Tesco credit card rant

[mashpot]

I'm so annoyed with Tesco credit card. I applied for a new card with them, because they have a good deal with 15 months no interest on new purchases, towards the beginning of July. I have an excellent credit record and after completing the online application they confirmed they would give me a card and then wrote to ask me to send a couple of things to prove my identity.

I had to send one of the following: an original bank statement which showed my salary payment, a benefits letter or something from HMRC which was not a P45 or P60. As well as a second form of id to prove my address.

I'm not on any benefits and the only thing I've ever received from HMRC is a P45 and P60! I don't receive statements from HSBC, its all online as are many banks these days, so I went to my local branch and explained what I needed and they printed out a statement of my last 3 months transactions which I sent with a note explaining that I didn't receive postal statements.

Tesco have returned this saying it is not an acceptable form of identification (even though I had also sent an original utility bill showing my name and address) and so I can't open a credit card with them!

I just can't believe in this day and age of internet banking when banks repeatedly ask us to swap to online statements to save paper, Tesco are turning me away over this. I can't do any more than get a statement directly from the bank! Pah. Rant over.

Just angry I have wasted a month on this - I've been waiting for the card to arrive so I could buy my new bathroom!

Can I rant at them too! If you use your card 10+ times in one day, they make you ring them up and tell them all sorts of personal info in the middle of a shop.
Only the second time this happened did I get someone who explained why the card stopped working.
Yes I'd put all sorts of things on it, I want the Tesco points- that is the point of having it.
I wish you luck op

That's weird because I applied for one a few weeks ago, it arrived pretty promptly and I wasn't asked for a shred of evidence about my identity. Couldn't you send a copy of your drivers licence or passport?

You get no hassle like this with and M&S credit card

I would like to complain because my balance is HUGE!

another I already have an M&S card so have enjoyed that 0% offer already!

startail that sounds ridiculous, just as well I'm not getting one!

cogito I did have to send other forms of id as well but they also required either an original bank statement, letter from benefits agency or letter from HMRC. I rang them this morning to explain the bank statement I sent had been printed in the branch and that was all hsbc could give me but I could send all matter of other id including payslips but they won't budge. That's what really annoys me. even more annoyed now I know they don't do this with everyone but is possibly because I recently moved house so haven't been at my address long. Not that that has stopped me providing tonnes of id.

Have applied for a barclaycard now so hopefully won't be such a painful process!

I have a Tesco credit card and have never had any problems and the customer services are actually pretty helpful. I don't think you can blame them for sticking to their identification procedures, banks can get into trouble if they don't.

If you spend a lot and shop at Tesco the points mount up pretty quickly, I wouldn't give mine up.

It will be to satisfy money laundering rules rather than to be annoying per se. Doesn't help you get your credit card but the rules state that you need to be 100% sure of your client's ID to protect yourself from money laundering offences, which is probably why they are being so tricky.

Sorry it is a hassle. Hope soon resolved.

Change your HSBC statements to paper ones (you do this under your account settings) so that you have one or two as you will no doubt be asked again by another credit card company as it is to do with money laundering.

I have had a tesco credit card for about 10 years and the points make it totally worth it for me. Every year I get RAC cover which would cost me £200 for nothing, just some clubcard vouchers. I get magazine subscriptions, hotel rooms, days out, legoland again cost me nothing.

Totally worth it!

If you are going to go mad spending on any credit card just ring them first to give them a heads up. They stopped my card when they spotted unusual spending. Luckily it wasn't me spending, my details had been nicked and I cannot fault tesco, they were fab.

We have a Tesco Credit Card - had it for years, so cannot remember what proof we gave them.

All I can say though is we cannot fault them. Someone tried to use our card twice online and both times they phoned us straight away to see if they were our transactions - they weren't and they stopped the card straight away. They also rang when DH had gone to a conference and the hotel had cocked up swiping the card. Tesco rang again to check if it was us and also asked if some petrol was ours that had been paid for - it was again DH on his way to the conference.

Someone else mentioned though about the 10 times usage thing in one day. Until recently I was unaware of this. I tried to book a hotel which was the 11th transaction on that day and they declined the card. However DH rang them and they told him why but put the amount straight through for us.

I wouldn't be surprised if the clue is in your 'excellent credit record' my DH is in this category and is regularly refused, because no one ever makes any money from him. One company actually described his credit file as too clean!

I think I know how to fix this - ring your tax office and tell them you want a copy of your tax coding notice for your own records (it's called a P2 coding notice). They aren't allowed to give you one if you say your bank needs something from HMRC, as they're trying to discourage the banks from asking for P2's as ID, but they have to give you one for your own records.

Thank you Bubble, that's really useful to know - I've never heard of a P2.

Fizzy the problem with changing statements back to paper is that I only receive a statement once every 3 months so will be waiting a long time to progress my application!