M&S haggle for higher limit anyone?

StarX_2

As per subject, has anyone successfully increased their limits with M&S and how did you do it? Did you just ring them? Does it require a new credit agreement to be sent out and signed (they are extremely slow and I fear the one month to make the transfer may expire in the meantime).

THX
SX

fatboyonadiet

I asked but was refused

declanmcc

Personally, I found the application process a bit strange for the M&S credit card. I received a letter stating that my application had been accepted and to sign and return the agreement form. However, nowhere was the credit limit for the card stated. This evening - I rang their call centre and my credit limit couldn't be disclosed - basically because they didn't know what it was! I've applied for Egg and Virgin credit cards before and, as far as I've been aware, been informed of the credit limit before signing any agreement.

I informed the guy I was chatting to that I had a balance to transfer to the card - and that I don't want to receive the card and then find out the credit limit is no good to me - and then be left with a card I'd rather not have.

Is this normal practice? Should you be informed of your credit limit before you sign an agreement?

pinkonion

Could it be a case of if you need to ask beforehand bells would start ringing at their end?

momsgill

If you have a good credit score and always pay your card bill totally you will have more chance of increasing your credit limit. In fact, I have always cleared my Marks and Spencer card in full and they kept on putting up my credit limit. I now have a 3.9% life of balance transfer with no fee but will not use it for anything else until I have cleared the BT.

I think you will have a higner credit limit if you have been using the card for some time.

andyspencerj

i tried a few times to increase my limit and after being asked a few questions like household income i was rejected. On one of my requests the advisor asked if i wanted to appeal against the decision by being transfered to an underwriter, based at the &more h/o in chester (original advisor was based in india). After running a credit check they increased my limit

simonleblank

I have been accepted for more card. Have not got the card yet but my 9m @ 0% started 11 May. Asked on phone if i could BT. Said no, have to wait for the card, then bt takes minimum 7 days to process!. How is this 9m @ 0%?

Pricy147

Apart from the aweful customer services (India CSR taking half hour to conduct a balance transfer and unable to answer any questions), I was well impressed with this card.

Accepted 0% for 9 months, and an initial credit limit of 5k. Thats my fifth highest limit out of 12 cards I have. I have over 90k available credit, and over 50k stoozed at present - so to get a credit limit like that is excellent under the circumstances. Most cards either refuse now, or give 2/3k limits at most.

Cant complain! Plus no balance transfer fee!

cloud_dog

...........and you can BT up to your full credit limit.

sly_dog_jonah

The promotional 0% balance transfers expire 9 months after the date of the transaction, not from account opening date. So you should get the full 9months, simonleblank. Its only the 9months 0% purchases period that starts from the card opening date (not activation I understand). The 30 day window for making 0% BTs also starts on account opening date.

I was a bit concerned though that the automated activation line only required my DOB as security verification (other than the numbers appearing on the card itself). It wouldn't have been difficult for someone intercepting my mail to work that out! Surely a human activation line would be better where they confirmed more details that you provided on your application?

Anyhow, after activation I stayed on the line to be put through to an operator to do a BT. I asked if I could increase my limit from 3k to 5k to enable a larger BT. He put a request into the system but it was turned down because they had no payment history on the account. He said I should be able to get a rise after 6 months, so I just BT'd the full amount for now. Any increase after 6 months won't be useful for BTs, but might be useful for 3 months of 0% purchases, and in the meantime I can use it for purchases after each minimum payment has been made. He was also able to confirm my minimum payment DD mandate had been set up (although I'd already seen this listed on my cahoot direct debits page). The operator was very knowledgeable and addressed all my questions, I couldn't work out where he was based but he provided a good service. He even warned that payments to the account would first be applied to the cheapest balances.