... I moved my balance from Egg after six months, to Marbles, as I wanted an internet-based credit card with a good introductory offer. I also wanted an easy application, and Marbles doesn't turn away many folk, so even if you have a poor credit rating it might be worth applying.
The marbles ... Read review
Advantages: 0% on balance transfers for six months, APR of only 14.9 thereafter, no annual fee Disadvantages: no cashback, no reward scheme, too many bits of paper, too many numbers, slow site, rubbish payment options
...wanted an easy application, and Marbles doesn't turn away many folk, so even if you have a poor credit rating it might be worth applying.
The marbles offer is much the same as Egg’s: 0% interest for six months on balance transfers and purchases, reverting to 14.9% apr after 6 months. With so many of these offers about, why did I pick Marbles this time? The internet element was attractive to me: its very convenient for me to be able ... ...How do I get my Marbles credit card?
You can apply for your card over the phone (0870 606 1177), or like me, online, by filling out a fairly simple form which asks for your basic details: name, address, income, bank account details. It also lets you choose the colour of marble you want on your card, which made me smile. If you are accepted for a card, you’ll get an email and a follow up letter. So far, so good.
Moving your credit card balance around is a very effective money saver. I moved my balance from Egg after six months, to Marbles, as I wanted an internet-based credit card with a good introductory offer. I also wanted an easy application, and Marbles doesn't turn away many folk, so even if you have a poor credit rating it might be worth applying.
The marbles offer is much the same as Egg’s: 0% interest for six months on balance transfers and purchases, reverting to 14.9% apr after 6 months. With so many of these offers about, why did I pick Marbles this time? The internet element was attractive to me: its very convenient for me to be able to manage my finances online from several locations. With hindsight, I wouldn’t choose them again. I hope you don’t either.
Who are Marbles?
The HFC bank are behind Marbles, and the HSBC group is behind them. Which means you are dealing with a name you know and recognise - something I find quite important with most consumer decisions, and perhaps especially with financial ones.
How do I get my Marbles credit card?
You can apply for your card over the phone (0870 606 1177), or like me, online, by filling out a fairly simple form which asks for your basic details: name, address, income, bank account details. It also lets you choose the colour of marble you want on your card, which made me smile. If you are accepted for a card, you’ll get an email and a follow up letter. So far, so good.
That’s when it started to get irritating. I began to receive all the necessary bits of info from Marbles in separate letters (which I found remarkably hard to put together when I needed them all). This, I told myself, is exactly why I DIDN’T want to be dealing with lots of bits of paper. First was the card itself, and my “Internet ID”, then a separate letter with my “Internet Password,” which I then had to log on with and change to something I could remember. The flaw with that it that by the time I logged on a month later to make a payment, I had forgotten that I had changed it and was trying to log on with the old password they sent me, which didn’t then work. Luckily I realised what I had done before I managed to lock myself out completely, and a phone call and a few security questions later, including “What is your memorable word?” (YET ANOTHER THING TO REMEMBER!!) it was all ok. Luckily, Customer Services are there 24 hours a day 365 days a year, in the unlucky event that you have a memory like mine.
------------------------------------------------- I think this would be a good place to stop, take a deep breath, and sum up the process of getting an EGG card: a)go to www.egg.com and fill out a form online. b)Wait for confirmation email and letter c)Receive Egg Card in post, and go online to activate it (one number). --------------------------------------------------
So I was up and running again. Or so I thought. Until I tried to make a payment, and after grumpily filling in all my card details (never had to do that with Egg, hmph) realised I now had to remember my security number, a five digit number which I apparently created at the time of applying and then instantly forgot about for a month.
OK, so I’m a bit stupid. I’m not denying much of this hassle wouldn’t happen to someone who was more organised. Call me picky, but asking me to remember three sets of numbers, one of them a 10 digit ID that I didn’t pick myself, every time I want to log on and pay something off my card, plus all my bank details, irritates me. I can remember my Egg security questions from any location, because they are personal to me and I’m unlikely to forget my mothers maiden name or my favourite moles first word, or whatever else I wanted them to ask me to convince themselves it really was me. I can check the “remember this number” on my computer screen for the 10-digit ID on my home computer, but what about when I get to work and decide I want to pay off my bill from there? Maybe I am supposed to carry the numbers around with me everywhere I go (look at me everyone, I carry pin numbers in my wallet) …
Making Payments
The miniumum payment is 2% of your balance every month, or £5, whichever is the least. You can make payments online, by post (you get a monthly statement whether you want one or not, so it seems), or via direct debit. With my Egg account, I paid monthly by direct debit after receiving an email reminder that a payment was due. All I had to do was go onto the site, log on, choose the amount I wanted to pay, and log off. I also had an automatic payment, meaning that a set amount chosen by me would be paid off automatically every month without me even having to remember to visit the site.
Marbles really began to irritate me when I realised that I couldn’t choose how much of my card I wanted to pay off every month in this way. I didn’t set up a direct debit this time as there are only two options available – you either pay the minimum amount due, or you pay off the balance in full every month. The whole point of getting the card, for me, was to pay it off in affordable chunks, which meant somewhere in-between. And I couldn’t do this by direct debit. So, instead every month I have had to log on and fill in all my card details, which isn’t nearly as quick or easy as I found Egg. I also have to have my wallet to hand every time I do it: ergo a lot of impatient rummaging in handbags and running up and down stairs!!
Lets say you do decide to go with the direct debit option and pay off either the minimum or the maximum. You just fill in an online form, easy peasy. Nope, sorry, that’s Egg I appear to be thinking of again. What you do, (and this is an internet-based credit card, remember) is you click a button and they send you a postal form to fill in and return. How very technologically advanced they are.
------------------------------------------------- Making Payments – the Egg Version (sorry)
Log on Set up regular payment on Egg.com for as much or as little as I like (within reason) Ignore for up to 6 months and know it will automatically pay that amount, unless I choose to change it. Which I can do without hassle. THE END -------------------------------------------------
What if I can’t make a payment?
There’s always the option to take out Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) which would help in the eventuality that you struggle to meet the payments on your card. You get the option to take out this cover when you first apply for your card, but you can opt in at any other time.
The website
The website is very well designed and easy to navigate, but it is terribly slow. You get “please wait, page loading” signs all the time: in short, it’s well designed and pretty, and it’s easy to find the information you are looking for: but you might have to wait to get it.
Security and Safety
Your log on session lasts for 15 minutes of inactivity before Marbles step in. This means if you accidentally leave the site open, it will log you off automatically after 15 minutes. They also offer online fraud protection for purchases you make online, and also offer “free purchase protection” which is insurance in the event that something you buy gets lost, stolen or damaged before you receive it. This applies to anything costing up to £500.
Good Bits (grudgingly) ------------ 0% on balance transfers for six months APR of only 14.9 No annual fee Choice or marble colour (struggling)
The worst bits all over again ---------------------------- Six million stupid numbers to remember Slow website Direct Debit still involves paper form Direct Debit limited to minimum or maximum payment No automatic payment service Fees for late payments £20 No cashback No reward scheme Paper bank statements sent regardless of whether you want them or not (trees and woolly monkeys!!!) £10 charge for a 6-month-long inactive account
Advantages: Excellent customer service and Internet fraud protection Disadvantages: Online service can be tricky to negotiate
...have been a customer of Marbles for nearly three years now, and my experiences with them are somewhat mixed. ~ Applying for your card ~
The Marbles card is quite easy to apply for, and it more publicised now than when I first joined. Like many other cards and personal loans it comes courtesy of HFC Bank in Birmingham, so you know it's a large company backing it up. You can apply online at www.marbles.com.
~ Interest rates ~
Generally people are ... ...that opening 6 months, the Marbles card could well be for you.
Once you've joined up, they do have occasional offers for low interest rates on balance transfers. The lowest I've had was 4.9% but it's generally relative to their main interest rate.
~ Charges ~
Like all credit companies, Marbles will jump on late payments quicker than you can say "but my auntie's sick". I've only ever had one late payment (this statement actually!) but given the ...
cazm17 30.12.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marbles Card
Advantages: Most account management can be done on-line Disadvantages: Amount of cross-selling
Marbles is the credit card from HFC Bank. If I remember correctly, when it was launched a few years ago Marbles was the first credit card to offer on-line account management functions. I also think it was the first card provider to try and persuade people to shop online more by offering overt protection against credit-card fraud when shopping on the internet.
As someone who like to be first in line for new gadgets or novel products, I signed up ... ...Insurance. I think this is Marbles one remaining unique feature and frankly I'm not sure what to make of it. This covers anything you buy up to £500 if it gets lost or damaged during the delivery process. Frankly, I thought that most couriers had insurance for this anyway. Perhaps someone can put me right on that.
THE FINAL STRAW
Two days ago, I had the latest marketing call from "Marbles". I put that in inverted commas because they have all been ...
PeterDB 27.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marbles Card
Advantages: good interest rates, low balance transfer rates Disadvantages: resetting of internet password is slow
Well orginally Marbles was going to be the 'first' internet credit card but Egg got in first! Marbles is issued by HFC (Household Finance Corporation) Bank PLC, a large American company. Marbles has been around for about 3 years now and has some very attractive features. It has an Interest Rate of 14.9% on purchases and you can get an introductory rate of 1.9% fixed for 6 months. This gives a blended interest rate of 13.4%. At this point I better ... ...are no loyalty schemes with Marbles although word on the street is that there may be one in the future......... Marbles has a Safe Shopping Promise. If you use your card to make purchases on the Internet then you are covered if someone obtains your details and commits fraud. Also you are covered for purchases made on line to when they are delivered to your door. So if anything gets damaged in transit you are covered up to a maximum of £500. There ...
aflynn_01 24.05.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marbles Card
Advantages: Interest free credit on balance transfers and purchases Disadvantages: Only for 6 months
I applied for a Marbles credit card 3 weeks ago as I have recently been experiencing cashflow problems ( see Jaguar XJ8 review ).
The idea of an interest free loan for 6 months seemed too good to be true, but this is effectively what the latest Marbles promotion amounts to. All balance transfers and purchases made in the first 6 months will be charged at 0% as long as you make the minimum repayment each month. There is no annual fee.
I came across ... ...the 10 pound reward with Marbles was 625 pounds.
I duly filled in the online form, which was quick and easy, and a few days later received a phone call from Marbles confirming my details. I was immediately offered the opportunity to transfer any outstanding balances (unlike the experience of another reviewer ) which I declined. A few days later my card arrived in the post and was activated by a quick and easy phone call. I have subsequently used ...
tania1 03.04.2003 (05.04.2003)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marbles Card
Advantages: 0% on balance transfers and purchases for 6 months Disadvantages: Performance of website, statement period
I have had a Marbles Credit Card for 4 months. Its been a free ride so far, but by the end of June I need to decide if it’s for "long term" or a "passing romance"... Read my feedback as to which way it will go. Marbles is an Internet based credit card issued by HFC bank. Heavily advertised in the press, on TV, and on the web, it has a distinctive brand clearly backed by a slick marketing operation. With a 0% interest rate on both transfers and purchases ... ...I applied for my Marbles card by following a link from the mutual.net, which offered the promise of 27000 (worthless?) free shares for successful applicants. I had seen other web based inducements out there offering air miles such but these didn't influence the purchasing decision for me. I was after the 0%. The application process itself was relatively simple, a series of online forms capturing the basics - name, address, income, bank account. What ...
argyle_dave 14.05.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Marbles Card
Competitiveness of APR
Product package
Quality of Customer Ser...
Reward Scheme
Additional Charges
Security and Privacy
Ease of Application
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Advantages: good rates, easy to control Disadvantages: helps you into debt
I have started using the EGG credit card, partly because of the cashback offers but also due to their low interest rates. This is still the most important thing to recognise when looking for a credit card. I have had a Lloyds TSB Asset Advance and a marblescard, both of which offered good short term deals and then hiked up the interest rates.
For a financial agency their website is spot on as well. Quick, clear and few adverts and logos. The layout is clear enough to navigate quickly and paying off the monthly balance is simple enough. All I need to do is stop spending my money. With a balance transfer rate of 2.5% this has to be the best card to go for, I work in the finance trade and this is the lowest rate I am aware of. Direct debits allow you to pay off the monthly balance without even needing to write cheques or phone through ...
baloo 04.09.2000
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Advantages: ummmm, no, can't think of a single one Disadvantages: failed to honour promises many times on marbles, first direct, and beneficial accounts
I had a Beneficial Bank current account, with a Visa credit card attached, which worked brilliantly for twenty years; until HFC, then HSBC, took it over. They then called it a credit card account.
Endless problems since, including demanding calls from asian debt-collection call-centre! Now the account is still open, more than twelve months since I was told it had been closed! They still keep sending monthly statements, adding charges, and even accepting payments of dividends from a shares account elsewhere. Hey, it's a closed account!
A Marblescard was issued to us a couple of years ago, at a higher (15.9%) interest rate than we had been "preferentially" offered (11.9%). We complained, and were ignored, so we've not used that account: just destroyed cards!
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Flash123 20.01.2007
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Advantages: Loyalty scheme, special offers, special rates Disadvantages: APR is higher than some others
can also receive triple pulsebeats on Sony products bought with the card.
Another advantage of the Sonycard is the 0% offer available for balance transfers on the card, ideal for all the rate tarts out there. There is a 15.9 APR on this card, which is slightly higher than most (Tesco and marbles are 14.9% and egg is 13.9%). There is up to 59 days interest free credit on the card for those who pay off the balance in full monthly. I did get an offer about a year ago with 1.5% APR for 6 months on balance transfers, but that seemed to be a one off offer.
Sonycard also have competitions some months to win various Sony products.
Customer services are always friendly. I have had to phone up a few times, and every time the queues haven't been that long and the staff are always friendly and know what they're doing.
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fuzzibear 14.04.2004 (24.05.2004)
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