Morning :)
I'm having a real problem trying to get credit of any sort. I've not been the sort of person to need a credit card before, I've always spent less than I've earned each month. But circumstances (an expensive car repair just after Xmas) have meant that I'm a little short this month. No problem, I thought - I'll take out a basic credit card and pay all this stuff back over a couple of months. It'll be useful for emergencies in the future.
No dice. My bank (RBS) won't give me one, Barclaycard won't give me one. I can't actually get credit of any sort - I even got turned down for a current account at the Co-op a few months ago when I was trying to switch banks to get away from the abortive RBS/Santander takeover!
I've checked my credit score with Experian, and I can't see any problems at all. I earn a stable income each month in my full-time, permanent job that I've had for nearly two years. I've never missed a payment on anything - the only "credit" I've had in the past has been mobile phone contracts, and those have always been paid on time. I pay my rent and bills on time each month. I don't do anything wrong.
I am, however, a little concerned that my home address may be affecting things. I regularly receive letters from debt-collection agencies addressed to my landlord, who appears to be telling companies he still lives here (he did, before he put the house up for rent and I moved in). I've also had letters from the benefits agency addressed to him here. If this address is associated with bad debts of his, and he's telling banks and DCAs and the DWP that he still lives here, will this be affecting my ability to get credit? Or is it something to do with me?
I'm thinking that because I'm saying I live on my own (which I do), then their systems are flagging up "oh, this really bad debtor is registered as living at this address" and the credit scoring systems are just throwing out my applications. I don't know though - I'm very new to all this. :) I just can't see how it could be anything else, when I've never had a bad debt or missed payment in my life.
Any help or advice would be most appreciated.
I'm having a real problem trying to get credit of any sort. I've not been the sort of person to need a credit card before, I've always spent less than I've earned each month. But circumstances (an expensive car repair just after Xmas) have meant that I'm a little short this month. No problem, I thought - I'll take out a basic credit card and pay all this stuff back over a couple of months. It'll be useful for emergencies in the future.
No dice. My bank (RBS) won't give me one, Barclaycard won't give me one. I can't actually get credit of any sort - I even got turned down for a current account at the Co-op a few months ago when I was trying to switch banks to get away from the abortive RBS/Santander takeover!
I've checked my credit score with Experian, and I can't see any problems at all. I earn a stable income each month in my full-time, permanent job that I've had for nearly two years. I've never missed a payment on anything - the only "credit" I've had in the past has been mobile phone contracts, and those have always been paid on time. I pay my rent and bills on time each month. I don't do anything wrong.
I am, however, a little concerned that my home address may be affecting things. I regularly receive letters from debt-collection agencies addressed to my landlord, who appears to be telling companies he still lives here (he did, before he put the house up for rent and I moved in). I've also had letters from the benefits agency addressed to him here. If this address is associated with bad debts of his, and he's telling banks and DCAs and the DWP that he still lives here, will this be affecting my ability to get credit? Or is it something to do with me?
I'm thinking that because I'm saying I live on my own (which I do), then their systems are flagging up "oh, this really bad debtor is registered as living at this address" and the credit scoring systems are just throwing out my applications. I don't know though - I'm very new to all this. :) I just can't see how it could be anything else, when I've never had a bad debt or missed payment in my life.
Any help or advice would be most appreciated.