

benroles

I had a similar thing but upon phoning was told it's because I had 2 MBNA cards already (one with a loyalty promo on actually offering 0% again for 12 months). Aparantly the true decision takes this in to account (i.e. MBNA not wanting to have a single person with too many MBNA cards) whereas the soft search purely looks at your credit record. Thus you may well get a 'yes' on soft and a 'no' in reality.

Of course, if you don't hold any MBNA cards and got the yes / no combo it must be down to another, still unknown, factor.

The_White_Horse

i applied and was accepted. I have never been refused a credit care. I have loads. usually left overs from continually shifting 0% balance transfers. I am beginning to worry that my available credit may count against me - must be well over £100k now. However, I have a zero balance on them all except the one I use day to day and the current one I have on 0%. The Fluid is to be my next 0% BT card. I will transfer from my current one (Barclaycard) and then that will have a zero balance.

I never close them down. no reason. just laziness and the hope they may have a deal one day for "existing customers".