New card - Abbey Zero

HamiltonL

not_loaded wrote: »

I’m not really in the mood to be corrected. I’m in the mood to get good service from a company that approached me for this pre-approved application.

The number I’ve been phoning covers Card Services who clearly have a Bradford address. I really don’t care where they route calls to, it’s the atrocious lack of responses that get me. At five weeks for a pre-approved application, I can’t believe that any correspondence from my calls is being generated and sent to Bradford.

I appreciate that. I wasn't trying to antagonise you. We do have a Bradford mailing address to give out, but not a phone number. Believe me, I've had trouble with Bradford getting back in touch too - the words of an Abbey employee. I (once again) hope some outcome on this is resolved as soon as possible.

As for credit limits, Abbey review them every six months. As far as know you just have to keep your account away from defaults to stand in good stead for a change in limit. I think fixed payments are the best way to go, from what I've heard.

not_loaded

Cheers HamiltonL, I wasn’t intending to have a go at you, but just lately things are getting VERY silly in UK plc.

We had a Gatley solicitor quote 3 months and £750 for a simple job. She took 2 years and 3 months and tried to get £7500 for essentially dragging her feet.

A while ago my cable provider Virgin Media took away the Sky One channel with no reduction in charges. That was quite important to my wife and daughters for their sci-fi. In the last couple of weeks they’ve turned off the ‘terrestrial’ channels 1 to 5, saying ‘you never had them in the first place’. (funny really as we actually had them for 12 years) Their customer service people are driving me completely bonkers too…

I came home yesterday after reorganising my removals storage room, gasping for a cup of tea, and two minutes later the 16 month old Russell Hobbs kettle blew up!

Every corner I turn at the moment there’s another time consuming (or money consuming) problem. I thought at least my guaranteed pre-approved Abbey Zero piece of paper would not be one of those. But no.

And all this time I’m just trying to finish house doctoring my house and get it on the market. At times it seems like someone has cast a spell on me. Like one of those ‘wading in treacle’ dreams…

HamiltonL

Oh dear. And I thought I was having a bad week! Do let us know if you hear anything from Abbey. Yes I know that could be a while...

not_loaded

HamiltonL wrote: »

Oh dear. And I thought I was having a bad week! Do let us know if you hear anything from Abbey. Yes I know that could be a while...

It’s a good job I didn’t mention all of the no-shows and failed appointments then! We decided to sell up and move quite a while ago. You would not believe how the average British workman (or company) behaves when offered paid work. I’m mystified as to why they spend money on advertising and then don’t turn up for quotes or appointments.

However, we digress. Nathan Bostock (or his staff) has had my letter for two working days now. Nothing heard so far.

I phoned them again last night. No firm information on my application, just ‘it may take 14 to 28 days’. I pointed out that it’s over five weeks now. ‘Well, as I said it may take 14 to 28 days’. Hey ho.

What really gets me about this, is Santander’s response to my NINE letters to date is NIL. That includes TWO to the Customer Relations Unit at Grafton Gate (who clearly know nothing about customer relations) and now of course ONE to their Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director. Not one of the recipients can be bothered to pick up the phone and say they’re doing something about it…

LXGB

Update on my Ulster Bank card application for those interested.

14/08/08: Applied, accepted, signed credit agreement and arranged BT online. Took less than 10 minutes.

18/08: Letter arrived confirming approval; saying PIN and card on the way.
I phoned Ulster Bank CS to check the BT was going through as well, fast pickup, very polite and helpful staff confirmed it was.

19/08 PIN arrived.

20/08 Letter confirming BT arrived.

21/08 Card arrived, Balance transfer competed.

No, I'm not an employee of Ulster Bank before anyone asks

I just want people to know that it is possible to process an application swiftly and correctly. Why can't Abbey come close to this level of customer service?

Maybe my credit agreement for the Abbey Zero card will turn up in time for the next BT!

Petmidget

Got to echo LXGB on that, I did same Monday night after discovering my Abbey application though supposedly complete was going to turn into nightmare.

1 slight niggle, at acceptance stage my browser flashed part of this page has been blocked for your safety. Thinking it may be something important I unblocked creating a refresh, that confused the site and my application was terminated and had to be started again. Upshot was 2 credit searches (as confirmed by my Experian alerts) and 2nd time round credit limit offered was £500 less, odd exactly same data though.

But overall smooth as a babies bot, not my current experience with (sh)abby

Update 22/08. Card arrived and BT completed, total time from application "87 hours".

not_loaded

Grrrrrrrrr!

and

Grrrrrrrrr!

again!

Petmidget

Can I ask if anyone knows the limits Abbey dish out as a rule of thumb.

Replanning my BT requirements, might still need the Abbey but no idea on likely limit.

My gut tells me £2000.

Cloudane

I got £2500, I think that's about the limit.

dariowiser

LXGB wrote: »

Update on my Ulster Bank card application for those interested.

14/08/08: Applied, accepted, signed credit agreement and arranged BT online. Took less than 10 minutes.

18/08: Letter arrived confirming approval; saying PIN and card on the way.
I phoned Ulster Bank CS to check the BT was going through as well, fast pickup, very polite and helpful staff confirmed it was.

19/08 PIN arrived.

20/08 Letter confirming BT arrived.

21/08 Card arrived, Balance transfer competed.

No, I'm not an employee of Ulster Bank before anyone asks

I just want people to know that it is possible to process an application swiftly and correctly. Why can't Abbey come close to this level of customer service?

Maybe my credit agreement for the Abbey Zero card will turn up in time for the next BT!

Ulster Bank was as smooth for me as well