:mad: I have had a lot of trouble with Abbey and someone in their company has told me lies on at least one occassion. I applied for the Abbey Zero card a while back and was told I was successful and filled in the balance transfer details etc and sent off the signed agreement. Months went by and nothing had happened and I now had to pay interest on my old card. So, I rang them up. I was told that my application had been "abandoned" and that I would have to re-apply (was this because of the change to T&Cs?). I told them to forget it and I went to another lender. Incidentally, I made a complaint via Abbeys website. The other lender was Virgin and they were excellent and very quick and performed my balance transfer.
I was dismayed to find that the Abbey card then turned up on my doorstep and they went ahead with the balance transfer. Arrrgggggggh. I now had a positive balance of several thousand on my old card. I rang them and they said that I could either arrange the payment back with my old card provider or they would do a "recall" at no cost to me, but it would take up to 8 weeks to go through. I told them to do that and then end our relationship. I even had to make the minimum payment, so I didnt break any agreement. Soon after my account with Abbey was credited with 25 as an apology for the original delay. I rang to check with 5 weeks elapsed and was assured that the recall would take place in three weeks time.
Eventually the time came and went and no recall took place. When I rang them (after being passed through the usual several different numbers and being quoted the same number i first dialled), they told me that there was no record of any recall and that I could not have a recall as it was me that "changed my mind". I had an arguement with them that this was rubbish as I didnt wish to proceed with the card after being told the application was abandoned, but they would have none of it. Someone has lied somewhere along the line, as there must have been a record of my previous conversations. Each time, I asked for the situation in writing, but nothing ever arrived and they refused to email or fax.
In the end, I had to arrange a balance transfer in the opposite direction via the old card lender, for which I was charged, even though the whole amount was available as a credit. I suspect that Abbey have so many people in this situation, due to their backlog of applications and inefficiency, that they changed their policy and went back on their word. I ended up a few quid down, but have to chalk it up to experience. Although, I full intend to refer it to the banking ombudsman.
I was dismayed to find that the Abbey card then turned up on my doorstep and they went ahead with the balance transfer. Arrrgggggggh. I now had a positive balance of several thousand on my old card. I rang them and they said that I could either arrange the payment back with my old card provider or they would do a "recall" at no cost to me, but it would take up to 8 weeks to go through. I told them to do that and then end our relationship. I even had to make the minimum payment, so I didnt break any agreement. Soon after my account with Abbey was credited with 25 as an apology for the original delay. I rang to check with 5 weeks elapsed and was assured that the recall would take place in three weeks time.
Eventually the time came and went and no recall took place. When I rang them (after being passed through the usual several different numbers and being quoted the same number i first dialled), they told me that there was no record of any recall and that I could not have a recall as it was me that "changed my mind". I had an arguement with them that this was rubbish as I didnt wish to proceed with the card after being told the application was abandoned, but they would have none of it. Someone has lied somewhere along the line, as there must have been a record of my previous conversations. Each time, I asked for the situation in writing, but nothing ever arrived and they refused to email or fax.
In the end, I had to arrange a balance transfer in the opposite direction via the old card lender, for which I was charged, even though the whole amount was available as a credit. I suspect that Abbey have so many people in this situation, due to their backlog of applications and inefficiency, that they changed their policy and went back on their word. I ended up a few quid down, but have to chalk it up to experience. Although, I full intend to refer it to the banking ombudsman.
