Overdraft Lending Decisions

[Honey Bee]

Having done this I sent Abbey a letter on 29 October as follows:

Dear Sir/Madam


ACCOUNT NUMBER: XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX

I recently logged on to my MBNA online account, I noticed an increase in my credit limit to £10,100. I decided to look at historic credit limits and noticed the following detail that I am aware of:

30/10/2003
3,500.00
14/06/2004
4,600.00
12/11/2004
5,500.00
22/06/2005
6,400.00
23/03/2006
9,100.00
23/05/2007
9,600.00
21/09/2007
10,100.00

I was shocked when reviewing the above limits to find that my limit has trebled over the past four years, and that I have had two increases so far this year. I have not received any correspondence from you with regards to these increases that I am aware of.

I request that you cease processing my data in order to increase my credit limit without first discussing with me. Please confirm this has been noted on my account and any necessary actions taken.

The Data Protection Act 1998 states the “Right to prevent processing likely to cause damage or distress”. I am seeking conclusive confirmation that the process of increasing my credit limit has on each occasion been done with consideration to this law, and that consideration has been taken into account of my ability to repay any debt on this account without me incurring substantial damage or distress.

In accordance with Section 7 of the Data Protection Act 1998 I hereby request all information that you hold in respect of the above matter, i.e. the increases in the credit limits on my account.

Section 7(d) of the Data Protection Act 1998 states “where the processing by automatic means of personal data of which that individual is the data subject for the purpose of evaluating matters relating to him such as, for example, his performance at work, his creditworthiness, his reliability or his conduct, has constituted or is likely to constitute the sole basis for any decision significantly affecting him, to be informed by the data controller of the logic involved in that decision-taking”.

Should the decisions to increase the credit limits on my account be automated, I hereby request to be informed of the logic involved in the decision-making relevant to the evaluation of my personal data in all instances in which this was requested to be done from the opening of the account in October 2003 to date.

I enclose the requisite £10 subject access request fee and look forward to your response within 40 days.


Yours faithfully,

No cheque has been cashed nor reply received as of today. Just a letter from Abbey stating thanks for my letter, sorry to learn of dissatisfaction, and Subject Access Request is passed to Compliance department for response, and they will be in contact shortly under separate cover.

Their 40 days is up just before I go away on honeymoon. I'll send a chaser just before I go, then I'll give them the extra days while I'm away and will be contacting the Information Commissioners Office in January with a complaint if necessary.