We use several sources in making a decision on whether to offer credit. We consider factors such as financial references, affordability checks, credit risk, fraud checks and verification of personal details. All applications for credit are subject to status.
We’re unable to state a definitive reason why and at what exact stage your application has been unsuccessful. We’re also unable to confirm all the checks that we undertake in order to prevent any potential exposure to fraud. It may have been a simple application error or details we couldn’t verify.
We can confirm that as part of our process if you have been declined for credit but passed all our risk, identity, and affordability checks, we will only have conducted a “soft check” on your credit file. This is not visible to any other lenders and won’t affect any alternative credit applications you may choose to make.
Some of the following reasons may help explain why we decline applications.
- If you have recently cancelled an order where you had successfully obtained a credit offer and have then been subsequently declined, it can take up to 72 hours to fully process the cancellation and so any subsequent applications may be declined within this timescale.
- A declined application can result from simple errors such as entering the date of birth in the wrong format or a misspelling. Please note that you should enter your date of birth in the UK format DD/MM/YYYY. Make sure that all information entered in your application is correct, as we verify these details to decide whether to approve or decline credit.
- Sometimes the automated address finder doesn’t populate the whole address into the system, depending on how it is formatted, or it’s possible you made a mistake in the application. For example, if you live in a flat, the address may need to be written - “Flat A, 125 High Street” and not “125A High Street” so we can verify it with the electoral roll, and other address verification tools. If the automated address on your application does not show your correct full address, including the street name and number, use the ‘enter address manually’ option and retry.
- You need to be legally residing in the United Kingdom and registered on the electoral roll/council tax register/bank account/utility bills and so on at the address you have stated. If you’re lodging at an address, it's possible that we may have been unable to verify this through our checks, for example, if you’ve lived at the address for over 3 years but haven’t registered on the electoral roll.
- Autofill on an internet browser such as Google Chrome can often cause incorrect information to be entered, for example, on a shared device.
- We require a photo ID during the application process that we use to protect you from fraud an ensure that all applications are genuine. This ID needs to be current and valid. We will accept a Passport, driver's licence (picture licence only full or Provisional), and an E.U. Identity card.
- If you think you may have entered any of your information incorrectly, you’re welcome to try and reapply. We will only conduct a “hard credit check” upon a successful application, so multiple unsuccessful applications before this stage won’t affect your credit record.
We undertake affordability checks and assess our risk on each application. As a responsible lender, we must protect you from being put in a potentially vulnerable financial situation by offering you credit that may not be affordable. You have the option of reapplying and choosing a cheaper product or increasing your upfront payment to reduce the credit amount, but we still can’t guarantee that your application will be successful.
We use TransUnion as our credit reference agency. If you believe that any of your information contained in your report could be incorrect, you can contact them and get a copy of your credit file by going to the "Your Credit Report" section on the TransUnion website
There are also tips and advice to help you understand your credit report and how to improve it if necessary.