Vanquis balance transfer card - not being able to balance transfer at application stage

l.c.elliott

I have a balance i need to transfer from another credit card. I applied for a balance transfer with HSBC but without going into details, its taking FOREVER and I dont even know if I'll be accepted, so I went back onto an eligibility calculator and saw i was pre approved with vanquis. I applied and the next day I got a message saying I was approved and they were sending my card in the post. At no point in the application or approval process have they asked for details of the balance I want to transfer. I'm assuming I'll be able to request the transfer once my card has arrived? In the past when ive done balance transfers with other lenders, ive been able to do it as part of the application.

Has anyone experienced this issue of not being able to balance transfer during application stage? Have you had to wait til your card arrived? I've got a balance accruing interest so I'm keen to get it moved ASAP.

marcia_

 I have never been able to do it in application, it's always been once approved 

l.c.elliott

So after applying for a vanquis card through mse eligibility checker, when I specifically asked for a balance transfer card, I got told today thay there were no balance transfer offers available!! Like I thought the whole point of me applying was that the eligibility checker was ONLY showing me balance transfer options??

Im now panicking as I have a huge credit card balance accruing interest and cant find anyone who will let me balance transfer 😭 heard nothing from hsbc so clearly that's a lpst cause

l.c.elliott

So I applied for a balance transfer with hsbc nearly 2 weeks ago, without going into details (you can read about it on one of my previous posts if you wish), im no further forward in getting that sorted and I assume by now theyve rejected me especially as ive since found out they are very 'picky' with their customers.

So I applied for a balance transfer elsewhere with vanquis, I had been pre approved for a balance transfer credit card. Waited for it to arrive, turns out I apparently dont have a balance transfer offer on the credit card!!!! Even though when I did the eligibility calculator it was for balance transfer!!! So my only option left is 12months with a provider ive never heard of but im scared ill be rejected for that too even though ive been pre approved 😭

marcia_

HSBC are fussy they refused me.

Isthisforreal99

Do you not have some contingency should you not be able to do another balance transfer? TBH if Vanquis aren't giving you a BT offer then maybe the merry go round has ended and you need to find a way to pay down the debt quicker.

Head over ti the debt-free wannabe board.

TadleyBaggie

Sounds like you might now have a number of hard searches on your. credit record (didn't you also just do a current account switch), which isn't going to help getting further cards.

MEM62

Balance transfer offers became more restricted in recent years and you cannot rely on obtaining another one when your current one expires.  As alluded to above, you now need a plan for paying down the debt rather than just shifting it   

l.c.elliott

Update - I got a fluid card and post office card, they have 0% for 12 months and 0% 8 months respectively. Im going to spread my balance between the two of those cards. In March, I get a payout from help to save which I can use to pay off the 8 month card. The 12 month one, im hoping by November 2026 my credit rating will have recovered somewhat and I can do another balance transfer (even if its on a cresit builder card). So I feel a little more in control.

I've used balance transfer cards for years to shift debt, I've never had this bother before so it is very clear how much more difficult it has become to shift balances 😢