I have just applied for a Halifax Current account, but my application (made online) has been declined. Still waiting for their explanation, but this seems odd to me for a number of reasons:

-I have a mortgage with the Halifax already; I have never made a late payment.

-Waiting for my free credit report pin number to arrive, but can't think of any financial reason why it wouldn't be any good. I have two credit cards (one Amex, who I thought were fairly harsh on their credit checks), used frequently, always paid off in full, monthly.

-I'm 24, and earn a very good salary for my age.

I can't think of any sensible reason they would decline me. Address history has changed recently (as we bought the new house ca. 6mths ago), but Halifax already have all this given the mortgage application, and a new house is a fairly good excuse for a change of address. In fact I applied for the bank account via my online banking page with them, and they filled out the address details for me, as they already have everything on file, and have known me as a customer since the age of about 5, albeit I've never used them for a current account.

If my credit rating is poor (and I can't imagine why or how - but open to suggestions), then why would they have given me a mortgage? Surely it's harder to get a high street mortgage than a fairly standard bank account??

The only thing I can possibly think of is that I'm not yet on the electoral register at the new house (I sent it off some months ago, but I suppose they may not have published it yet). But given I'm already known to the bank, and they have a charge over the property I claim is my address, I don't understand why this would be an issue.

Any thoughts welcome! Thanks.

mmm definitely seems a bit of a strange one! i cant understand it!

debit card applications are different from mortgages though because the mortgage is secured against a house and so arent necessarily harder to get than a debit card account.

what did halifax say about it?

I'm still waiting for their letter - so far they've just sent me a note on my online banking to say that it was declined.

I'll post when I find out!

Thanks.

A large neighbouring house is full of first year students. As it happens they are all 'respectable' but they are of various nationalities, some have never been on an electoral roll and around half of them will leave the country on graduating . . . They have had no problems opening bank accounts.

A *** I know who has a string of CCJs and who can no longer be a director of a limited company has no problem at all opening bank accounts in his own name (at his mother's address) trading as whatever the name of the business is - and there have been three in the last half year.

The problem is as it is on another current thread - you are young but relatively ordinary. You have graduated now and have a job and responsibilities exactly the cohort that banks are not targeting especially and making allowances for. You are unlikely to leave large sums lying in your current account nor are you likely to be profligate and rack up charge after charge. You are simply not profitable business.

This was explained to me by my 'bank manager' (a term now used to describe a salesman or woman of crappy and overpriced products) when he explained why Natwest didn't really want my business and wouldn't provide me with a modest increase in my overdraft in the hope that I would go away. I dont pay charges, incurr penalties or 'buy products' and I dont leave money in my current account switching to a high interest account elsewhere. In other words I'm careful and responsible.

The big clearers dont want that sort of business. It doesnt give them the great piles of money as deposits or profits from interest and charges to spend on the latest commoditised securitised highly polished dung they want to buy from Wall Street - or - in the past Drexel Burnham Lamberts' crafty wheezes or investments in Blue Arrow . . . ! The problem is that every 'bank' is the front for a similar sized casino opening onto a parallel street. The eye watering billions that HSBC have set aside as 'provisions' to cover their mistakes would pay all the bank charges of all their current account customers for years.

I worked in industrial banking for a while. Not permitted to do stuff with engineers, manufacturers or anyone else adding value but only crooks, smoke and mirror merchants and folk like Robert Maxwell. Now I work on the other side with entrepreneurs and, guess what, no one wants their business either unless they are making outrageous promises that immediately bring into question their integrity!

Halifax has become a bank, why do you expect the behaviour of a 'mutual building society?'

KRs Funforus

Maybe you're right.

Perhaps I should stick with my current bank - customer service isn't great, but getting better. I get no interest on my current account, but as you rightly point out, I'm sensible enough to shovel any leftovers into a high interest savings account at the end of every month - though there is a reasonable average balance in there to cover bills and credit cards that it would be nice to earn interest on for part of the month.

I have an investment banking friend (similar age to me). Earns a fortune. Can't get a credit card to save his life - largely for similar reasons I expect.

Maybe I should go overdrawn with Natwest; let them make a bit of money. Hell, they might even pay me interest after a while ;-)

Taking the cynical hat off for a second though - these guys are still out to play a fairly cut throat share game. They might not make a great deal out of me but the return on their relatively minor administrative investment in me is almost certainly still positive, and it's most certainly far more positive for my current bank given they don't pay me interest. I find it hard to believe that they'd happily let customers go because they're not profitable enough. The industry I work in we've never let a couple of points of share go because they weren't profitable enough.

I wud not bother with halifax i was with them since i was 2 years old before they came a bank/ or whatever on them terms they say they are. I have nothing but hassle with them trying to upgrade.7 years on 50k passed in the account they gave me and they still kept me with a card my 14 year old neice gets and no overdraft.I own no loans like U. self employed with accounts and flat paid in full no morguage left and they still said no.a accountant made a error on my account

went to lloyds tsb.after nine months they going the same way being rubbish service an wont upgrade me to a current account. so i use that to pay my gas and household bills and save my wages in another account now. dont trust banks at all? so naff the lot of em?

fact is whatever money you earn banks are just too greedy and just see everyone as another sale.

andrew

probelly get the same old credit score rubbish they hide behind that. like shield for customers kicking off.i got that when they made a error to my account i had they just wont refund me without me giving hassle to them and they sinply sorted it by telling me to write a letter to complaints which takes over 7 week to reply.

I would recommend you check your EXPERIAN credit report. You can do it online for free on 4 weeks trial. I was also refused a current account and I requested my report. I spoke to their advisor who told me there was nothing wrong, only a minor fault, that I was on electoral register at my previous as well as my current address. So I went to the Council and cleared this up. I wrote back to the bank, but they still declined my appeal, saying that there is another problem with my report. I wrote to EXPERIAN and asked for all information that the bank can see when they do my credit check. They sent me a pack with all the details they have on me. Free of charge. Then I found out that there was a judgement against me dated 2004. I immediately called the court and asked them what this was about as I had absolutely no idea, that I was ever in trouble. They have directed me to DVLA. I called DVLA and found out that they have not taken me off their list despite my phone calls and letters from 2003! (my car was stolen and destroyed) They admitted having my letters, but asked me to write to them again. Angry and shocked, I wrote to them once more and hope that they will after 5 years take me off their stupid list. Meanwhile I wrote back to the bank, informing them of DVLA'a administrative error. and they called me back straight away. We are now waiting for DVLA to confirm in writing their error.

I know it sounds like a lot of trouble for nothing much, but I think it is worth it. I understand banks are there to make money, but so are we, the public. It is a game, and it is necessary to play it well, even if it causes grief sometimes. I am glad I found the error. Problems that are not solved have the prerogatiove to resurface again and again..