MBNA....

Am feeling totally hacked off with MBNA. I pay both mine and Rob's cards off online each month. This time however, I managed to pay both amounts off one card. I think this came about as I did them on consecutive days (my bank can be odd and refuse to pay if I try to do 2 largish amounts on one day - even though it's a joint account - go figure) - I assume I had my paper copy in front of me but hubby's online - put it down to hormones. Anyway, I checked both accounts online, realised what had happened and called MBNA. They agreed to transfer the funds to the correct account - but get this - say it'll take up to 5 working days to process the paperwork.

My point is this - since my call (1st Feb) - both of us have made purchases on our cards and each time, they've appeared on our account the following day. True, the error was mine, but if they can do this with debit amounts, can they surely justify the 5 working day thing otherwise? If it doesn't hit my acccount by end of business today, I'll be in a paying interest mode. Additionally, since hubby's account is in credit, they do already have our money - can I maybe ask for interest on that?

Totally, really unbelie[?]vably hacked off....

Can't argue with you. Not just MBNA, but with UK bankers generally. I am afraid you are just the little and unimportant customer.

I think I may give them another call today and argue my case. Standing up, of course, always make me feel more in control and I don't want to burst into tears!

[Nottingham Nick]

Whilst I have every sympathy, Claire.

MBNA decide where the goalposts are set. They are in the business to make money. It is a such a massive cut throat sector, that they will sting you every chance they get. [n]

As Sailor has said, we are just a number to them. Best of luck with trying to reason with them, but don't hold your breath [:(!]

Nick

[HighFlyer]

Persevere Claire.

I always pay my Virgin Mastercard using their online page. It clearly states there that 'payments made before 5pm Monday-Thursday will be credited to your account the next working day' and there have been at least two occasions where i have made a payment on a weekday, it having not appeared in my account the nexy day, and MBNA have tried to charge me interest. I reminded them of the statement on their account and they basically told me that it wasnt necessarily the case. Of course i had a (albeit shaky) keg to stand on to stop them charging me interest, but i have found their customer service pretty dire in the short few years i have been a customer. If i wasnt getting all those airmiles i would take my expenditure elsewhere.

Vall again, ensure you speak to a supervisor or someone senior (as they are the ones who can remove any interest charges) and explain to them nicely and clearly that its a simplr error, hasnt happened before, and in the interests of good customer relations you would appreciate it if they waive any interest charges that may be accrued if the money doesnt hit your account in time.

How long have you had the cards? If you have had them a reasonable while it does not harm to remind them of the level of business you provide them and that it can be taken elsewhere if they do not seem co-operative.

Best of luck with it

Thanks,
Sarah

Totally agree, I had a virgin card a few years ago (it had feathers on it!) and closed it because they became so unreliable. Since i opened my new card, little has changed.

PLUS!! I was reading on MSE hat they are doubling the intrest rate on some virgin card customers if they deem them not to be good enough customers!

Originally posted by BelfastFlyer
PLUS!! I was reading on MSE hat they are doubling the intrest rate on some virgin card customers if they deem them not to be good enough customers!

I think this would be an important point to bring out on the forum. Where did you find this information (I am afraid I don't know what MSE is!). Does it say what a bad customer is - it always used to be a customer who paid in full every month. Do you know if it affects VS card holders or is it affecting Virgin card holders or perhaps MBNA cards more generally.

below is the link to the thread

Link

could be that the customers in question have had a charge on their account, but no one has admitted it [V] and it doesnt seem to have been any virgin atlantic cards (well, none have stated if they are).

So be careful people! [:0]




Edit by mod to shorten link........... Nick

[Nottingham Nick]

Thanks for the link [y]

Originally posted by BelfastFlyer

So be careful people! [:0]

Wise words.. credit cards are not the cheapest way to borrow money.. especially if you factor in penalty charges [n]

Nick

Thanks for all your comments. I spoke to MBNA today, and explained what had gone on. She said she could see that action was waiting to happen - so I tehn told her that I'd called them on 1st Feb, and that I really didn't want to be charged interest - when they haave the money with them. Yes, wrong account, but my money, nonetheless. She was very sympathetic and assured me that no interest would be levied. We'll see..... if I do get charged, then yes, I'll escalate it, I'd already considered that.

I've had the card 2 years - and it occurs to me that, as I clear my balance each month, they aren't making as much as they'd like from me....

Ive made a couple of similar errors in past and now I pay all my cards seperately by logging into the specific account. That way I cant (well shouldnt) duplicate a payment.
I actually think your quite lucky that MBNA said they would move the credit for you , some companies wouldnt have been so accomodating.
Id better go check my Virgin card hasnt changed - I overpaid them last November & theyve actually been owe me £60 for nearly 3 months!!. Im guilty of not reading interest-change letters too closely though, could well have happened already.
Cards arent the cheapest method of borrowing, thats true, but often quicker & easier to arrange than a loan & shortterm can cost you nothing but a transfer fee for 6, 9, 12 months....
In the past 3 years I have had 2x 12month 0% transfer offers from my Barclaycard. Year in between, an empty card has allowed me to move monies owed from one card to another.
Obviously Id rather be 100% debt free & when I move house (hopefully this summer) I will be (profit on house less deposit on new propery > monies owed). In the meantime, anything I can do to lower my interst payments is welcomed - even if it is moving balance from one card to another every 28-30 days....

[RichardMannion]

Don't ever be a monkey and miss a payment either (like I did last month, too busy flying back and forth to CA). MBNA's actions astound me, they outsource the whole you've missed a payment to a third party. So even though I was only a few days late, they have sent my details on to a third party. Now this third party must be based in the primate section at London Zoo:

They phone my mobile and immediately ask for my date of birth, address and other PII - to which I refuse until they tell me whom is calling. They tell me and obviously it means nothign to me as they are not MBNA. So I tell them that I don't recognise them, and so the primates ask again and again I refuse so they hang up.

30 seconds later, another primate calls and asks the same PII questions again. I ask if they are working on behalf of someone, and yes they are but he can't tell me until I have answered his questions! I explain that in regards to identity theft I will not give him my details - he then relents and tells me that they ae calling on MBNA. In the meantime I am online checkign my account as I had sent the payment through a week ago, and sure enough it has cleared 4 days earlier. I explain this to primate #2 and he says that they can't see that data as they work on behalf of MBNA. Goodness grief. So I hang up and speak to MBNA direct and ask why I am beign hassled for an account that is up to date, and their response - 'well we can't access their systems as they are external to us'. For christ sake what a screwed up arrangement - a clear indicator on how not to do business!

Thanks,
Richard

Interesting point - I actually had a similar situation with MBNA outsourcing about a year ago following a late payment.
I now try & avoid using the card at all costs, but its also handy to know I have a "spare" card in an emergency.
Unless its a 1-off purchase I want the benefits of Visa / MC protection whilst taking a few months to pay it back, I try & only use my Amex. charge card. Best incentive to NOT buy something is whether or not I`ll have the funds available at the end of the month to pay it back.

Originally posted by williestott
Ive made a couple of similar errors in past and now I pay all my cards seperately by logging into the specific account. That way I cant (well shouldnt) duplicate a payment.
I actually think your quite lucky that MBNA said they would move the credit for you , some companies wouldnt have been so accomodating.
Id better go check my Virgin card hasnt changed - I overpaid them last November & theyve actually been owe me £60 for nearly 3 months!!. Im guilty of not reading interest-change letters too closely though, could well have happened already.
Cards arent the cheapest method of borrowing, thats true, but often quicker & easier to arrange than a loan & shortterm can cost you nothing but a transfer fee for 6, 9, 12 months....
In the past 3 years I have had 2x 12month 0% transfer offers from my Barclaycard. Year in between, an empty card has allowed me to move monies owed from one card to another.
Obviously Id rather be 100% debt free & when I move house (hopefully this summer) I will be (profit on house less deposit on new propery > monies owed). In the meantime, anything I can do to lower my interst payments is welcomed - even if it is moving balance from one card to another every 28-30 days....

Nothing wrong with being a card tart! Is it called stoozing or something like that, when you hop around cards to take davantage of 0% continually?

[Scrooge]

Not wanting to take the thread off topic,but it seems to me that whenever you start dealing with getting a refund from a large company pain will follow.

Just before xmas I managed to transfer $3200 to my local power company,of cause spotted the error straight away,kind off,one quick phone call I thought..nope take 14-28 days to get the money back in my account..

True Jet. I had an experience recently with my ISP - I;d got a wireless modem from them that didn't work, so returned it - in packacing they'd sent me, so presumably could track. It didnt arrive and the hoops I had to jump through to get the refund I was due....

But I digress.... checking my accounts online this morning and it's all been put right!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scrooge]

Glad to hear it all got sorted in the end