Toasted sandwich anyone? (Alliance & Leicester Credit Card)

Member Name: aaaardvark

Product:	Alliance & Leicester Credit Card
Date:	21/07/01 (351 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Money back, Customer services

Disadvantages: Don't tell you of over limit, Shortish time to pay

I am very very picky when it comes to my finances, especially credit cards. For a start I don't want to pay an annual fee. Plus, I expect my credit card company to pay me for using it - which is exactly what A&L do.

Before getting my A&L card I was with HSBC, saving points to buy a tiny range of unattainable goods (I once worked out you had to spend something like £30,000, just to get a toasted sandwich maker or something equally ridiculous). With A&L, they give you cash!! AND you don't have to pay anywhere near £30,000 to get that toasted sandwich maker. Even better idea, go and buy that toasted sandwich maker and get moneyback on it.

But enough of toasted sandwiches because A&L has far more to offer. Their customer service department is excellent. I managed to go over my credit limit (which I WOULD criticise A&L for authorising the payment rather than rejecting) and then received a penalty of about £12 for doing so. I rang customer services livid and ready to tell them where to shove their credit card BUT was met with a very calming person who agreed to waive the fee as a token of goodwill. Good move!!

Only problem I have is they don't send you the bill with much time to spare. I am aware you can set up Direct Debit, but I'd prefer to check the bill BEFORE they take payment. I was faced, after coming back from holiday, with a mad panic to get it paid on time. Just beware of that.

At the end of the day, a credit card is a credit card. You buy stuff with it, you pay for it a few weeks later and you worry that someone will clone it and use it to visit American porn sites on the internet. HOWEVER, the way I see it, if you're going to have a card, you may as well have one that gives you something back.

Now, whose for toasted sandwiches?!

Summary: