Well guys.. Im outa here. Dont have time for Ciao any more but thanks for all the laughs, tears and ...
Well guys.. Im outa here. Dont have time for Ciao any more but thanks for all the laughs, tears and comments! Ciao!
Member since:02.01.2005
Reviews:40
Members who trust:28
As you may see from my reviews, I do jump from credit card to credit card. Without exception, I have had excellent service, and also I think a good deal from my other cards.
So onto the MBNA card, which is a slightly differnet kettle of fish.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE MAIN FEATURES OF THE PLATINUM CARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Typical APR is 15.9%. This may vary from person to person - 0% p.a. on card purchases for 6 months (from date of account opening) - 0% p.a. on balance transfers + 'credit card cheques' for nine months from account opening - Up to 56 days interest free credit (on card purchases only) if you pay your statement balance both in full and on time - The monthly minimum payment is 2.25% of your balance (minimum £5) - Credit limit - obviously they will choose according to your status! (I hav eno idea how they derrive the amount!)
- Annual fee: £0 - 2% handling fee (min £3) on credit card cheques and balance transfers - 3% handling fee (min £3) on cash transactions - 2.75% commission on foreign currency transactions. - £25 for going over your limit, making late payments and for returned payments (ie bounced cheques).
--------------------------------------- OPENING THE ACCOUNT --------------------------------------
Can be done online, which is prob the easiest way. Go to the MBNA site, and click on the platinum card. Then click on the apply now button. You will be referred to their special application website. You will have to provide: - name - address - nature of work and income - bank details - balances of other cards, loans etc - date of birth - and declare whether you have been bankrupt before
You recieve info through the post a few weeks later to say whether they have approved your application or not.
Then you have to wait for your card and pin number to arrive.
Well Ill tell you about my problems below, as I think I should give an impartial reiew first. But in theory the card should arrive through the post. When it arrives you have to call a number to confirm you have safely received it and then they can activate your account. This prevents the card being stolen from the post and then used.
You get monthly statements, and can check your account online and ont he phone. I was a bit surprised that the phone securuty is a bit slack. I got a balance with my date of birth only, no card number! However, if you want more info, you need to provide more security info.
To make payments you can: - use the website - go via your bank - call them on the phone - post the slip from the statement You have to leave about 5 working days for it all to clear.
----------------------------------------------------------- MORE ABOUT THE PHONE SUPPORT ------------------------------------------------------------
MBNA have a UK based call centre. Yes they are friendly, and it is a freephone number (0800 062 062). Bu there are usually very long waits, and no helpful guide to let you know how long it will take!
Zilch, nil. None whatsoever. They do claim to have discounted travel, car and home insurance, but on getting a quote it was certainly no cheaper than Tesco! (In fact, a lot more!)
------------------------------------ INCOME PROTECTION ------------------------------------
After opening my account, I got a friendly call to say welcome, and to tell me about the income protection they offer. Essentially, if you get sick and lose your job they will pay the balance. I dont recall being asked whether I wanted to join, rather that it was all part of the card offer. Great I thought. When I got a letter about it, I read the small print and realsied that there was a charge! 70 pence per £100. Not only do you get opted in automatically, but they dont make it clear that there is a charge. Im sure that isnt right! It was easy to cancel on the phone, but I could quite easily have not seen the charges. That said, it is quite a deal for those who may build up big balances. I wish they went about it in a more upfront way though.
------------------------------------------ CARD ARRIVAL.. OR NOT! ------------------------------------------
They say they use Royal Mail, but in fact I got my card from a dodgy courier who failed to deliver several times in a row. It took a whooping 3 months for my card to arrive! Im sure I just had bad luck, but I've never had a probelm with delivery from any other company in the past! I kept calling the call centre to say the card hadnt arrived. First I was told I hadnt waited long enough. Then, finally they realsied it got stuck at the coureir. The same thing happened twice more! Very odd.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BOTTOM LINE... WHY DONT I RATE THIS CARD? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Customer support - takes ages to get through on the phone - No loyalty scheme (so many others have cahsback, points, charity donations etc...) - It took 3 months for the card to arrive - The cheeky protection insurance they add on... for a cost. - The APR is expensive - I dont think the card even looks that great!
By the time the card arrived I only had 3 months left on the interest free deal to make purchases on. Not really worth it. That was the only real plus for the card, and I cant really recommend it to anyone when there are so many better cards out there, with better service. I say, go to the companies who deserve it, try Egg for example! You can find many other cards with 0% offers, as well as loyalty benefits.
That said, it wasnt too horrendous, so I'll give them a generous 2/5 - at least they were friendly!
Dan.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Good customer service, frequent incentives to transfer balances at very low rates, one of the longest interest free periods on the market, Up to 59 days interest free Disadvantages: Payments are used to clear balance transfers first whilst any other spending accumulates at 15.9% APR
sue.51 17.11.2001 (28.06.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of MBNA Platinum Card
Advantages: Good intro rate, good customer service, Credit card chequebook Disadvantages: Poor "normal" rate, no incentives (e.g. cashback), no Internet presence
madwolf 28.07.2000 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of MBNA Platinum Card
Jun 14th, 2006
very helpful by (97%):
helpful by (3%):
