Check your statement, then check it again. (Virgin Mastercard)

Member Name: LaptopAcidX

Product:	Virgin Mastercard
Date:	19/05/09 (15 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Longest 0% period available.

Disadvantages: Immoral barely legal business parctices.

I've had virgin mbna mastercards twice now, both times for the 0% offer on both balance transfers and purchases. Stupidly, the first time I abused the facility and although never missed a payment, ran up considerably more debt than i paid off. This is probably why they were falling over themselves to give me a second card two years later, but I'd learnt my lesson and this is where the problems started.

I signed up online in the usual way providing all the necessary details. I paid the first month manually via my online banking account and within the specified amount of time. My second statement arrived and I was amazed to see a late payment charge, so I rang customer services to see what was up, apparently my payment had been delayed by a bank holiday (bullsh!t). I asked if that was my fault, and was told no, so I asked them to reverse the late payment charge which they did without question, I was also advised to set up a direct debit which I duly did there and then.

Bearing in Mind a late payment negates the 0% offer.

I was even more amazed to see a late payment charge on my third statement. Straight on the phone to the just awful customer services team again, to be told my direct debit hadn't been set up in time. Apparently this takes six weeks, well no one told me, so I asked them to reverse the late payment, guess what, they did it with out question.

In my personal opinion I can only conclude that Virgin/MBNA have an institutionalised policy of trying it on, in the hope unsuspecting customers get caught out and lose the 0% rate.

So be very careful and do everything by the book, if you have to call customer services take note of whom you speak to and the time and date.

Summary: Be careful or they'll have your eyes out.