JaJa credit card unexplained closure of account

thanksmartin

MattMattMattUK said:

thanksmartin said:

Both me and my partner had this closure email. Furious, my partner raised a complaint and 1 week later got 3-4 page letter saying nothing more to explain their decision. I suspect their reason is to do with stopping the free exchange rates on spending abroad. I expect it only affect customers transferred from the post office. I am about to complain to them and get my 3-4 page of nothing, at least it will inconvenience them just as it has me.

Why choose to be furious and waste time complaining? It is a commercial decision, just use and/or apply for a different card and move on.

Furious, because no reason given, inconvenience caused, effect on credit rating if new card application refused, loss of the built up credit limit with existing supplier. We don't all want to live in state of never ending uncertainty, which could occur if this practice is adopted by our financial institutions.

owitemisermusa

owitemisermusa said:

Ach! Got the email too.

I have a positive balance, from a recent refund. Guess I have to spend it or will they automatically pay me out?

Shame as I use it for most of my online shopping and overseas spend. Used to feel good to sock it to paypal when they try to get me to pay using their forex rate, lol!

Damn, I need another fee free holiday/overseas spending card....

Funny thing, I wonder if they've blocked some online transactions.

I tried to pay for something online, about €500, but it wouldn't go through. Tried using paypal (linked to the Jaja card) and directly but failed about 5/6 times. Worked with another card so I thought maybe Jaja is blocking stuff.

Anyone else have this experience?

MattMattMattUK

thanksmartin said:

MattMattMattUK said:

thanksmartin said:

Both me and my partner had this closure email. Furious, my partner raised a complaint and 1 week later got 3-4 page letter saying nothing more to explain their decision. I suspect their reason is to do with stopping the free exchange rates on spending abroad. I expect it only affect customers transferred from the post office. I am about to complain to them and get my 3-4 page of nothing, at least it will inconvenience them just as it has me.

Why choose to be furious and waste time complaining? It is a commercial decision, just use and/or apply for a different card and move on.

Furious, because no reason given, inconvenience caused, effect on credit rating if new card application refused, loss of the built up credit limit with existing supplier. We don't all want to live in state of never ending uncertainty, which could occur if this practice is adopted by our financial institutions.

You will not ever get a reason, it is a commercial decision, you no longer meet their lending criteria, that is it. The inconvenience hardly exists, you eithet use another card or apply for a new one which takes less than five minutes. Your credit rating is a meaningless number, pay no attention to it, if you expect to be declined any new cards though that may well factor in to why your account was closed.

Finally, all our financial institutions operate on this basis, they lend based on risk profiles and their appetite for risk, they close accounts which move outside of the risk profile they are happy with. Any financial institutions can close your account at any time and they do not have to (and never do) give a reason.

KittenChops

owitemisermusa said:

owitemisermusa said:

Ach! Got the email too.

I have a positive balance, from a recent refund. Guess I have to spend it or will they automatically pay me out?

Shame as I use it for most of my online shopping and overseas spend. Used to feel good to sock it to paypal when they try to get me to pay using their forex rate, lol!

Damn, I need another fee free holiday/overseas spending card....

Funny thing, I wonder if they've blocked some online transactions.

I tried to pay for something online, about €500, but it wouldn't go through. Tried using paypal (linked to the Jaja card) and directly but failed about 5/6 times. Worked with another card so I thought maybe Jaja is blocking stuff.

Anyone else have this experience?

I've only used mine once for a 'not in person' transaction a few days after I received the email, and that went through fine (just shy of £500).

My husband has a JaJa card on my account - ever since it was transferred from PO to JaJa, he has never been able to use it online / over the phone, only in person.  I did call them about this (maybe late 2021) & they refused to acknowledge there was a problem.

kipsterno1

Our postie has just delivered this which made me laugh,

WillPS

kipsterno1 said:

Our postie has just delivered this which made me laugh,

Why? Seems a sensible bit of marketing to me; if Post Office still have records indicating customers previously held a BoI co-branded product, which they now understand to be about to be closed enmasse...

kipsterno1

WillPS said:

kipsterno1 said:

Our postie has just delivered this which made me laugh,

Why? Seems a sensible bit of marketing to me; if Post Office still have records indicating customers previously held a BoI co-branded product, which they now understand to be about to be closed enmasse...

Because I found it funny.

Karen_Cardiff

I was also moved from Post Office to Jaja. I took the card out originally to use abroad but now regularly use. Like many others they have now decided to close my account. Perhaps it is because I use for lots of small transactions, although they add up to at least £100 - £200 per month. Disgusted, no explanation as to why I am less desirable than my Mother who also has a card with them. Now got a Barclaycard Rewards card based on MSE's recommendations for cards to use abroad and so far happy with the alternative but will test in the EU next month.

WillPS

Karen_Cardiff said:

I was also moved from Post Office to Jaja. I took the card out originally to use abroad but now regularly use. Like many others they have now decided to close my account. Perhaps it is because I use for lots of small transactions, although they add up to at least £100 - £200 per month. Disgusted, no explanation as to why I am less desirable than my Mother who also has a card with them. Now got a Barclaycard Rewards card based on MSE's recommendations for cards to use abroad and so far happy with the alternative but will test in the EU next month.

Your mother will probably also be getting a similar notification, unless she is deemed to be profitable.

CliveOfIndia

Karen_Cardiff said:

Like many others they have now decided to close my account....Disgusted, no explanation as to why I am less desirable than my Mother

There really is no need to be "disgusted", it's a marketing decision, pure and simple.  It's nothing personal.

All lenders will have an "ideal customer" profile, which can vary enormously from one lender to another - although the details of what an "ideal profile" looks like are, understandably, highly confidential.

Maybe JaJa have just decided, for whatever reason, to only retain "ideal" customers.

Karen_Cardiff said:

Now got a Barclaycard Rewards card based on MSE's recommendations for cards to use abroad and so far happy with the alternative but will test in the EU next month.

As you've discovered, it's a simple matter to apply for another (and arguable "better") card from a different lender.  I do find it puzzling why so many folk are getting so het up over this - it is, at worst, a slight inconvenience.