Credit card not on credit history!

My HSBC card and overdraft aren't on either of my reports either. It's my little secret ;) But it is a pain not to have a credit history from them as they make up more than 4k responsible use of credit over three or four years.

My solution was a Capital One card, an Ikea card, and, more recently, I ordered a couple of catalogues and spent 15 on one of them. I repaid and bounced balances to and from the ~30% APR cards to HSBC to get their 3.9% APR balance transfer offer. My credit history must be better as I just applied for Accucard, Mint and Egg and and got two of the three AND an HSBC limit increase in the same week. This has allowed me to BT small remaining balances from the two expensive cards and cancel them.

Claire

I had exactly that problem as I had a HSBC student account. It's very annoying as several people refused credit cards for me because I had essentially no credit history.

I've now moved credit card and bank account to other people (after having to send these other companies copies of my bank and credit card statements).

I'd try to open up accounts at other places ASAP to build a history for when you might need it. Halifax moved my current account very easily for me.

I think it's pretty shocking HSBC can get away with it. It can force you to buy HSBC products if you don't have time to build up a credit record elsewhere.

cd

None of my First Direct (part of HSBC) accounts show up on credit searches at all. I found exactly the same thing previously when I was with Barclays throughout the

There was an article about this in the Feb 2004 issue of 'Which?'. Apparently Natwest, Barclays, RBS and HSBC only provide information to credit reference agencies if you default on repayments.

Nick

Drop a line to Experian with details (and a copy of statements if you can) and they'll sort it out for you :-)

Dave

Can I humbly suggest you try the other major credit agency, Equifax?

"Nick Read" wrote

You can add LloydsTSB to that list (personal experience).

Only one of my cards with the above institutions appears in my credit files. All it took was missing *one* month's payment (statement was lost!), many years ago - the account has appeared in credit files ever since. Of course, after a year or two even the "1"-code mark against that account drops off the credit file & the history becomes perfect!!

I wonder if it depends on whether the card was originally a Lloyds account, or a TSB account? I have a feeling that TSB used to pass all payment info to CRAs, but I could be wrong?

The Which article also added that Lloyds TSB, MBNA and Nationwide refused to respond to their questions. MBNA definitely do pass on all information, Nationwide I'm not sure about as I've never had any dealings with them.

Nick

"Nick Read" wrote

Quite possibly - mine was ex-Lloyds.

Without a hint of irony, criticaldensity astounded uk.finance on 15 Apr 2004 by announcing:

Get away with it? What, exactly, are they 'getting away with'?

Without a hint of irony, "Snorkerz Ltd" astounded uk.finance on 15 Apr 2004 by announcing:

No they won't.