Next directory suspended credit account

mrsmitch01

I don't know if I'm on the right forum, but hey here goes:
After trying for years, Next finally gave me a credit account with £150 credit limit. Bearing in mind that me and my husband were both unemployed at the time and my credit score prob wasn't great at the time. I ordered items, sent most of it back and paid my account before the due date every month, all be it delivery charges I was mostly paying off, they then after about 6 months suspended my credit account. Without any written warning, no emails or phone calls. When I called them to query this, they said they had been checking the credit reference agencies and noticed bad credit. Are they allowed to run a search on your credit file without your consent?? I have other mail order accounts and have done so for 18 years and this has never happened before. Ever. They're still adding interest to my account every month, even though I can't use the facility!!! I have emailed them again today, at their resolutions department and I have also sent a complaint to the direct marketing commission who deal with these things. It's completely unfair what Next do, and from Google 'ing' this matter, it seems quite common. Has this happened to you and how did you resolve it?

LongTallKatie

I hate NEXT because you can't even open an account to pay and order online upfront without them doing a credit check. It really is out of order.

tomtontom

They've decided they no longer want your custom, which is fair enough, a contract is a two way agreement. How much did you send back in comparison to what you kept? Their interest rate is very high so if you still have anything outstanding you should pay it off as quickly as possible.

hollydays

Continue to pay your account on time, don't miss a payment date and maybe they will revise their opinion eventually? Maybe they won't too.

Paully232000

mrsmitch01 wrote: »

I don't know if I'm on the right forum, but hey here goes:
After trying for years, Next finally gave me a credit account with £150 credit limit. Bearing in mind that me and my husband were both unemployed at the time and my credit score prob wasn't great at the time. I ordered items, sent most of it back and paid my account before the due date every month, all be it delivery charges I was mostly paying off, they then after about 6 months suspended my credit account. Without any written warning, no emails or phone calls. When I called them to query this, they said they had been checking the credit reference agencies and noticed bad credit. Are they allowed to run a search on your credit file without your consent?? I have other mail order accounts and have done so for 18 years and this has never happened before. Ever. They're still adding interest to my account every month, even though I can't use the facility!!! I have emailed them again today, at their resolutions department and I have also sent a complaint to the direct marketing commission who deal with these things. It's completely unfair what Next do, and from Google 'ing' this matter, it seems quite common. Has this happened to you and how did you resolve it?

You gave consent when you ordered the items. From the Next T&Cs:

'We will make periodic searches of group records and credit reference agencies to manage your Next Credit Account, to take decisions regarding credit, including whether to make credit available or to continue or extend existing credit'.

The-Truth

mrsmitch01 wrote: »

Are they allowed to run a search on your credit file without your consent??

You would have given your consent at some point when agreeing to terms and conditions.

What's more bizarre though is that you have opened an account for credit and then have been surprised that at some point a search for credit score has been run!

fairy_lights

LongTallKatie wrote: »

I hate NEXT because you can't even open an account to pay and order online upfront without them doing a credit check. It really is out of order.

I hate this too, I'd quite like to buy things from next online sometimes, particularly their homeware, but I have no desire to open a credit account with them and don't want anyone doing unnecessary credit checks on me just so I can buy a bedlinen set!
Why can't they just let people buy things online, upfront, like every single other shop does these days??

mrsmitch01

I understand what you're saying, but they should notify in advance when suspending your account and also shouldn't be applying interest on it either. This company doesn't seem to have many fans when it comes to their practices. Maybe they should review them! Also, do they really expect us to remember all the small print?!

SnowTiger

mrsmitch01 wrote: »

I understand what you're saying, but they should notify in advance when suspending your account and also shouldn't be applying interest on it either. This company doesn't seem to have many fans when it comes to their practices. Maybe they should review them! Also, do they really expect us to remember all the small print?!

It's standard practice for companies who offer credit to check credit files.

If they notified a customer in advance that they intended to close/suspend an account the customer might spend up to their limit before it happened.

The interest you pay is for past purchases. Why shouldn't they charge it?

tomtontom

mrsmitch01 wrote: »

I understand what you're saying, but they should notify in advance when suspending your account and also shouldn't be applying interest on it either. This company doesn't seem to have many fans when it comes to their practices. Maybe they should review them! Also, do they really expect us to remember all the small print?!

With predicted annual profits of £800 million I'd say you're wrong on that.

wealdroam

mrsmitch01 wrote: »

Also, do they really expect us to remember all the small print?!

Of course you don't have to remember the small print.

But it is important to remember that the small print still applies, even if you have forgotten it.