Good credit, turned down for a card

Drboo

Hi there,

I need to tart myself out a bit to give me some time to pay off my credit card debt. I currently owe around £2000 on my cards - I transfered as much as possible onto one of my cards which has a 4.9%apr for life of balance - so does the other card, but the balance started there and my 0% is running out and now goes up to 12.9%.
I wanted a 0%APR for 9 months or so, so tried to get a RBS card. I earn a decent wage (over £35,000), and although i have a couple of loans (student, Alliance and Leicester, and repayments on a car), I always pay on time. I have just moved house.
I was turned down for the card, and they sited poor credit and suggested I check Experian.
I did and score "good" - over 880 points.
They now say it may be because where we've moved to is a new build, or there were other things in the info I provided that effected my score from their point of view. If I want, they say, I can appeal by sending my bank statements from the last three months (most of which is fine, but the month I moved has left me with one month looking very ill).
So, my question is, what would you do? Do I stay where I am and pay 4.9% on £1300 and 12% on the other £1000? Do I appeal? Do I wait until I have lived here a few more months and try again? Should I try another card company now?
Ideas / advice welcome!
Thanks, Boo

YorkshireBoy

Are you on the Electoral Roll at your new address? And, more importantly, if you are - is it recorded on your CRA files.

Drboo

Hi,
Thanks for the reply. Yes, we're on the electoral role; Experian has my new address.

YorkshireBoy

Experian has my new address

But does your credit report (the £2 version or the free trial) show you as being on the Electoral Roll at your new address, ie

1, New Street, Newtown

Drboo.................................From 12/2006 to present


1, Old Street, Oldtown

Drboo.................................From 06/1999 to 12/2006


If you have a traceable (via the CRA/Electoral Roll) history going back at least 3, and better still 6, years, then I'd appeal the decision.

Include your statements, and explain away the "illness" - assuming you weren't unauthorised overdrawn?

Other factors they'll be looking at include...

Stability - time with employer, time with bank, etc
Debt - the amount you owe - across all your creditors (loans, mortgage, other cards)
Available credit - do you perhaps have some cards that have a zero balance that you should have closed down?
Credit history - all payments made on time.
Income - £35K sounds reasonable to me (depending on your outgoings not mentioned).
Financial Associations - does anyone you have a mortgage/joint current account/joint loan with have a less than perfect credit history?

Drboo

Thanks YorshireBoy - I had a look at the paperwork again and you are right, it is down as my address but it says "no names on the electoral role". :rolleyes:
I have registered with the electoral role here, but I think it takes some time to process.
So it looks like I'll wait until we've been here a few more months - I'll also have been with my company for a bit longer, which will help too, obviously.
Thanks for the advice everyone.
Boo x