Apart from Credit Cards?

SpeedyBoots

Hiya folks,

Just after some advice on options I have to build my credit rating (no matter how small etc).

I think Credit Cards are out of the question as I did have a Capital One (for bad credit) I abused a while back and I'm pretty sure none of the bad credit companies would touch me.

What else can I do folks?

SB

Trapezius

The Cashplus Credit Builder Card is a prepaid card that you pay a monthly fee for. Because you sign up for a loan for 12 months of monthly fees, when you pay them off each month it it shows that you can manage your credit as you've fully paid of a loan.

Because I'm new I can't post links, but if you Google "Creditbuilder: Cashplus Prepaid Mastercard" you should be able to find it.

SpeedyBoots

I will look at that, thanks

Any other options?

Thanks again guys and girls.

Trapezius

Oh, do you have a mobile phone contract? That may help. I found when I got my first that I could make additional payments. It cost me £10 a month, so I put on £170 when I came into some money so I could be free of the worry of it. That'd probably help.

Registering to vote helps. I think it shows stability, which is a good thing.

I hope these are also helpful.

SpeedyBoots

Just renewed my 02 contract for another 24 months on a great deal, and I have just moved so should be on the electoral role very soon.

Thanks again guys, your help is appreciated.

izools

This bad credit you mention, is it now in the past?

E.g. are your old debts now closed and settled with £NIL balances?

As if you have outstanding arrears / defaults / CCJs no amount of Credit Builders, mobile phone contracts or other such accounts will get you back on track.

The most important thing to start with is ensuring any credit agreements that still appear on your credit files either show as up to date, or closed and settled with £NIL balances.

Work on that before anything else.

Once (or if it already is) that's sorted, you shouldn't have difficulty obtaining a Vanquis card, or even Capital One again, to start rebuilding positive recent history.

Capital One have happily given me a couple of cards in the years since I defaulted on one of their cards and had the balance written into a bankruptcy order.

Cycrow

have you checked your credit files to see if there is anything bad on there ?

if you bad history is from more than 6 years ago, its likly it wont effect getting a new credit card at all. you could try something like Barclaycard Initial.

but it would really depend on whats on your credit file

xenetia

I wouldn't recommend the cashplus card, they are rubbish, they didn't tell me when the 'loan' would be applied to my card, when the payments were due and their website is appalling... took this out on the recommendation of this site to improve my credit rating and it's been a pain in the neck ever since.. today i cannot access the account or use the card and as it's a sunday no way of speaking to somebody to find out what is going on... really quite annoyed with the whole thing

matttye

xenetia wrote: »

I wouldn't recommend the cashplus card, they are rubbish, they didn't tell me when the 'loan' would be applied to my card, when the payments were due and their website is appalling... took this out on the recommendation of this site to improve my credit rating and it's been a pain in the neck ever since.. today i cannot access the account or use the card and as it's a sunday no way of speaking to somebody to find out what is going on... really quite annoyed with the whole thing

Not sure what's happened there as lots of people manage fine with it. What you're experience isn't the norm.

Thrugelmir

SpeedyBoots wrote: »

Just after some advice on options I have to build my credit rating (no matter how small etc).

What's your objective? As more to life than just the credit agencies.

gregor123

matttye wrote: »

Not sure what's happened there as lots of people manage fine with it. What you're experience isn't the norm.

I use the Creditbuilder tool as well through one of their partner cards, ClearCash. I haven't had any issues with it at all and my account works fine... i think this is a great alternative to getting a high APR card but have you tried calling their customer services to ask about the problems? whenever I have had a query, they have been quick in sorting it... plus i call the 0207 number too!! :T