Confused about HSBC & Halifax rejection!

JuliaJolie

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could maybe shed some light on this (please!)...last week I applied for the in-branch HSBC credit card (0% purchases for 12 months). I didn't want to BT, just use it for a holiday coming up soon and was intending to pay it off within a couple of months. The lady who tried to open the account called the next day and said I was rejected, but there was nothing wrong with my credit rating - she said it was "perfectly fine", but that there was a "history of late payments" (one on my barclaycard, a day late this month - did not realise when I was applying, and one on my mastercard, two days late in march). Is this common for people to be rejected because of two late payments on different cards?

Also, in February I opened an ISA at Halifax, depositing a fairly large amount in there - the account manager said he would try to get me an ISA card, just used to withdraw money from the account and nothing more, not a credit card or anything He didn't tell me he had to do a credit search, but it turns out he did as he said I was declined! Again - is this common to be rejected for a card used to draw out your own money with no overdraft facility?...

I've got an account with Experian - it shows 0s in everything for the past few months. Even though the lady at HSBC said my credit report was fine, there are still mistakes on there - my mum has the same initials as me, resulting in four of her store cards/credit cards being on my report with her DOB for some reason. I do still live with my parents, but I don't have any joint finances with them (otherwise I'd wonder why my dad's credit accounts aren't listed). I will definitely be contacting Experian anyway to have these removed, but if my credit rating is not a problem, how can I "rebuild" it so I won't get rejected for credit again?

I don't have huge balances on my cards, I don't have a mortgage or loans, CCJs etc...I had 3 missed payments on a credit card almost a year ago but everything has been on time (apart from the last two late payments I mentioned) since then. I'm a bit worried as I thought I was maintaining a fairly good credit history, as I wanted to apply for a Career Development Loan for my postgrad next summer, but I'm scared of the idea of being turned down when I have good credit. I'm quite wary of ever applying for another credit card any time soon - thinking of Virgin MBNA, but concerned about the last two rejections.

I know I shouldn't compare, but a friend of mine, in exactly the same living situation as me but earning slightly less, told me she defaulted on one of her credit cards early this year, but then two months later she was approved for two additional credit cards and a largeish loan.

Sorry this post was so long! Does anyone have any ideas?...

Mozette

Make sure you're on the electoral roll, get the confusion with your Mother sorted out. From reading these boards, Capital One seem to be a bit more lenient, so you may want to try them. Other than that, there is the thing about having too much available credit, so make sure that you don't have too much available to you. But they do seem to be a law unto themselves anyway...

JuliaJolie

Thanks Mozette I am shown as being on the electoral roll, and I've been at my address and with my bank for over 10 years...I might try Capital One but I think I'll leave it for a few months, don't want too many footprints on my record, and they're not huge balances anyway. I did speak to Experian today and they said they'll contact me in writing within 28 days. Hopefully it'll sort out...!