Can someone please advise me - I'm fairly stuck!

themoffster

Last week i applied for the Barclaycard Platinum so that i could BT my ~£4k debt on my BoS credit card as the interest free period had expired.
As it turns out i was declined and when i phoned them to see the reason (not to argue, I fully accept their decision, i just wanted to know for future applications) they couldn't tell me.
I believe the reason was because i recently (4mths ago) moved into a new build and my residence before that was with my parents (stayed in that new house for 1yr 9mths), but before that we hadn't moved in something like 23 years.

I have the money and then some saved up in an ISA, but i am reluctant to touch it. As such, I am looking to BT the money on to a 0% card so that i can pay it off over a year in installments.

9mths ago i was refused a mobile phone and after getting my credit file from Experian(? - the one you pay £2) it came back as clean. A month later I applied again and got it no problem. The only other credit check on my file should be this Barclaycard that I applied for and was refused - however, my BoS credit card may have done a check (I have been with them all my life and have all bank accounts with them so don't know if they would have performed a check).

I have been with my present employer for 2.5years and earn £26k.

My question comes in two forms:
1. Should I apply again for another card? I am wary of lots of searches over a short period of time.

If the answer to that is 'no', I will pay it all off in a oner with my savings, however if the answer is 'yes'...
2. Can you point me in the direction of a card that will do a 0% BT for ~1 year that will be more liable to accept me?

I am on the voting register as i filled in that form about a month after i moved into my new house and got the council tax forms through soon after - i figured because i stuck my head up by filling in the voting form and they 'spotted' me.


Thanks very much

CLAPTON

it is probably worth getting another copy of your credit files... you may find the council hasn't yet updated your record with your new address

themoffster

Thanks, i will look into that possibility.
What effect would it have if i apply again for another card?

dazza.mk

Too many applications in too short a period of time can have a short term negative impact on your credit file. It will depend on the lender and your credit history as to what this might be.

I'd agree with Clapton re: getting a copy of your Credit File to check if the council has updated Electoral Role data, in your circumstances it is possible they may not have done so, and, if so further applications are probably wasting your time until the error is corrected.

If you haven't used them before you can check your Credit file with Experian by using their free trial (just cancel with the 30 days), assuming they don't have an issue identifying you online if electoral role data is missing of course!

themoffster

I have just phoned the council to check if i was on the electoral role and although i was in my new house from the 1st December, the credit agencies don't get this information until the end of Febuary according to the coucil guy on the end of the phone as they need to get the data themselves and they are not posted out to them.

Looks like I will need to wait until after Febuary to get my ccard.

missile

If you are applying for a CC to an address where you are not on the electoral role that could be reason for the refusal.

If you have savings in an ISA, I would suggest you use those and clear your debt, rather than paying circa 2.5% handling fee for BT. I do appreciate you will loose the ISA entitlement.