MBNA Transfer fee....how they decide?!

jumpt

Hi,
Just got off the phone from MBNA seeking to clarify the SBT fee for new accounts.

The lady I spoke to stated that if you have the card with 6 months interest free you will not be charged for the transfer.

However if you have the card with 12 months interest free you WILL be charged a fee.

Does anyone have any experience to back this up?
Hopefully this will resolve the issue if we can confirm what she said with actual anecdotal evidence!

Does doing an internet SBT flag up that you are about to be charged before you confirm the transfer?

It doesn't fill me with confidence that she wandered off for 5 minutes to go and find a copy of the T&C's

aliasojo

My other half applied for 12 month 0% MBNA card online a fortnight ago and asked to transfer a £4000 balance to his bank account. When he got the form in the post to sign, he discovered his credit limit was £6000 so he phoned to transfer another £2000 but was refused as he could only transfer 98% of his limit. He was told he could only transfer another £1900, which he did (again to bank). Both transactions were free, but have yet to appear in bank account.

Judging by what we have been told and what others have posted on here, there does not seem to be a definitive answer. (Must depend on which advisor deals with your account and whether they're having a good day or not! :P)

aagoren

When I transfered balance few days ago I've been told that you won't be charge in the first 6 months only after you open the account.

System

Have had an MBNA card since Nov 2003 and it's no longer in its interest-free period, had 9 months interest-free.

Using it as an extraction card, put card in credit for £5000 with a balance transfer, then did a £5000 transfer to my current account. Got a cheque in the post (unregistered!), but no charge.

One month later (last week), did the same for £8500. £35 charge!

The second-to-last one was my 5th balance transfer, the last one was the 6th, perhaps that's the threshold. Otherwise it seems pretty arbitrary.

SmartRRRR

I've had several MBNA cards, and just recently cancelled 3 of them. I had 2 cards originally on good rates, about 10 years ago when they started out here.

MBNA took over another card some years ago to make 3, and together with the Alliance & Leicester card servicing a while back, I ended up with 5 accounts and about £40k credit. I couldn't transfer between them which is why I decided to close some.

Most had 2.9% offers except one at 0.9%. I had not used them for a while, and cancelled the one with 0.9% assuming I would be able to get a rate over the phone, as I have done several times.

No chance! I discussed the options with someone who was totally inflexible, as I only wanted to transfer about £600 to the card. I asked for more, £2000, to see if they were interested but still no. I told him I'd transfer to another card I have at 1.9% to see if that would make a difference, but it didn't.

Then I get a letter from Bank of Scotland to let me know they are going to transfer an affinity card to MBNA!

They are not 'flavour of the month' with me at the moment. Could it be they had seen me transfer £5k to Barclaycard just recently?

Milarky

Hi,
Just got off the phone from MBNA seeking to clarify the SBT fee for new accounts.

The lady I spoke to stated that if you have the card with  6 months interest free you will not be charged for the transfer.

However if you have the card with 12 months interest free you WILL be charged a fee.

Does anyone have any experience to back this up?
Hopefully this will resolve the issue if we can confirm what she said with actual anecdotal evidence!

Does doing an internet SBT flag up that you are about to be charged before you confirm the transfer?

It doesn't fill me with confidence that she wandered off for 5 minutes to go and find a copy of the T&C's  :)

The general terms and conditions for MBNA say that they may only charge for balance transfers outside the initial promotional periods.

Did this 12 months card offer come with a cheque I wonder? [That might account for the fee]

bpyoung

I've got the 12 month 0% card, SBT'd the whole limit (£6k) with no charge. I did this before I'd even got the card by filling in the slip that came with the credit agreement.

Her indoors applied for one recently, got a 9 month 0% deal, but they'd only let her SBT 98% of the limit, apparently leaving the other 2% for fees. Nothing was said to her at the time about charging a fee, so presumably it wasn't - this was all done over the phone.

smartsaver

I paid off my MBNA in full after the 0% period was up. I then rang them to ask if there were any other deals going. I was advised I could have another 6 months interest free but it would cost £35.00 to transfer the money to my account. As my credit limit is £3800 I said forget it I would apply for a different card. >:(

The guy said he would waiver the fee this time but would not promise this could be done again. So I now have £3800 winging its way to my bank ;D

Suzz_2

When a 0% deal is up, how do you go about asking for more? (I've heard a few people have done this... and got more time at 0%).

Is is better to clear you balance before asking for more?

robnye

i requested a balance transfer from another ccard via the online screen,

can someone tell me how long it takes to go through?

is there normally a charge, if so when does it tell you of the charge?

smartsaver

When a 0% deal is up, how do you go about asking for more?  (I've heard a few people have done this... and got more time at 0%).

Is is better to clear you balance before asking for more?

Yes - clear debt first then after 0% expires call up and ask if they have any other deals going.