Virgin 0% BT until 02/09 for EXISTING customers!!

carpy

just noticed on my account Virgin are offering 0% on a BT until Feb 2009.

makes a nice change as i've been a customer for a few years and haven't had a 0% offer for quite some time!!

:beer: :T

out of interest, i've just started using the card again as it's 0% on purchases. am i right in thinking i should clear my balance before making a BT?

otherwise, if thinking is correct, when my 0% on purchases expires and i try to pay it all off, they will apply that payment to the BT because it's at 0%. therefore allowing by 'purchases' debt to start having interest added? :eek:

YorkshireBoy

carpy wrote: »

...am i right in thinking i should clear my balance before making a BT?

Absolutely! Then all you have to do is negotiate a waiving of the BT fee and you've had a real result. 0800 783 1116 gets you straight through to 'retentions' during office hours.

carpy

thanks for that, that's what i thought.

regarding phoning up for a 'deal' on the BT fee, what's the best approach? what are my chances of getting it waived?

blueye

is that for all customers or an offer just for you?

YorkshireBoy

carpy wrote: »

regarding phoning up for a 'deal' on the BT fee, what's the best approach? what are my chances of getting it waived?

I would tell them my debt was currently on either 0% (for not much longer) or 0.9% (for longer) so if they wanted to charge a BT fee they wouldn't be saving me money.

You've then laid down the gauntlet and they know exactly what they have to do to get your business.

The Virgin BT fees have seen numerous changes over the last 3 years or so, and even though the current fee is 2.98% they still have scope to cap your fee at the old £35/50/75 levels if they want to...which, for a reasonable credit limit, can save (or make if you're stoozing) you a lot of money.

Another option would be to wait and see if they have another one of their 'fee-free days'. Obviously the duration will reduce, but if your current deal doesn't expire anytime soon then you may think this is a better option?

Good luck with whatever you do.


You may also find one or two pointers in this stoozing site article...

http://www.stoozing.com/a_extend.htm

carpy

blueye

i'm not sure, i just noticed it flagged-up when i logged into my account.

maybe worth a phone call?

YorkshireBoy

i haven't got an existing debt and will be doing a SBT to my bank account so i don't suppose i can get away with saying i've got a deal coming to an end? otherwise they'll be expecting me to BT from another card? is that going to be a problem?

thanks

YorkshireBoy

carpy wrote: »

i haven't got an existing debt and will be doing a SBT to my bank account so i don't suppose i can get away with saying i've got a deal coming to an end? otherwise they'll be expecting me to BT from another card?

You keep it vague...at least initially. Then, when you've got the deal in the bag, you say you can also settle an overdraft and/or clear a bank loan with the credit limit you've got available to you. Finally, offer to make things easier (for them and you) by BT'ing from your current account so you can handle the payments to individual creditors yourself.

is that going to be a problem?

Never has been for me.

Trembling_Turnip

My online account is only offering 5.9% on BTs until february 2009.

Probably need to phone up for the best deal.

Bog_Brush_2

Wife just phoned normal number for a balance transfer,got rubbish offer.
She then phoned retentions to say she was going to cancel was offered 0%BT until jan 2009 0% purchases until Oct 08. they waived the BT fee and reduced standard rate after special offers to 12%. They also raised credit limit

regards

Bog

carpy

Bog_Brush wrote: »

Wife just phoned normal number for a balance transfer,got rubbish offer.
She then phoned retentions to say she was going to cancel was offered 0%BT until jan 2009 0% purchases until Oct 08. they waived the BT fee and reduced standard rate after special offers to 12%. They also raised credit limit

regards

Bog

just phoned normal number to check DD details and fully expected them to say was i interested in a BT, but they didn't mention it.:o

so after reading your post i'll try retentions tomorrow. any idea what time they're open till?

being retentions do i have to say i'm wanting to cancel or can i just say i want to discuss a BT and negotiate the terms?

YorkshireBoy

carpy wrote: »

being retentions do i have to say i'm wanting to cancel or can i just say i want to discuss a BT and negotiate the terms?

Since you (presumably?) have an existing purchases balance, how can you cancel?

Personally, I'd wait until I had a zero balance, and preferably a statemented zero balance, before calling.

Then call and say you're having a 'card cull' but noticed you have a BT offer. You can then begin negotiations as described above.