Egg Blue - credit check?

newsmonkey

I've been an Egg Green customer since January and am thinking of applying for the Blue, but can't really afford to have another credit check to my name.

Do Egg perform checks when existing customers ask for the Blue card? The T+C seems to suggest so:

"To help us make this decision we will: Credit score and assess your financial information carefully; Make credit references, identity, fraud and other enquiries (as appropriate) about you. You agree and understand that we can carry out credit reference and fraud prevention agency searches against your name and that those agencies will give us any information they hold about you."

Anyone tell of their experiences applying for Blue? Especially interested in hearing from people with low incomes who've succeeded/failed in getting this card.

Hobo_2

Hi,i applied after reducing green card balance to nil when initial 0% period ended, accepted £5K thats with £15K green credit limit.

klondyke

They are really weird! I had an invite to get the blue card with a smallish but adequate credit limit mentioned in the message, so off I went, as they requested, to 'just tell them I wanted one'.

'Just need to check your details', it chirped.' That's when the trouble started - ie it, reasonably enough wanted to confirm the account used for dd. Usually they want just a/c number and sort code, which I had to hand anyway. Then it wanted account holders' names. Fair enough, but they only have 16 spaces and the full names won't fit. Desperately trying to remember precisely how we had abbreviated the info to fit, I was repeatedly admonished that no, that wasn't what they had. Another permutation - and phew, it went through and recognised me. BUT, up popped a message saying words to the effect that my details had changed so they were only going to give x credit limit - about half of the initial invite offer. (I am slightly vague here as the message lterally popped into view, never to be seen again, so I even wondered if I dreamt it.) Naturally I assumed that this message was because the software thought I had changed bank account. Whatever .... I didn't want to pursue the application on the lower credit limit, because it would be more trouble than it was worth ... so I tried to find a way to cancel it. There ain't no way to do that onlime. So, against all my principles I rang their 0845 number (grrrr), explaining the situation and, if the problem was my bank account, no, I hadn't changed it, but if they really were only offering the lower credit limit, please cancel the application.

Ooh no, it couldn't be cancelled, I must write and appeal, she said. Couldn't get her to understand that I had neither time nor inclination to grovel for a higher limit, just didn't want the card at all at the lower limit. I had simply responded to an invitation on which they had reneged, so forget it. (I was actually a bit concerned as to whether a very low limit might suggest desperation on a credit report, hence better not to have it listed at all.)

Anyway, I was getting a bit irritated at this idea that I must write long letters of appeal and she asked if I wanted to make a complaint or have someone call back. Both, I said (the complaint not being so much at the actual credit limit but the way it was done, no way of retrieving message etc). She said she had logged the complaint (and was a supervisor herself) and I would hear from Customer Relations within 5 working days.

Did I heck! Not a dicky bird. The agreement came through and I tore it up. But I sent a secure message expressing my displeasure that no one had been in touch. This resulted in a ping pong of secure messages, all from their end signed by different people who hadn't scrolled through to see the whole saga- ooh dear, no complaint has been logged (interesting!), please tell us the problem on 0845...... I don't ring 0845 numbers: this was the problem ..... oh, I see, you need to appeal on 0845.... Grrrrrrrrrrrr. It went on in that vein until suddenly I got a fairly sensible reply including that a complaint woild be logged, Customer Relations would liaise with Credit department and get back to me.

Several days later a letter from Egg acknowledging they had received a complaint that was being investigated and my rights with Ombudsman etc etc. Would hear within 4 weeks. Gosh!

Meantime, to be fair, someone from Credit Department called and left a message to call her on 0845..... to discuss. Actually I did try, but it was engaged for ages and I wasn't going to spend any more time and money discussing a card which would be useless ....

Then comes a letter from Egg - 'we have investigated' ....... unreserved apology for the lack of support ..... suggest still call the Credit woman on 0845 for a resolution ....

Aha - but there was an 0800 number on that letter. So I rang the chap that wrote it, suggesting that all along the main points were missed - initially the way the system reacted and later nobody from Customer Relations, after all the promises, could actually get on the phone to speak to me - and that I appreciated the offer to call on 0845, but I don't call 0845. (Bit of education there: he thought that was a cheap number and didn't understand why some people refuse to use it ....)

Nice chap, very apologetic, promised to ask the Credit woman to give me a call, mentioning in passing, that my green card has been managed impeccably and he thought it highly likely that the decision on credit limit would be reversed, though appreciated that Egg has probably lost all credibility with me.

Did she call? Did she heck. Not a dicky bird...

And every time I go on the Egg site now .....'if you have recieved your new credit card, please activate it ........Grrrrrrrrrrrr

klondyke

Thought I'd better set the record straight after my little vent above. Egg have come good, but thought the information I have now gleaned may be useful to others ....

ie problem I was having with filling in dd details was coincidental. When they send the invitation email for blue card with offered limit, that limit is based on info 3 MONTHS OUT OF DATE. It didn't sound as though they had done an external check (in which case they would have discovered I had grabbed another stooze card!) but computer decision was mainly because I had increased green card limit within the previous 3 months (as we all stealthily try!)

Hence they offered to juggle the limits around so I would have an interest free period on Blue card and confirmed that if I so wished, I could juggle them back again in time for the anniversary offer! And if I behave for 3 months I might get an increase anyway!

BUT, they said, the interest free period runs from the date of application. Hence it would now run out in 3 months' time. Eh? I pointed out that Customer Relations could have told me all this when I first called 6 weeks ago, in which case I might have continued the application then - indeed, was still puzzled as to why it had taken 6 weeks to come up with this information.

Upshot now :-) :-) is that though they can't change the software so offer will appear to run out in 3 months, if I get charged interest within 5 months of application date(noted in red in my diary!) I have name and number of the person to ring who has notes on my account, to refund that interest. Yippeee!!

Not sure I shall get it in time for holiday next week though (thinks .....spend, spend, spend!)