Halifax 36 Mnth Card accepted......or have I??

LoidPhil

Coming towards the end of my current balance transfer deal, I used the MSE "soft search" tool to assess my chances of being accepted by another card provider. I was pleased to find that my current bank (Halifax) were amongst the most likely to accept my application, and so it proved - applied last night and was accepted.....or I thought I had been.

I was told (on the screen) that I'd been approved, including what my credit limit was, and there was no indication this was subject to any further checks - just before this "decision screen" appeared the holding screen indicated that a credit check was being carried out so I assumed the decision was final.

Any way I was now asked to setup a direct debit and then to enter my balance transfer requirements. The balance I need to transfer is a little under the maximum that the screen told me was permitted, so I entered the full amount I need to transfer and details of the credit card I want to transfer a balance from. When I progressed beyond the page I was just expecting a screen with the usual blurb about the card being with me within x working days, but instead I get another holding screen with a message about a credit check. This culminated in a message saying that I had to take 2 forms of id (one for address, the other for name) to my local Halifax branch.

I'm now not at all sure whether I've been accepted or not. It wasn't clear at all whether the request for id was merely a formality of the application acceptance, or whether the application remains under consideration.

I've applied for my fair share of credit over the years but have never encountered anything like this, even more baffling given the fact that I bank with them. Has this ever happened to anyone else, or can anyone shed any light on whether this is a formality or otherwise?

SuperHan

I would imagine it's a formality, but they will reserve the right to decline your application following the ID checks.

I just applied for a Lloyds CC and I was only given a provisional limit, even though I got to the sending the card out screen. I imagine they have some final checks to do, so could reduce that limit if they came back not as expected.

gingercordial

LoidPhil wrote: »

This culminated in a message saying that I had to take 2 forms of id (one for address, the other for name) to my local Halifax branch.

... even more baffling given the fact that I bank with them...

Halifax seem rather obsessed with re-checking ID, in my experience. I've held three current accounts with them for years, but when I opened a Clarity credit card about six months ago I had to go in with two forms of ID. Then I asked for an additional card for my partner about two months later, and we had to go in with ID as well for both of us. Then I opened a regular saver a month ago, and had to go in with ID again. Even the cashier was a bit baffled at that one.