Having been with my bank for over 15 years I was a bit peeved when m current bank decided that they would stop their rewards program and pu nothing in its place. As luck would have it, I received some junk mail - because surprisingly it was both well timed and welcome as it was the Sony Cardapplication form.
The blurb said that the rewards program (called Pulse beats) was better than the norm, typically 3% of value rather than 1% - the twist is, if you buy Sony products you get double points - and at 1 point per £1 normally, this can soon stack up.
The rewards program is strictly Sony - no cash back, no vouchers - just Sony goods. So if your not into Sony - this is not the card for you.
The application process is slick enough, fill out the form and send it off, and within 10 days the cards are in your hands. As you can see by the picture - it is a reasonable looking card with a silver magnetic stripe.
You can request to have a PIN for the cash machines - which I didn't want.
They do operate a 24 hour lost and stolen helpline, which I have not had to call.
Customer service is reasonable, with a big PLUS being that you don't have to sit behind one of those push button menu things to get your call answered - just sit in a queue - which from the 4 or 5 calls I have made to them does not take long.
You can pay to insure your card so that in the event that you lost your job, died, etc, the payments would be made for you for a period of time, or repaid fully, dependant on your circumstances.
As with other credit cards, purchases over the sum of £100 are covered by the consumer credit act, affording you further protection in the event of your goods not being up to scratch. The card program itself is backed by the Bank of Scotland, so it is not a here tomorrow, gone tomorrow affair.
I am fortunate to be in the position to pay my balance off in full every month, so do not pay a penny for my 56 days interest free credit!
Interest rates seem to be a little better than the norm.
My only gripe concerns my first, and only, redemption of points. It took them ages to sort it, didn't send it when they said they would and then had to chase them to try to resolve it. When I did get hold of them, they said that the product was out of stock and they didn't know when they would be getting it back in. Since this was a basic pair of non-powered speakers I wasn't impressed and told them so.
Miraculously, within 2 days the speakers turned up together with a letter of apology. Someone must have gone down the shop and bought one!
All in all I am satisfied with the service that I get with my standard card and would happily recommend it to others.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I also have a sony card and agree with what u have said. I may have said more reguarding the tems and conditions/interest rates. At end of day its difficult to write a 'very helpful' opinion on a credit card because it is what it is.
thewife 20.10.2002 18:00
So-near yet so far! Nice op
Wolfie1974 28.08.2002 00:36
Have never seen these before! good op, regards .. Mark
Advantages: Free Pulse Beats, exclusive monthly competitions to win amazing prizes, efficient and friendly customer service Disadvantages: APR could be more competitive
tanga 22.02.2001 (23.04.2002)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Sony Card
Advantages: Reward points (for some), flexibility in APR choice, and options to change your APR at any time Disadvantages: High(ish) APR rates, Internet and phone based only (some may not like that).
indiegirl 25.11.2002 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Virgin Credit Card
very helpful by (74%):
helpful by (22%):
somewhat helpful by (4%):
