New John Lewis Partnership card refused

Both my husband and I had no problems signing up. He uses his all the time. I only use when in a JL store or Waitrose, not easy where I live.

That's weird Monica because my credit limit is £7000 so they know I must be a reliable big spender!?

I have made the transfer successfully and been given an even bigger credit limit. It has gone up from £3,500 to £5,000, not that I get anywhere near the lower limit, let alone going any higher. I clear my balance every month.

I am just wondering whether they studied my spending history, before making this decision because we had a kitchen refit last year and I purchased a fridge freezer at the time from JL and then bought a freezer this year, also from them.

Mind you, I think they make their business profitable by being excessively risk averse. We tried to insure our house with them and were turned down for geological reasons, which no other insurance company has even mentioned, because, if there is a risk, it is a quarter of a mile away.

Thinking about it, maybe I am being a bit mean blaming JL because it is out of their control but they should have found a way round it for existing loyal users.

I have been rejected having spent loads in the past so am not impressed. We always bought furniture, appliances, nursery stuff, tv s, computers, cameras from JL Oxford Street on the card along with clothes and gifts. Then used it online when we moved to the West Country.

We had exactly the same poor treatment from JL when we returned from living abroad 15 years ago and hadn't lived at an address for 3 years, and husband was in a new job. Rejected, despite having no problems with the old JL account which had since moved on to the new one. We had to jump through more hoops.

I give up!

I have successfully applied for a new JLP card with New Day. I've had a JLP card for more years than I remember and use it for everything. The new card has a £1100 lower credit limit for whatever reason. We always pay the card entirely by DD. We have noticed that the time from statement to direct debit being taken has changed to 15 days rather than 21. If I had been turned down I intended to cut up my card and send it to Sharon and never shop there again. The jury is still out as far as I'm concerned. Even though I have been accepted, I think the way loyal customers have been treated is appalling. I also have an M&S card as a back up.

Everything went smoothly for me with the switch. I don’t spend loads at JL anymore but used to so I suppose I was quite lucky it was fuss free.

I got rid of my John Lewis card, before the change over, because I could never access my account when I had to get a one time code. Never worked. I had had the card for years previously with no bother.

Now I am wondering whether I should have a credit card, as I've been using my Bank debit card instead.

By the way, when all you folks have re- applied to John Lewis, and been rejected, does it show up as a bad mark on your credit score?

My parents always shopped in John Lewis, George Henry Lee’s in Liverpool. In the 1960s they employed their interior design service so I held them in high regard and continued to do so when I became a home owner, believing in their quality and service.
However in the last three years I have had several problems with expensive bespoke curtain rails and custom-made curtains (which arrived in the default colour, not the one I selected - for which I was summarily and unaccountably blamed). Their car insurance c/o Marker Study also proved a disaster. I note they are no longer using this company.
I haven’t taken out a card with them, thankfully, and hope you all reach a solution.
Waitrose continues to sell quality food but at times I find the partners in the cafe have a confrontational and obstructive approach.
They need to get a grip.

No problems getting the new card, probably took a couple of weeks

kittylester

We had a trouble free swap too despite always paying off our card by DD.

Same go me - just done it online while watching the programme about Philip Green and TopShop.
What a crook!

I just didn’t botherm I tried applying for the new card, the website crashed numerous times and then I was refused. I have just applied for a M&S credit card and was accepted immediately.

Still having probs with JL Finance. We’ve been accepted but they keep bombarding me with emails and texts asking me to set up an account with them, which we don’t want. I’m phoning them tomorrow with a number of issues. The air will be blue ?

I hope for all JL card holders it will prove to be teething problems with a new financial, backing company but if not then the JL executives need to think carefully about this matter.

Grumppa sadly your trust in John Lewis is going to be let down. Quite a number of people have been refused renewal of their card and, when approached, John Lewis has been unhelpful in the extreme, neither offering reasons for the card being refused, but treating those in that situation with scant civility.

We had a trouble free swap too despite always paying off our card by DD.

I first stepped into a JL shop 57 years with my parents to buy my school uniform and it was love at first sight. I had never been in a shop like it and the love affair continues.
A sales assistant suggested that we applied for their card 15 years ago to get ‘the points’ when we were refurbishing a house and buying everything from them.
We have used the card as a charge card ever since for all purchases, paying it off each month.
We will be applying on return from a holiday in 2 weeks time and fully expect to be rejected as we have never paid any interest and consequently not ‘ good ‘ customers despite a credit limit of £20k.
Watch this space!

My own switch to the new card has been trouble-free.

I see, thank you M0nica for the information.
It is treating customers very shabbily though, it is saying really, not only do we not consider you worthy of our credit card but you do not matter as a customer to our store as you probably will not spend enough.
I thought that John Lewis had a better ethos than that.

I can understand your annoyance. I had some trouble with JL about Waitrose deliveries and switching to direct debit for my account during lockdown, and wrote to the chairman, pointing out that I had had an account with them since the mid-seventies, and had been a customer since my school uniform was bought from Peter Jones in 1958; I also spelt out how much I had spent with them over the past twelve months.

My problem was sorted within 24 hours. Yours may take longer because a third party, the credit company, is involved, but if the new credit company has been unreasonable or incompetent JL a will want it sorted out for the sake of its reputation.

The addressee is:-
Dame Sharon White,
Chairman,
John Lewis plc,
177 Victoria Street,
London SW1E 5NN

Prentice It has happened to a lot of people. John Lewis have changed the financial company that backs their card and as a result every holder of a John Lewis card has to reapply if they wish to continue to hold a John Lewis card.

The idea, is I think for John Lewis to begin to offer a wider range of financial services to its customers and I suspect that those being refused cards are those on smaller incomes and who do not use their credit cards very much, on the basis that they are unlikely to be interested in any of the new financial services that they intend to offer

This seems very strange does it not? I wonder why this is so and what has gone wrong for you.I too would be very annoyed if I had been such a loyal customer for many years.

No, you are not. The way they have changed their financial backing partner and treated longstanding customers has been quite appalling for a company that in the past has given such good customer service.

I think the indifference with which they have shed longstanding and credit worthy customers with out any explanation has shown them up in a very bad light, which people will not easily forget.