Pre approved and a few hours later not 🤔

Libluvzsuzy

Hi!
I’m so bemused at the moment…so I’ve been working extremely hard to repair & build my credit rating, in order to hopefully get a mortgage, i have a couple of catalogue and utility accounts in good standing, but a couple of defaults too, dropping off this year though.
So my credit isn’t great!! But i kept checking my eligibility for a credit card on comparable sites, and up until 4am last night, i was alway’s not eligible to apply for any, i couldn’t sleep & that’s why i decided to have a check, anyway i was pre approved for several! Was pleasantly surprised, decided to go ahead & try for the post office card, passed there eligibility…then all checks & approved, signed agreement, set up direct debit & had an e mail saying my card is on it’s way.
I went back to sleep anyway and out of curiosity i’ve bern checking my results on comparison sites and i’m literally not eligible to apply for any card, absolutely nothings changed on my credit files, was only the space of a few hours! How could i have been eligible for a credit card, but a few hours later not? So curious & would really appreciate any insight xx

[Deleted User]

Lender criteria constantly change and all the comparison sites give different results depending on who's paying them the most and what assumptions they're making re your eligibility.

You'll get a better idea by using lenders' own eligibility checkers.

Penguin_

Wiser heads than me will be along but you have got a card on the way & applying so many times in a short space makes you seem credit hungry which isn't a good thing.

Libluvzsuzy

Hi Penguin
I never apply as i’m never usually eligible, this one said i was pre approved and that’s why i gave it a go, was genuinely surprised to be approved! Wont be applying for anymore as i know this can hurt my score.

[Deleted User]

Don't worry about the score- that has no bearing on anything. A couple of applications will have minimal impact on how lenders view you.

But perhaps wait until you've got into the habit of using the first card properly before you go for additional ones.

MovingForwards

You applied for a card, therefore the risk has changed and no additional options were available. It's normal and you shouldn't take it personally.

Use your new card, pay it off in full each month and start building positive credit history. 

magpies79

MovingForwards said:

You applied for a card, therefore the risk has changed and no additional options were available. It's normal and you shouldn't take it personally.

Use your new card, pay it off in full each month and start building positive credit history. 

It’s pretty much this once you applied and was excepted your situation and circumstances have changed thus no longer making you eligible for other products that you once were when you had no credits cards.

The good news is you’ve got one as more knowledge people will tell you on here, use it pay it off in full set up a direct debit payment to ensure you never miss a payment and hopefully in good time more credit options will become available to you which could be an increase in your credit limit with your current card or other cards being offered.

MalMonroe

A similar thing happened to me in January. I did a soft search with a credit card company (not sure I can say who as it went to the Ombudsman in the end!) and they even sent me a credit card agreement by email - not a copy but a real agreement. Next thing, they said I wasn't eligible. So some communication with them ensued and I asked them to remove the hard search from my credit report. They refused. So I went to the Financial Ombudsman. It may seem trivial but I wanted the CC company know that it isn't fair to send out agreements and then retract an offer. 

The FO decided in my favour and the CC company had to remove the hard search from my report and they sent me an apology. No compensation of any kind but that wasn't what I wanted. I just wanted them to stop treating potential customers in that way. Naturally I won't apply to them again but I will be very careful in future about applying for credit.

ItsComingRome

MalMonroe said:

A similar thing happened to me in January. I did a soft search with a credit card company (not sure I can say who as it went to the Ombudsman in the end!) and they even sent me a credit card agreement by email - not a copy but a real agreement. Next thing, they said I wasn't eligible. So some communication with them ensued and I asked them to remove the hard search from my credit report. They refused. So I went to the Financial Ombudsman. It may seem trivial but I wanted the CC company know that it isn't fair to send out agreements and then retract an offer. 

The FO decided in my favour and the CC company had to remove the hard search from my report and they sent me an apology. No compensation of any kind but that wasn't what I wanted. I just wanted them to stop treating potential customers in that way. Naturally I won't apply to them again but I will be very careful in future about applying for credit.

I absolutely 100% can say that your complaint won't have changed the way they "treat" their customers."  If something crops up post-application they'll shut it down faster than you can say whataloadofoldcobblers.

And your situation is nothing like the OP's anyway.

Alex9384

A bit different thing, but Amex sent me a letter saying I'm eligible for a limit increase. So I went online and tried to increase it but it was declined because I wasn't eligible. I tried about 3 months later and got approved.

John1429

I would think that all the cards you saw that pre approved you were all Capital One UK  lenders with different names. Post Office, Thinkmoney, etc credit cards.  Once preapproved for one Capital One lender then others would disappear immediately off list of approved cards.