Re: Why are MBNA so stupid?

In message , Patrick Nethercot writes

I'm on it already.

So am I. Somehow or other I must have agreed to a disclaimer in some of the documents I signed. They don't phone me regularly, probably once every 6-8 months, but when they do decide to call they keep going until they get you. I recently had a letter from them saying they had phoned several times and hadn't been able to contact me. They wanted to tell me I was guaranteed a

James

TPS won't really help as it's not cold-calling. MBNA already have your number (as you're a card-holder). However, (as someone else pointed out) you may have implicitly given them authority to ring you because you failed to tick the tiny little box on the bottom of some application form in minuscule print which said "please don't phone me with unsolicited sales calls". However, you can write to MBNA and request that, under the Data Protection Act, they cease processing your personal details for the purposes of direct marketing. If they continue to do so, they may be in breach of the Act and you can report them to the Information Commissioner.

The rule still applies for 'sales' calls. They may, of course, still call you for admin calls.

Even as a customer, for a person registered with TPS they still have to get specific authority to phone you with sales calls. An empty opt out box on the application does not qualify as specific authority.

Which will get them a good talking to, no doubt. Has anyone been prosecuted yet?

Tim

I had that problem with MBNA, and did definitely tick all the "don't dare try any direct marketing on me" boxes on the form. I also put it in my covering letter along with the form.

It didn't stop them from trying to sell me their payment insurance. Transferring my business to another company did. I told them in my letter that I was doing this because of their nuisance calling activities.

Same here - yes, it is. People who have given them their phone number, when there's no need to, really don't have anything to complain about, as they authorised it. In this situation, however, it's different, in that it's harassment imo.

Daytona

This is unlawful behaviour - harassment imo. Complain to your phone company, as well as the regulators.

Daytona (crossposted in full to uk.legal)

I had this, and get them approximately every three months. I don't maintain a balance on their cards as they are rather expensive and don't pay cashback, and in general they're crap.

They're usually extremely persistent and won't take no for an answer. If they're trying to get you to transfer a balance and you say "I'm quite happy with the other cards thanks" you'll get "really ? Have you checked the APRs lately ? " and so on. Subsequently I haven't bothered arguing, so the conversation usually goes approximately like this :

MBNA :"Hello there, I'm calling from MBNA customer service, how are you"

me : "(sense of foreboding) fine"

MBNA "We wanted to tell you about the really low promotional interest rates we have on right now. Do you have any other outstanding card balances ? "

me : "No. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I know what way this conversation is going. You're going to try to get me to transfer my balances. Then you're going to try to sell me payment protection cover. I'm not interested in either. I don't maintain a balance with you or any other card company. Is there any chance you could make a note on your computer not to call me again ? That way we'd stop wasting each others' time".

MBNA : "Uhhhhhh. (cogs whirring) we do have some *excellent* rates at the moment though. Have you really considered payment protection ?"

Me : "OK, I'm going to hang up now. Bye"

Here's how I deal with such calls.

me : What is this call about?

me: I'm not interested. I don't conduct business with nuisance callers. Don't call me again. Goodbye.

/me hangs up

No argument there, although sometimes I do feel sorry for the poor sod on the other end.

In message , Tim writes

Cahoot used to :-)