Hi most of us who use this site are repossessed and as a result have problems obtaining credit even getting a bank account can be impossible - believe me I've been there. Anyway, I just thought that I would let you all know that First-e can give you a bank account - fair enough it's very basic but you can set up dd and so etc and more importantly they don't carry out a credit check - which is important when you've been repossessed. Hope this helps some of you.

-- Jo (chrisbrad@zoom.co.uk), December 12, 2000

Answers

I had success with the HAlifax Card Cash account. No cheque book etc to start but after 6-12 months they happily changed it to a normal current account.

-- Matt (mattyc@ntlworld.com), December 13, 2000.

The alliance & leicester operate a basic bank account which requires minimal criteria and can be applied for over the phone soory i do not have the nimber to hand but check out your local branch goodluck !

-- mark stevens (howard@westbrook48.freeserve.co), December 14, 2000.

What is your primary reason for getting a bank account which doesn't do a credit check? Is it because of having a "bad" record when you're a repossessee you can't get an account, or because you don't want the lender to find out where you are?

In the First-E terms and conditions, although they don't say that they will do a credit check when you open an account, in section 14, it mentions that they may supply your personal information to 14.1.2 - credit reference agencies and 14.1.6 - debt tracing and fraud prevention.

The Alliance & Leicester basic account is for 11-17 year olds only, their regular current a/c will give cheque guarantee cards and overdrafts subject to status. At the end of the online application form it says that the information you submit will be used to perform a credit check with a credit reference agency, even though I said that I didn't want an overdraft facility.

-- pendle (pendle@amun-ra.demon.co.uk), December 14, 2000.

Hi Pendle

I just thought that the info may help others on the site. I'm sure that most shortfall victims can tell you that life after repo is usually very bleak and like I said in my first e-mail that getting even a basic bank account can be impossible as the banks don't want to touch you with a barge-poll. I just posted the info there in case it would help somebody.

-- Jo (chrisbrad@zoom.co.uk), December 14, 2000.