... here is some additional information,

The electoral roll infomation is normally updated monthly. However, if you happen to add you name during the annual government census Sept-Dec, you are out of luck. Duing this time there are no monthly updates and you have to wait until next years electoral roll is published (Dec 2009).

woz17:

5) I totally disagree with the advice above regarding 'if you have managed without a credit card for nine years another year won't hurt'.

You've made a slightly simplistic interpretation of what was a simplistic remark. Believe me the issue is not one of credit but of identity and lenders inability to run a sensible manual system, though even if they did they would still under money laundering regulations require one document from "List A" and one from "List B".

Part of my "simplistic remark" was to avoid poisoning the credit file with applications which only get rejected because the "identity history" was incomplete. While no doubt you would walk the credit side of a "credit builder card" application there is little point unless you are confident the application would be more intelligently handled than Barclaycard are displaying.

AFAIK electoral roll information is updated monthly. Of course that still leaves the previous 3 years and I don't have an answer for that. I suggested a way of getting a "current account" on your file. If you chose a provider with an Electron or Visa card that is acceptable to CreditExpert. I know becasue I have done it.

I feel your best course of action is to be firm with Barclays regarding the documentry proof of identity. They are after all going to have to accept your UK statement address.

I am in a similar situation, 14yrs in the USA, same employer, kept UK bank account with Barclays (customer of 20+ yrs). Now I am back in the UK and cannot get a Barclaycard.

I am in the process of following the advise in this post be I have a couple of comments:

1. Barclaycard told me to apply for their top of the range card (Platinum) and if this application was declined, they would advise me what type of card (if any) I was eligable for. This is not true. If you do not meet the requirements for the specific card you applied for they do not consider the other cards. I am working through the process of getting to talk to someone at Barclaycard, but you have to run the gauntlet of calling first level support, who tell you to write a letter, were you get a stock answer, then you call and they say they will call you back .... (this is as far as I have got).

2. When I went to my Barclays branch they acted as though the Barclaycard application process was totally independent of them ... so I am not sure (at least with my bank) the value of going to your existing bank first

3. I have added my name to the electrol role for my area, but I read that it can take 3-4 months for this infomation to be updated in the records that are accessed during a credit application. Is there anyway to inform the credit card companies of this and have the check the current information?

4. Experian's process for obtaining your credit report is fustrating at best (misleading at worst), they lead you down the path of signing up for tier CreditExpert product, that is free for 30 days ... but you have to provide a valid credit card number .. not very useful if you are trying to look at your report before applying for a credit card. I am fortunate in that I have a US based credit card, so I looked forward to seeing my report ... oh not so ... at the end of the online process and confirmation .. I now need to post them two proofs of residence .. since I have only been in my house for less than a month I have not recieved any utility bills cannot provide these, anyone else who has just moved back to the UK would be in a similar situation. Worse than that I have tried to get the utiity companies to send me a bill, but they are saying that cannot until the first billing period (which is quarterly).

5) I totally disagree with the advice above regarding 'if you have managed without a credit card for nine years another year won't hurt'. I have been advised that getting a credit card, even with a nominal limit (and using it) is one of the best way to build credit. I would pursue obtaining a credit card as a priorty and then use it to pay for petrol, shopping and other items that you could use cash for - put the cash you would have used to one side and them pay off the card every month . This will show as good payment history on your credit report. Also not having a credit card makes many things such as renting a car, booking a hotel or purchasing items online either difficult or impossible.

Sorry to sound jaded, but I pulled my US credit report online from Experian and Equifax the other day (yes online ... without having to post anything in ... ), the reports are excellent, with lots of proof of credit accounts that have been paid in full (never late on a single payment) and open credit accounts for my US mortgage and US credit cards. One of the reports includes a little table at the end that summarizes my available credit (in their opinion) .. it is $250K.

In this day of international electronic banking I am stunned that there is no way that my credit report from the USA cannot be taken into account. I realize that they cannot just take my USA credit score (because UK creditors have different scoring systems), but I feel if you can get to someone at a senior enough level, they must be able to make a human decision based on reading my report.

I will keep you posted the outcome of my talks with Barclay's / Baclaycard and Experian....

Henry Morgan:

If you've managed nine years without a credit card another year won't hurt.

But you pose a very serious issue. The Credit Reference Agency records are the first port of call for all sorts of organisations wanting to confirm identity. It's possible you don't have a CRA record at all. Its equally possible you have several poorly populated records.

For starters, before you do anything, even asking your bank which I'll come back to, you should try to find out if you have a CRA credit history. Apply for your Credit Report (not your Credit Score which is irrelevent in your circumstances), I suggest Experian, and fill in whatever fields in the application you can and see what comes back. Then in the future if you fill in the same identity fields for a lending organisation which uses Experian that is the record they should access.

After doing that and considering the result, as Sparky suggests, your bank should be your first port of call. If you are rejected you have a straightforward manual appeal route.

Another route to go down is to open a basic bank account. See here

http://www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk/pdfs/bank_accounts.pdf

and the Moneysupermarket table. There are no grounds for rejection except for the specific reasons given in the table. If you don't have a CRA identity record you will be asked for two documentary proofs including a proof of address. This account will be added to your CRA credit history as a "current account" at the address you proved. A start.

BTW, credit searches show on a credit record and too many credit searches in a short time are not good but "rejections" do not show as rejections.

You can afford a search or two to see how it goes but if rejected take my advice to build an "identity" history on your credit file.

Have you applied for your credit record to see if you have a 'low score'? If you haven't it's worth getting.

Just one of the factors is being on the electoral roll. Getting on the electoral roll now is a good idea, and you don't have to wait until they contact you to do this, you can get in contact with them and request it. They will send you a form out.

The first stop would be to your bank that you have a 10 year relationship with. If you have had your salary paid into it and still do, then they would be your best bet.

Having a current account (with available overdraft / cheque book) is a credit account, which would be recorded, as with a monthly contract mobile phone.

HTH

Sparky.

Can anyone advise please ?

I have recently returned to the UK after working in a number of countries for the past nine years ; I am still working for the same employer and have the same Bank account I've held for 10+ years.

I have been informed that as my previous addresses are all overseas, UK credit reference agencies will not be able to check these and , therefore will not accept them.As I dont have any loans or existing cards, I am considered a "low credit score". I am looking for a credit card but am concerned that I will be rejected because of the address issue and that these rejections will show up on any credit searches.

Can anyone suggest a suitable credit card ?

Thanks