How to get a credit rating in 3 days

[Will]

Ok, any bankers out there?

Birthday was on Friday (16th) and so I am now 18. I thought, great, I can go and get a debit card, get some paypal going and a cheap contract sim card.
BUT NO! Barclays turned me down, despite having a fair amount of cheques to pay in, an ISA with them, and a Cash Card account from Nationwide that I thought would be worth moving over. As well as the Farm account being one of the 4 accounts that is as old as that branch of the bank.
JUST WTF!
$%&# 'em, took out the ISA, got some car insurance and am going fully with Nationwide, they may have long queues (Cashiers) but I didn't have to make an appointment, and was seen within 5 minutes by Personal banker (I think they are called)

The reason for not having a credit rating, I have had my last day of school and  have month of exams, so they wouldn't agree that I was still a full time student, and so I am apparently unemployed, despite the fact that I have summer work sorted for the week after I finish exams, and likely to go into an apprenticeship.

made me rather angry, apologies for the rant, but how can I get a credit rating in 3 sodding days?

[38thBeatle]

Well as we are all finding out, banks are the epitome of sound financial judgement*. Sadly, your experience of banks is already tarnished. I have had many a run in with them and so I sympathise with you.


*there is a very slight hint of sarcasm there.

[noodleplugerine]

NATIONWIDE FOR LIFE!!

As far as I know the last remaining mutual - And has allways provided me with superb service.

I couldn't recommend them more (this refers to the palmers green branch - no ideas about other branches).

[JDC]

nationwide and RBS did the best for customer service on watchdog's survey of banks (not including the 3 online only banks above them)

[Philly Q]

Credit ratings are funny things - it seems that you don't necessarily have to be "good" to get a good credit rating, you just have to be "active".  If you've had various loans to buy cars and stuff or done that trick of consolidating your credit card balances by transferring them to other cards, it's all activity that goes on record and contributes to this mysterious credit rating.

I've had one NatWest MasterCard for over 25 years, pay the full balance every month, never had a bank loan, hardly ever been overdrawn, never had a CCJ, never been unemployed except for a couple of months after Uni.  So I thought I'd have a decent credit rating.

A couple of years ago I applied for one of those Capital One Platinum cards they're always advertising ("what's in your wallet?), just to get 6 months interest-free (probably to buy a guitar, I can't remember  :roll: ).  They actually turned me down initially, then let me have a card with a limit of £400!    

Apparently, it's because I've been such a good boy that I have almost no credit history for them to refer to.

[Jonny]

My dad has so many cards he could make a poster out of them (or make plectrums in my case)

But he's owns a supermarket, so I guess the bank were like "Happy days!" then again, it's Northern Irish banks he deals with, not English ones. He uses HSBC and stuff like that though.

[dave_mc]

Credit ratings are funny things - it seems that you don't necessarily have to be "good" to get a good credit rating, you just have to be "active".  If you've had various loans to buy cars and stuff or done that trick of consolidating your credit card balances by transferring them to other cards, it's all activity that goes on record and contributes to this mysterious credit rating.

I've had one NatWest MasterCard for over 25 years, pay the full balance every month, never had a bank loan, hardly ever been overdrawn, never had a CCJ, never been unemployed except for a couple of months after Uni.  So I thought I'd have a decent credit rating.

A couple of years ago I applied for one of those Capital One Platinum cards they're always advertising ("what's in your wallet?), just to get 6 months interest-free (probably to buy a guitar, I can't remember  :roll: ).  They actually turned me down initially, then let me have a card with a limit of £400!    

Apparently, it's because I've been such a good boy that I have almost no credit history for them to refer to.

and then the banks wonder why the entire financial system is almost in meltdown...  :roll:

[Spitfire]

i got an electron debit card before i was 18.. and i was using paypal before i was 18... you should have opened a children's account with them then when you get to be 18 you auto get the full debit card and the lot.

on the other hand my friend only got his own account when he was about 20.. and the banks all went, erm no.. where have you appeared from. You have to do what the bank wants or they wont give you anything back.

[Will]

i got an electron debit card before i was 18.. and i was using paypal before i was 18... you should have opened a children's account with them then when you get to be 18 you auto get the full debit card and the lot.

Yeah, you can with banks such as Halifax and Barclays I believe, but Nationwide one is a stock cashcard.
Not that fussed about paypal, its more the phone contract, due to the bundled texts that my Girlfriend demands :P

[Crazy_Joe]

i got an electron debit card before i was 18.. and i was using paypal before i was 18... you should have opened a children's account with them then when you get to be 18 you auto get the full debit card and the lot.

I did this with Halifax.