I'm so ashamed - I've just been knocked back for a credit card!!

[Rara]

I feel like I've just been made to walk naked down the high street - yes, it's THAT shameful! It's never happened to me before.
I've currently got a Mastercard Gold which I've been religiously paying off and not buying anything with for 2 years. Decided to swap to a credit card with a lower rate as I bought some air tickets last week and bumped the balance up. Went onto moneysupermarket.co.uk, looked at the best rate which was from Cahoot and filled in the application. They said NO!!! I then tried the Halifax and they said they couldn't tell me on the spot and would look into it and write later in the week...but it's still not a straight yes - why?!!
I'm very p**d off because I think it might be because I admitted I now work p/t, even though my income is still between 15-20K. I also told them about a personal loan and the Gold card. Why did they reject me? I feel like I've just been packed in for the first time, all over again!!

OK, Rara, you need to contact the main credit reference agencies and ask to see the details they hold on you. For a small fee (usually about £2) they will send these to you. It could be the part time thing but you will really only know when you see these files.

I KNOW it's embarrassing, it's HORRIBLE! But at least it didn't happen in public, in a shop (did it? Please say no!). Will see if I can find web details for you of the agencies.

OK, here's one, experian, here

And here's the other major player, Equifax, here! Good luck.

I can't believe that you have been turned down. You don't mention any debt problems and you are still earning and paying your current card when necessary so I don't know why they turned you down. They seem to allow everyone far too much credit these days and don't appear to be too choosy. It is all probably down to some stupid technicality and I have read today about someone else being refused credit because their names weren't on the electoral role (as if that has anything to do with whether you can pay or not). You could write to the company and ask why you were refused - I think they are obliged to tell you but don't take it personally.

BTW we got a good rate on a balance transfer with RBS Advanta last year - 12 months at 1.9%, then we swapped back to HSBC to take advantage of their cheap rate for 6 months. When that runs out we will look around again! (Barclays got the thumbs down from us because they only offered a credit limit of £300 which wasn't enough for our balance and they wouldn't extend it until you had been with them for a while so we told them to stick it!)

Rara, I earn over 60K,and apart from mortgage have no debts, I was turned down for a Mothercare card in the middle of a big queue at M/care, whilst trying to qualify for the "10% discount if you sign up for a card today"! I agree, its horrible. I ended up paying with my Platinum Visa card, and wrote a snotty letter to Mothercare telling them that they would not be getting any more busines from me, and would lose a lot of interest on the card! It went unanswered, but made me feel better! I contacted Experian, and they said that there was nothing on file against me, so I think that I was turned down as I've only been at my current address 3 years, and the previous occupants were rather dodgy!

I'm currently on benefit and I was approved for a Halifax credit card (with no previous history - good or bad), so I can't believe they would turn you down because you're part-time.

Best wishes

Thanks for your nice - and helpful - comments. It's occured to me that I can't have a bad credit rating from my old address as dh and I only got our current mortgage 15 months ago and I still had the loan and the gold card then. I was also given a Mothercare card about a year ago, which I used to buy the carseat then paid off as soon as I could, and I'd only been in my new house for 5 months then, so it can't be that.
I will certainly follow www's advice and track this down - I shall be so mad if it's been based on working p/t. It's discrimination! How do they think I pay for my bloody mortgage and gold card, for god's sake!!!
Did I do right when answering the question about annual income just stating the actual income or should I have stated the full-time wage (which I get 0.6 of)?

Someone once told me that it is actually more difficult to get credit if you are a non-debtor. They know that they aren't going to make money out of you and have no records to judge you by. I know someone who has never had loans or credit cards and was refused a bank account because of this, even though they had managed their finances successfully for many years. Find out why they refused you and give them hell!

I was in a queue in homebase, had a load of stuff and tried to pay with my Credit Card. The assistant practically shouted that it wasn't accepted and she would have to call the manager. I felt loads of eyes bore into me and blushed to my toenails. Anyway the manager came and said in an equally loud voice that my card wouldn't be accepted. I didn't have my debit card with me so the whole experience was a complete nightmare. I rang the credit card co and found out that it was some mixup over a balance of £6.50(this apparently was interest hadn't appeared on my statement). My advise is to call them and find out what is going on - I totally understand how awful you feel but take heart at least it didn't happen in a crowded shop!. I would be v surprised if it was because you are part-time. Good luck

Dizzymummy, I had a similar experience in B&Q. The machine wouldn't accept my credit card but fortunately I did have a debit card with me. They made me feel really small and as if I had been refused credit. I rang the credit card company when I got home and they found no problem with my account or my card so I can only assume that the machine was being temperamental. It was so annoying.

Ha, you think that's bad, I went through a phase of Tesco's querying my Debit card about once a month for 6 months. It really pissed me off because I would have to lug my shopping to customer services while they rang the bank, to find there was plenty of money in my account anyway. Once it was for the piddling amount of £14.00 when there was over 2 grand in the account. Religously I would go home, ring the bank and give them a bollocking. It makes you feel about 2 inches high.

Rara - the fact you only moved 5 months ago could be what is causing the problem. Did you put down your previous address? It could also be the previous inhabitants of your current address that is cauing the problem (although I thought, perhpas wringly, that the credit companies were stopping this "guilt by post code" )

I agree with others about getting a copy of your credit records for Experian and Equifax - even thogh it will cost you a small fee. That way it can put your mind at rest - and you can correct any discrepancies.

Re people's experiences in supermarkets I once had Sainsburies refuse my card (massive limit which is never used, paid off in full every month), but then accepted the "associate" card which is linked to the original (refused) card (ie they took the Mastercard but refused the Visa, even though they are both off the same credit agreement). When I rang up Barclaycard, they said that they had never been asked to authorise a transaction - which they would have done anyway as I had an excellent credit rating - but suggested that sometimes the supermarket check out staff key it in slightly wrongly, which can then APPEAR to refuse the transaction.

JanZ - I could be wrong, but I think the type of "postcode blacklisting" that is banned is where companies refuse loans to anyone living in an entire area (usually a big council estate). As far as I know they are still allowed to blacklist individual addresses and I guess that's understandable as it's quite common for people to try to get many loans under different names. I've only been refused credit when I lived at houses previously inhabited by students / neer-do-wells (as my gran would call them) - I think that's the problem. Even so, Rara, you should be able to sort it out by writing to the credit agencies.

JanZ - I've lived at my house for 15 months not 5! I gave my home and work number but not my mobile.
At the end of my refusal from Cahoot they gave me the opportunity to email them direct to find out why, but at this point I was so surprised I logged off in shame in case they could see me down the cables() !!! Anyway, I read the links www gave me and I'm also going to get back onto Cahoot now to email them.

Rara I think sometimes they look at where you have lived for 5 years. I nearly got turned down for my mortgage (major stress - worse than a credit card) because I had some interest on a Dorothy Perkins card where the bill had been sent to my previous address and I'd never seen it. I contacted DPs and requested a copy of the statement and what did I get - a threatening letter from the debt collectors - but with no amount on it. I was livid and also quite anxious.

Tissy, I also got turned down for a Mothercare card and also a Laura Ashley card, their loss if you ask me. I have my Monsoon card though which I only got recently and they are offering vouchers when you use the card (just got £15 from them to be used by October).

Yes it's true that they will turn down good payers as well as bad and also those that move their balances around a lot (which I have done in the past I must admit). R

I have had problems to start off with if I applied in my married name as I had no credit history. The shame of being turned down for a mothercare card!!!! Adams more helpful in this respect. Interestingly some catalogues also credit reference you and Vertbaudet refused me a catalogue for the same reason. Of course you phione up to yell at them and they smugly point out the small print.... Grrrr

Rhiannon - that's wierd that you've got a Monsoon card, but couldn't get a Mothercare or Laura Ahley card - as they're all run by the same finance company (I know - I work for the company! - But only for another week, until mt maternity starts...).
However, I don't work in the department where they authorise the applications, so I can't help in any explanations.