MBNA is the worst experience ever

dianav · 12 December 2018 at 4:24AM

Hello everyone, first post here.

Sorry if this is the wrong place, or it will not be relevant, but I am just outraged and wanted to complain somewhere.

Applied for a MBNA card for a balance transfer roughly two months ago (they had an excellent 0% balance transfer offer for 3 years). Everything went fine, got accepted with the credit limit of 8400,00. During the application I was unable to put correctly the employers name as the website for some reason does not allow to put numbers in the company name, so I instead provided my previous employer as that one did not have any numbers in the name of the company (This will become relevant later on).

I did not receive my card during first 3-4 weeks, so I ordered a new one. The card came, I activated it, everything went well and smooth. Then I got my account suspended for some reason three times during two weeks, even though I did not use it once. Had to call MBNA, and first time they said that it was due to the fact that I did not log off online services, then it was due to suspicious activity (what activity, I didn't have any activity on my account, and did not make a single purchase?).

Long story short, I have my balance transfer offer only for 60 days, so it is valid only up until 13th of December, so on Monday 10th December after I got my account un-suspended again I decided to do a balance transfer. Sure thing, the account was suspended again after the application. I called MBNA, they connected me through to the fraud department. I spoke with the lady, answered all their security questions, but when they asked for my employer details I of course provided my current employer (not remembering that they do not accept for some reason numbers in the application form for the name of the company). So sure thing, that got my account suspended again until I send them by post my bank statement for last three months and my PAYE slips for last three months as well. And I cant send them by email as the fraud department does not have an email account (seriously?). Even more, they called my previous employer and asked if I work there.

So here comes the worst experience part ever. I have my offer of balance transfer until tomorrow 13th of December, which I am unable to use because the card never arrived in the first place, then the account was suspended THREE times during two weeks. So now I can't produce bank statement in paper form from the bank for the last three months as I have them all online, so I need to go to the bank to order one, then wait it through post, ask for PAYE slips (my bad, throw them out) from my employer, send to them everything by post, and then my account will be unblocked in 28 days, and will be absolutely useless as the offer will be expired. Now why the hell would I want the card then? Tried to complain to customer services, as obviously my great credit score is affected due to the application for the card. Nothing they can do.

Great MBNA. Will recommend you to everyone. Complete shambles.

Regards,
Diana

Nebulous2 · 12 December 2018 at 4:36AM

That's quite an unfortunate experience, but unfortunately it could be about to get a lot worse. If they record a fraud marker on cifas, you could struggle to get any new accounts, and might find your existing bank accounts being frozen.

Work through the process with them. Be polite and apologetic and hope they see it for what it is.

dianav · 12 December 2018 at 5:03AM

Thanks for your advice!

I am not really sure how can I be polite and apologetic and for what exactly? I don't see anything that I did wrong. I was just planning to proceed and close the account ASAP, and I didn't really plan to send them anything at all. Can you please elaborate, why do you think I should? I don't really need the credit card if it doesn't offer me the transfer that I wanted in the first place.

Edi81 · 12 December 2018 at 6:25AM

You’re probably going to end up on National Hunter.
You effectively lied on your application about your employment. Struggling to see how this is MBNAs fault.

Craig1981 · 12 December 2018 at 6:50AM

you entered incorrect information on your application - MBNA have done, IMO, nothing wrong, but actually everything right. Would you have wanted them to stop the application if someone was using your identity in a fraudulent application, or would you want them to allow them to spend £8k on a card?

if the company name did allow numbers, why not put in the letters? ABC123 can easily become ABC One, Two, Three. much better than giving your old employment details

your great credit score only means something to you - other lenders cannot see this, and doubt one CC application, accepted or not, will have any impact on your credit history, the stuff that lenders actually see

fifeken · 12 December 2018 at 7:14AM

MBNA have always been good to me and I've used them for ~ 8 years. Difference is probably due to me not lying on my application.

I think there might be an area here on the MSE forum for rants and this thread should be moved there IMO.

Samsung_Note2 · 12 December 2018 at 9:26AM

Diana you lied on the application..not a mistake or an error spelling employers name or any other excuse.

You plain and simply lied about who your employer was...im amazed they even allowed you the chance of proving who your actually employed by.

This is solely down to you..not MBNA.

bigisi · 12 December 2018 at 9:43AM

You're "outraged" because you lied and they called you out on it?

I've been told not to say "get a grip" on here so I won't... But...

Nebulous2 · 12 December 2018 at 10:02AM

dianav wrote: »

Thanks for your advice!

I am not really sure how can I be polite and apologetic and for what exactly? I don't see anything that I did wrong. I was just planning to proceed and close the account ASAP, and I didn't really plan to send them anything at all. Can you please elaborate, why do you think I should? I don't really need the credit card if it doesn't offer me the transfer that I wanted in the first place.

I don't think you appreciate just how damaging this could be. Its with the fraud department because they suspect you of a fraudulent application. If you don't engage with them they may well register a CIFAS fraud marker. Here's a thread about what happened to someone else. Read that whole thread, including the news article linked within it.

You are at risk of not just losing your MBNA account, but all your financial accounts / bank accounts. That would stay on your record for 6 years and limit your ability to function in a world that depends on finance. You may have some option to negotiate around the fact you were silly and their website wouldn't take your employer details, you made a spur of the moment decision, which you now regret to use your previous one. There was no intent to mislead.

nick74 · 12 December 2018 at 10:42AM

Craig1981 wrote: »

you entered incorrect information on your application - MBNA have done, IMO, nothing wrong, but actually everything right. Would you have wanted them to stop the application if someone was using your identity in a fraudulent application, or would you want them to allow them to spend £8k on a card?

if the company name did allow numbers, why not put in the letters? ABC123 can easily become ABC One, Two, Three. much better than giving your old employment details

your great credit score only means something to you - other lenders cannot see this, and doubt one CC application, accepted or not, will have any impact on your credit history, the stuff that lenders actually see

Exactly what I've done in that situation. For example I worked for a company which had an ampersand in the name, and many online forms would not accept it so I always substituted the word 'and' which worked fine. Far better than giving a previous employers name simply because it fits the form.

dianav · 12 December 2018 at 10:47AM

I understand that it was a mistake from my part to lie on my application, but the only reason I did so was because their website did not allow to put a correct name. I didn’t think to put the numbers in words either, good idea, but technically that is also a lie. So in any case I would have lied. And I did answer all other security questions, including the previous employer as soon as they said that employer is incorrect, and explained to them why I did so. I understand that they want prevent fraud and identity theft, but I did recieve the card to the address where I live more than 8 years, house belongs to me, I called from my mobile number shown in application, and I answered all security questions they had.

Point is - they want me to prove that I work in the company that I stated on the phone so I can continue using the card, but why should I (except for the Cifas - thanks for the advice)? I am not planning to use the card at all without balance transfer, I just want to cancel it. All of this is just due to the fact that MBNA website does not accept numbers in the Emlpoyers name field. And they know it and acknowledged it on the phone. And it is stupid. Don’t forget that I did not recieve the first card, and was suspended three times due to “logging off” and other unknown reasons. Anyway sorry to bother you guys, from the responses I understand that I shouldn’t have “lied”. I was stupid and never expected that it was as important as it is, if I am correct other cards that I have applied in the past did not even bother to ask for employers name.

MBNA is the worst experience ever

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