Problem with potential catalogue account

Lou67

Hi. I posted this on another board, but was advised to post it here. Hope someone can advise me

I am a bankrupt and so is my partner. We did it together. (Nov 2010) But we paid everything we had to in life for 30 years before it, and since then, we have paid our rent early every month, and all our bills etc...

OK, here is the issue: I applied for a Studio Cards Catalogue last August (almost a year after we went bankrupt) and they didn't send one, so I enquired why, and they said it was the credit rating. I was disappointed but did understand.

I didn't bother this year as I knew I would be probably turned down.

Then out of the blue, 3 weeks ago, I got a 'mini-catalogue' from Studio, with a letter enclosed, saying "Dear Ms Jones, please find enclosed, your Studio catalogue, for you to enjoy perusing." They gave me an order form - with my name and address pre-printed, and a first order code, and said I have £80 to spend today!

I did ring them to check it was definitely OK, as I had been turned down previously, and the woman on the phone, said that as it had been almost 2 years now since my bankruptcy, my credit rating would be starting to heal by now, and they were giving me the chance to order with a small bit of credit. I was delighted, as I did want a few things, and it would help my credit rating.

So I went to the catalogue and ordered a few things (£35 worth) and sent off the order form.

Then a week later (Monday this week) I got a letter from someone at Studio, saying 'thank you for your order, however, I am sorry to tell you that it has not been accepted!' The letter went on to say that it was down to the credit rating!

So why the bloomin heck did they send me the ruddy catalogue then?! With an offer to order something, and "£80 to spend today." They sent it to ME, I didn't ask for it, and then they rejected me!

I rang the helpline to find out why, and they basically had NO answer. The guy just said oh yeah it's your credit rating' and I said 'but you sent it to me with an offer to order, and the woman I spoke to said my credit rating was 'healing' and this is probably why they were offering me the chance of an account now!' He had no answer: just that 'my name was on file...' but surely, the only record they would have of me, would be me applying last August and being rejected because of my credit rating!

It was a total kick in the teeth and quite upsetting actually. Does anyone know why this happened? Why send me a catalogue which I DIDN'T request (on this occasion) and an order form and £80 to spend etc, and then let me order and then say 'nah actually, you're not worthy after all!' I am actually quite peed off and a little hurt!

I am also worried that it will leave a BLIP on my credit file. That is, applying (because they encouraged me to!) and being rejected will make it look like I was trying to gain credit, when it was THEM who approached me!

Lou67

*bump*

kermitfrog

Bump?????? After 55 minutes??????

Lou67

kermitfrog wrote: »

Bump?????? After 55 minutes??????

Yes. So? Can you offer advice or are you just posting to have a go at me for bumping my post up? Anyone would think I bumped it up after 5 minutes!

arcon5

Not really much you can do to be honest. Their systems will be automated.

Can't you purchase on a pre-payment basis? Perhaps this is why they send them out, in the hope you'll pay instead..

Lou67

arcon5 wrote: »

Not really much you can do to be honest. Their systems will be automated.

Can't you purchase on a pre-payment basis? Perhaps this is why they send them out, in the hope you'll pay instead..

Thanks Arcon...

However, is this even possible? They did made it clear that I had to "send no money now"