Catalogue Companies - Is this legal??

System

i think they ask for your DOB just to make sure you are over 18 yrs old.

Paul_Herring

Milky_Mocha wrote: »

Why can't they have two options for issuing catalogues - one where you can request no credit search as you will pay upfront and another where you have pre-determined credit limit.

Because they're filtering their customers for 'credit-worthiness'?

Not that I'm condoning such business behaviour (you must subject yourself to a credit search before we even send you a 15,000 page catalog,) but it would be a legimatate marketing activity.

Is there a smiley for vomit? Don't answer that. Please.

i really mean that.. no. Please don't.

GeorgeUK

Couldn't resist


So that means that i may get a loan from a bank right now, but if i want to look at 3 catalogues in the runup to Christmas, i may get refused as there have been so many credit checks on my account in a short space of time which damages my credit score???

Surely they should be informing you before a credit check is made!

Milky_Mocha

Bagpuss1973 wrote: »

Probably because it is easier for them to do the checks first.

At the end of the day they are a business (I appreciate it is a hassle for you/your Mum) and they have probably lost so much in the past due to people not paying (I am not suggesting you and your Mum wouldn't - but the company do not know that)

It is the way our society is going I'm afraid. Due to a few not paying (for various reasons - have a look at the Aussie who is going to skip the Country thread!) some ligit some not everyone gets tarred with the same brush.

I would just go with the credit check - if you are upfront I cannot really see what the problem is.

I suppose there is no 'problem' if its just a credit enquiry but credit searches do in fact damage your credit worthiness and a dent in my credit record (even if its a small dent) hardly seems fair if I'm not even purchasing anything! I can't see that it would be any more difficult to do the search at the point of ordering. If they credit check you before you order then they won't have to worry about whether someone is 'legit' or not.

Another problem is that I can bet you they won't use my information only for the search. I mysteriously started receiving a load of junk mail after placing my order with Next catalogue a couple of years ago. Until then my personal/contact details had been closely guarded and I was lucky to get no junk mail.

Milky_Mocha

CHRISSYG wrote: »

i think they ask for your DOB just to make sure you are over 18 yrs old.

Nope. According to the guy on the phone, the purpose of getting the info is to run a credit check.

YorkshireBoy

Milky_Mocha wrote: »

I can't see that it would be any more difficult to do the search at the point of ordering. If they credit check you before you order then they won't have to worry about whether someone is 'legit' or not.

Glossy catalogues cost money to produce and despatch, whereas internet catalogues don't (with respect to cost per [potential] customer).

Perhaps they hope that you'll think "well, my account is set up so I suppose I may as well order something", whereas if they send you a catalogue and then make you 'jump through hoops' before you can place an order you're more likely to say "sod that, may as well go into town".