Hi Martin.

I thought one of the criticisms about Barclays rate being linked to base is that the published rate they are using for "go to" is linked to the base rate as it stood before the last two rises? !That in my view is deliberately misleading.

On the low limits I don't buy it. !People with high incomes are getting limits in the hundreds when they have other cards with £10K+ limits. !Now we all know that credit scoring is a black art and the fact that they have existing credit may count against them but I doubt it. !I'll bet that limits will be reviewed (and raised) immediately after the deadline for completing balance transfers. !It is one thing to advocate stricter control of credit but another to only restrict it when there is a nice juicy offer on the go. !Barclays have as much interest in reducing the country's indebtedness as any of the other credit card issuers - very little indeed.

Barclaycard customer services are one of the worst in my experience. !There is no malice in this, they are just ill equipped to do what they are meant to do. !They appear to have little or no information on products and little or no power to make changes to accounts. !The thing that irritates me more than anything though is when a promise is made but never delivered on - this has happened so many times that I no longer deal with them except in writing.

I bookmarked the following link, I can't recall if it was from MoneySupermarket but it is for the MBNA 12 months card and works for me. !https://wwwn.applyonlinenow.com/UKMPapp/Ctl/redirect?CV_sourceCode=plt12jun13_mcds&CV_bann er=MFL-UN-29077-29780


As for revealing financial information on a public web site, if there was some anonymity or if people did so using private messages then perhaps the resposnse would be higher?

I'm sick of Barclaycard already - and that's just in trying to become a customer!

After applying online on 11th June I've finally received a form to sign which also contains the part referring to balance transfers.

If Barclaycard have been swamped with applications - I have no sympathy for them - they SHOULD have expected this with such an offer.

My form does NOT contain details of my credit limit (aaargh!) and I'm blowed if I'm gona rack up a phone bill on the 0870 number in the accompanying letter trying to find out.

So off I trot to - saynoto0870.com - to find a cheaper number - which is - 0800 917 7277

After phoning this, ignoring all the prompts to input the account number I don't yet have and finally getting thru to speak to someone - that someone REFUSES to pull up my details (despite my acceptance letter saying my card is ready and waiting) and REFUSES to tell me my credit limit so I can fill out the form (I suspect I shall be telling them to swipe the card where the sun don't shine).

Seems I have ring the office that is dealing with NEW customers tomorrow morning as they are now closed!

By the way - the direct dial number for NEW applications is

0845 766 0758

or just dial the freephone number above and hit option 3 after ignoring all the prompts to input the account number you may not have.

The same as happened to my mum - who applied for a Barclaycard - back in June - she got the form through yesterday to sign and return, saying her card was waiting for her.

BUT NO CREDIT LIMIT STATED................ - and - a section asking about - BALANCE TRANSFERS.......

So, she is now deciding what to do.

I`ve been a barclaycard customer 3 times now, if my memory serves me right, it`s a weird way but they have always informed the limit with the card when it arrives!
Like to know their logic for this as regards BT request

D_G,
If your mum goes ahead with her application and then decides the credit limit isn't high enough she can always cancel... It shouldn't be a big decision at this stage. I was surprised not to see what my credit limit was before I signed too.

Thank you - Purplemoon - your advise is much appreciated.

I will let my mum know.

Got my letter on Saturday morning. I have to admit I did use the 0870 number, but got straight onto the phone to them, spoke to someone within a couple of minutes, found out what my credit limit is, and sent the form straight back. Maybe I was just lucky - but try phoning before 9am. It does seem daft that they ask you to request BT's but don't tell you your credit limit - unless they are trying to encourage you to transfer more than 90% of your limit (and thus not get 0%)!

I have signed the form without knowing the credit limit. I know realise I've been a mug. I've signed my name to something which I don't have the full facts on.

They're obviously playing silly games here.

I shan't ever do it again. If the credit limit is low, I'll just put the card in a drawer and let it rot.

My Egg Card 0% offer runs out 1st August. So it will be interesting to see if Barclaycard will take on this £4500 Balance Transfer! :-/

Judging by other posts I'll be lucky to get a £500 limit! ???

My Marbles credit limit jumped from £4000 to £6000 this month without me asking for an increase! I'd just spent £3000 on a kitchen (including instalation) from Ikea and used the card. I pay this card off every month, though, the interest rate is too high.

Mccawz, you wont know till you try, they are usually open to negotiation, try phoning to sus them out. You should get a similar limit to your other cards (if they are not full, ie up to their limits) and you are earning £12k+, Their view of your Ability to Repay will be the main factor in deciding your limit.

Its a cat and mouse game, Scat

Mccawz, I asked for a balance transfer of £4500 to pay off my capital one card. My barclaycard arrived to-day with a credit limit of £1300 which they had already transferred £1050 to capital one. I felt like cancelling and letting them sort out the mess of reclaimung from capial one BUT why cut off my nose to spite my face. I phoned capital one to transfer available funds to abbey so that I could move them to my current account and they immediately upped my credit limit to £6000 of which all was transferred to abbey. So although I was only given a limit of £1300 I now have another £2000 making me interest. It's a messy business but worth it if you can spare the time. You can also apply for a barclycard credit limit increase after 3 months.
My letter from Barclycard said, "# Until 1st August 2005 we will not charge interest on standard balance or balance transfer."

John

That is what i am fearing, i put £4K down for my capital card., oh well if they only transfer 90% of nothing, at least i will be saving some money on interest.

I have also applied for the mbna 0% for 12 months offer. As I have a mint card with the 0% interest offer up for moving elsewhere soon.

my understanding is that 0% interest only applies to balance transfers within the first 60 days of the account being opened! -

amendment

Yep, got this from the barclaycard website

Robnye,
Try phoning 08009177277 and asking them. Iwas definetly assured it was 0% on my 'PLATINUM' barclaycard until 1st August 2005. I was also assured that if sufficient credit was available further balance transfers in three months time (if I get a credit increase of which I have my doubts) would be at 0%.
I wish I had responded to your post before I was stupid enough to have shredded barclays letter. ***silly me***

John

john,

sorry i have just reread my post and realised i was wrong,

i was trying to point out that barclaycards website has a statement saying that you could only make balance transfer within the first 60 days, admittedly i havent got my info pack yet (only returned the form with my signature on at the weekend),

the 0% is as you rightly said on balance transfers and purchases until 1st Aug 05


amendment

i wonder if the 60 day thing is to ensure that you balance transfer to it and keep an outstanding balance running on it????

Yes! Got my terms & conditions today, finally - I applied on 12th June!

I phoned up to see what my limit is, but "it hasn't been finalised yet". The gentlemen I spoke to yesterday and today were very friendly & helpful - just as well as I've been getting pretty fed up with Barclaycard!

What the guy today advised is not to fill in the BT bit at the bottom of the T & C letter. You have to phone up to activate the card anyway, so he suggested I wait 'til I get my card then I'll know for certain that !won't be transferring too much. It may mean a few more days of having higher interest with 1 card provider, but it'll be worth it to have no interest for approx 12 months.

Just sent back my Barclaycard agreement. I've never had a credit limit stated until I get a card so wasn't surprised they didn't state one.

I also never transfer money until I've been told my credit limit so just noted on it I will transfer when they tell me the credit limit but within the 60 days (as I usually do).

Got in a mess by transfering before hearing a limit before and ending up with a messy balance all over the place on 3 cards situation and never want to go there again

Best advice yet November.

Barclays are obviously quietly reducing the cost of their "0%till 8/05, we are the good guys", marketing ploy. ( Which was to win back custom/sympathy, since their "annus horribilis&quot. By handing out low credit limits, [another can of worms?].

By asking for a bt on application you are playing into their hands. ie giving them up front, the amount you want to land them with. Dont do it, make them think you just want the card for purchases, then do the bt after you know your limit, and don't bank on getting a promised limit increase later. You can land yourself with 2 or more cards to pay each month instead of just the one you thought. >

This happened to me with Cap1 when they started up.
Was sent a "pre approved plat card mailshot with bt offer". Foolishly applied with £2.5k to be transferred from 2 cards.
Card arrived, was ordinary card, limit £1k, but they had proportionately bt'd £750 [75% of limit was max bt] so instead of two cards to pay I now had three, not the one I was expecting.
Cost a fortune in phone calls complaining, got promises of upgrade to plat and increased limit if my payment record was good.
So I paid off £750 insantly from savings and did rest of original bt request in stages to Cap1, paying off fully each month. Years later my credit limit is still£1k!, about 1.5% of my total limit on other cards Dont believe anything a rep tells you, till you have it in print.

Good Hunting Scat

I'm waiting for my card to appear in the post. I left the balance transfer box empty because I didn't want to transfer too much. I'm planning to call them and do it later.
The terms and conditions seemed to suggest to me that if you transferred above a certain percentage you would pay (I think) 5.9 or 6.9% on the transfer amount above the limit (sorry to be vague but I've returned the form in now and can't remember!).

It's possible that I've misunderstood of course! ???

They gave me a credit limit of £1500, other cards I have are 6.5k, they will not up the limit until 3 months, and you can't balance transfer after 60 days, nice one barclays.

If I apply for the MBNA card will this affect my credit rating?