Next directory withdrawn my credit facility

[Emfy22]

In December 2005 I tried to order something via the internet but with having to open an account i decided to just make the call and pay by card instead as my credit was very poor and i didnt think i would get an account anyway. When placing my order i was asked for my account number which i obviously didnt have and was informed that i do have one and i will be sent it in the post along with my catalogue.

 

Happy that i had been opened an account i decided to use very wisely in order to better my credit rating. My first limit was £150, great, not too high i thought. After a couple of months of me always clearing or at least paying most of account off every month my limit was increased to £250. Eventually it was increased to £1500. At the most i used it up to £900 due to wedding attire being purchased in April this year, I always paid more than the minimum payment, on time, every month.

 

Everything seemed okay until i tried to purchase a washing machine! Within 24 hours my credit facilities were taken away and that was that. They wouldnt give me any reasons except i needed to check out my credit file. When i stated that i kept my account up to date and made sure it was very well maintained plus the fact my credit was worse when they let me have the account then it is now, as i have managed to get two credit cards since, they didnt want to know.

 

The other issue i have found that even though i am no longer aloud to use their credit facilities they are still happy to stick interest on my account every month and still have a credit limit attached to my account. It only recently was reduced to £1000 as my outstanding value is £700.

 

I was so angry with this whole situation, it seems abvious to me they did not do a credit check on me in the first place and was happy to let me spend a lot of money with that company for months, i classed myself as an excellent customer to them dispite my previous credit history!

 

Is there anything I can do or someone i can complain to?

[emma81]

Next are a complete pain in the backside, my partner went through a similar situation, he opened an account no questions asked, spent on the account paid it off every month, the opening credit limit was £250 and after every month or so it would go up until it was £1000, we had never missed a payment never made a late payment at all so when we tried to use the card which you can apply for so you can shop in store aswell as on line, we were shocked when it was declined as in checking the balance that morning the limit was £1000 and balance was £500 leaving him £500 available, in calling Next we had been advised that something had come to light on his credit file (which we didnt agree to them checking again), which to us was rubbish as he had not applied for any credit since getting the card and like yourself if anything his rating was better than it was when the account was opened. All Next said in a letter is that they are entitled to do a credit check every month and that is what they had been doing but when asked what was the info that had come to light they had no answer...they put his limit from £1000 back down to £375 which ment as he has a balance on the account already of £500 that he was now showing as being over the limit....till this day we still have no clue as to what they were talking about, we also contacted Experian and they also didnt have any new info on his file so can only assume Next made it up.....also with regards to the credit check every month, when he signed the agreement he agreed to have one check for them to open the account not one a month this has now stopped and we have had several credits to the account due to Next being a nightmare, my suggestion is to write Next a letter or email them but im sure the answer would be the same as the one we got!

 

Good Luck!

[MBMB11]

they did the same thing to my partner as well, he maintained a good account with next for over a year, his limit was raised, and then bang, a letter informing him they were withdrawing his account - but arent a company supposed to notify you before they perfom a credit check, as that in itself can affect your credit rating, whatever its outcome?

[emma81]

Yes they are, they said it was all in the small print but when we asked for a copy of the agreement and small print they said we should have one from when we opened the account...in other words its not in the small print they were talking out of there bottoms! I think its a joke, how they can do such a thing is beyond me im sure there are many other people its happened to aswell for no reason what so ever!

[gizmo111]

Well to be sure of what you signed you could send of £1 with a CCA request.

A lot of companies have diferent criteria for lending, and you may have been suitable last year but not this. There is not really anything you can do otherthan vote with your feet and pay up and close your account (although not many peopel can afford this) - there is no automatic right to credit.

[Minxrat]

I made myself bankrupt in April 2006 and was discharged last April. In March I decided to try and get a Next account as I was desperate for a suit for a job interview. The account was opened with £250 limit. I have always paid monthly and the limit was gradually raised to £900. Imagine my distaste when my credit limit was lowered to £600 (the balance on my account) and the account withdrawn. Well hacked off! Why did they let me have the account in the first place, and why withdraw it when my payments had all been made on time, and I had spent a fair bit of money?

 

Well they can whistle if they think I'm going to beg to them for the account back, I will simply use cash. I did prefer using the Directory as the range was bigger. Oh Well