New card - Abbey Zero

dhassen

I haven't got the zero card, I've got Abbey's standard credit card. Just a warning that Abbey seem to love changing Ts and Cs, and APRs. They upped the APR on my CC from 15.9 to 19.9 around 6 months ago, and have just this week upped the APR to 25.9!!

They will probably do the same to zero customers, so watch out! P.S. I hate abbey

Foggy

HamiltonL wrote: »

I guess it was set at full payment because when the account is created, the DD on the account is set at full payment as a default, and this needs to be adjusted straight away by either an agent over the phone or those who set-up the account. Now I guess you asked for it to be set-up when you applied and they did indeed do that, however it seems they somehow forgot to adjust your account.

Usually if the settings are changed no later than ten working days before the due date (I assume is the case here?) the Direct Debit should come out for the revised amount, so why it didn't in this case, I am perplexed as to why.

Unfortunately in this situation the local branch would be the only body to sort this out. I assume when you receive confirmation of charges on your current account, if they are presented to the branch as proof, there should be no problem refunding them. This is a truly regrettable error that should have been easily avoidable. This isn't a system error, it's a human error.

I think the automated service just confirms the minimum payment (in this case five quid), rather than specifying the amount to be taken on the due date? Or maybe that is wrong?

Technically under the Guarantee Scheme, he is correct, or at least within one working day. Not sure about doing it via the back office. I believe the branch are the main body to intervene.

Not sure what the branch are talking about regarding 7-10 days. I've spoken occasionally to branches about this and they get the money back in a few hours max. Paying a fiver is probably the best thing to do for now. My concern is any late charge on the credit card will inflate that minimum payment as a one-off for the next statement (about to be produced I expect). Of course given the circumstances you are entitled to a refund of any late charge if you do get one. If your 0% is curtailed there should be no problem reinstating it.


Again, it is very disappointing what has happened in your case but 99% of the time any advance changes before the ten working days mark will take effect, and 99% of the time anyway the DD will be correctly set-up.

Let us know if this has been sorted and your pursuit of any charges on your current account.

Thanks for taking all that time and effort in your response. The money has been credited back to my current account approx half an hour ago. After I asked to pay the £5 on Monday (which was the payment due date) at the local branch, I checked online and the £5 left my current account as a cash withdrawal and appeared as a payment on my credit card immediately. Hopefully there will be no charges apart from 5 days interest for being overdrawn - I have an agreed overdraft which was not breached.

I have now cancelled the direct debit altogether and will pay online. It seems strange that on the Cahoot (an Abbey subsidiary) online system my current account and credit card information are on the same page and I can just transfer money between almost instantly, yet Abbey has a completely different online system for banking and credit card.

beniamino

I went into a branch today, 2.5 months after my application, and 1.5 months after sending in the credit agreement. The person working there told me that I had been added as a customer to Abbey's system, but there were no products associated with me -- in other words, no record of a credit card application. I asked him what could have happened to the credit card agreement, and the photocopies of my passport and driver's licence that I sent to Abbey. He said the only possibility was that they had been lost in the post, because otherwise they would have been registered on the system under my name.

He suggested I reapply for the card, but I'm tired of this whole saga, so I just asked him to remove my details from the system altogether. I'm really worried about the ID theft possibilities, given that my documents have gone astray.

cardmaster

Think I should have read this thread before I applied for an Abbey Zero Card.
Applied at the end of August, sent the CCA back in the first week of Sept and then nothing.

Wasn't too worried I had until 10th Oct to BT onto another card before I started getting charged interest.

Checked with Abbey on 22nd Sept 'Whats happening?' and was just told not to worry the card processing has a backlog. Called back a week later (29th Sept) and was then told that they had no record of my card being generated. Again don't worry, customer services would action the card to be generated.

Called again just now. Appparently my CCA must have been lost, so no card can be generated, they're sending me another to complete.

This leaves me with not enough time to do my BT before I start getting charged.

Lesson here.... Abbey's customer service has a woeful reputation for good reason.... Steer clear.

kittykat23uk

cardmaster wrote: »

Think I should have read this thread before I applied for an Abbey Zero Card.
Applied at the end of August, sent the CCA back in the first week of Sept and then nothing.

Wasn't too worried I had until 10th Oct to BT onto another card before I started getting charged interest.

Checked with Abbey on 22nd Sept 'Whats happening?' and was just told not to worry the card processing has a backlog. Called back a week later (29th Sept) and was then told that they had no record of my card being generated. Again don't worry, customer services would action the card to be generated.

Called again just now. Appparently my CCA must have been lost, so no card can be generated, they're sending me another to complete.

This leaves me with not enough time to do my BT before I start getting charged.

Lesson here.... Abbey's customer service has a woeful reputation for good reason.... Steer clear.

Oh dear! Sounds like the same problem I encountered. I still haven't had my card yet. Shocking service in comparison to Capital one! :mad: Thankfully I'm only out of pocket from the interest I would have earned on my savings.

babylonfree

I Applied on the 5th of September online. Received the agreement to sign within one week of the application and then received the card about 2 weeks after sending them back.

I've spoken to customer services a couple of times about setting it up so I can view it online and they have seemed fine.

So far so good!!!

not_loaded

rl290 wrote: »

...I simply do not understand how service can be this bad...

I’ve experienced some abysmal customer service in recent years, but my Abbey Zero saga definitely wins the first prize! The worst of the worst I’m afraid.

dhassen wrote: »

I haven't got the zero card, I've got Abbey's standard credit card. Just a warning that Abbey seem to love changing, and APRs. They upped the APR on my CC from 15.9 to 19.9 around 6 months ago, and have just this week upped the APR to 25.9!!
They will probably do the same to zero customers, so watch out! P.S. I hate abbey

When they eventually started sending me something (PINs, cards, etc) virtually every item sent came with new Ts and Cs in different forms. It’s hard to tell which ones are the ‘real’ ones. Some of them are in microscopic print.

As regards the APR, I’m dumping them forever at the end of my 0% period. What worries me now is whether, before then, I’ll get scammed with something like ‘No we didn’t get your payment in time, so your promo offer ends now…’.

beniamino wrote: »

I went into a branch today, 2.5 months after my application, and 1.5 months after sending in the credit agreement. The person working there told me that I had been added as a customer to Abbey's system, but there were no products associated with me -- in other words, no record of a credit card application. I asked him what could have happened to the credit card agreement, and the photocopies of my passport and driver's licence that I sent to Abbey. He said the only possibility was that they had been lost in the post, because otherwise they would have been registered on the system under my name.

He suggested I reapply for the card, but I'm tired of this whole saga, so I just asked him to remove my details from the system altogether. I'm really worried about the ID theft possibilities, given that my documents have gone astray.

From reading this thread, there must be a lot of damage limitation going on in various Abbey offices. My experience with the Royal Mail for many years is virtually perfect service. I feel confident your documents are somewhere within Abbey’s walls. An in-tray, a sack of unopened mail, shredded weeks ago - who knows?

He said the only possibility was that they had been lost in the post, because otherwise they would have been registered on the system under my name.

PMSL! How naïve of him! :rolleyes: Perhaps he’s new to the job, and doesn’t know how ‘good’ their document handling is.

beniamino

I just received PINs in the post... two days after being told my documents must have been lost in the post and cancelling the application in the branch. :rotfl: I guess I'll get the cards in another month, and an acknowledgment of cancellation around Christmas.

On the plus side: not_loaded and any others who applied around mid-July, you might be about to get lucky.

Debt_Free_Dreamer

SirAlfonso wrote: »

Hi, i currently have a positive balance on my abbey zero card for various reasons and was wondering if anyone knew how i go about getting it off there and into my normal account? Would it just be a normal balance transfer thus incurring no fees?

You should be able to just ring up and ask for it to be credited back to your account. I have just done this with Barclaycard and MINT.

Barclaycard said they would only send a cheque as it would cost me money to credit my account direct. (More like it would cost them in BACS fees! Didn't like to argue with the poor customer services girl, but Barclaycard should not tell lies.) 14 days to get a cheque too! Don't they have daily payment runs?

MINT are crediting it back to my account and should only take a couple of days.

jody04c

My mortgage is with Abbey and I have a Cahoot Savings and Current Account... Never had any problems with any of these but to my horror, the saga with My Never Appearing Abbey Zero Card continues... Applied on the 28th August and after much callingand follow ups was told it was accepted.. CCA sent to me which I signed and returned the very next day.. This was four weeks ago... They say they can see no record of the forms so emailed some department to send me new forms.. This was 3 weeks ago!!!! Called them again and was told I have to wait another week to allow the remote possiblilty of the orignal forms being found or the replacement forms being delivered to me.... WHAT A JOKE!!!

My Mortgage is due for change in April 09 and after this SAGA I feel I may very well move my business including my Savings to someone who values my business.....

SHABBY!!! Now I understand what you all mean in here!! As a Sales Manager in the Motor Trade I know the value of Customer Service and the consequences if this is not delivered to the customer...

Why do Abbey (Santander) not understand this!!!!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: