FNB pre-approved me for credit but wasted my time only to disappoint me.

<p>Firstly I would like to say that iI am a small business owner, and have been banking with FNB for over 20 years my personal capacity. I have always found the staff inside the bank to be extremely helpful and have always tried their utmost to assist. </p> <p><br />Until I app**** for credit, I was quite upfront in saying that am not looking for large sums of credit but want to get my first credit card and get a credit rating, even if it is only a small amount of credit like R1000 or even R10 000 and some of the benefits that come along with having a credit card like travel insurance and such as I am planning to travel soon.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />I was told a few months ago that I should get a credit card, the staff inside the bank said it wouldn't be a problem they checked my account and scored me for credit limit of R50 000 saying I should go for the premium card as I was allegeable.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />Last week Monday I decided to go for it and apply as I have a trip coming up soon and wanted to be over for travel insurance. They said the card will be delivered in 3 to 4 days. I even saw they had pre-approved me and the account was loaded into my website login on the fab website.</p> <p>I received a few emails asking for documents to complete the process.</p> <p>So I went into the bank and sent them what I had. the ITA 34 from the 2016 financial year. which is really the year of 2015 . I assumed this was to show that I am in good stead with Sars. (Which it does , but from almost 2 years ago)</p> <p> </p> <p><br />it shows my expenses high compared to my earnings putting me underneath their lower limit for credit. underneath R6000 to be exact. My account from last year which I told them looks quite different and so does this year. putting me well within their earning threshold.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />After visiting the bank 3 more times and multiple conversations, on the phone and with the staff at Morningside branch and spending my weekend doing a preliminary tax return for them even thought last years tax year for individuals is not yet due.- hence I cannot get the new ITA34 for another few months.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />I got another message this morning saying that I have been declined. I was told that this is the only document that means anything to them when checking you for credit, even though they have access to all my statements and last year was a great year financially for me. They are leaving it to SARS to a SARS document to decide whether or not I will be able to get a credit card.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />I was highly disappointed by their lack of consideration for me as a small business owner who does not receive monthly payslips, their lack of interest in finding a way to help me. most of all I found this a huge waste of my time and energy not to mention rather demoralizing. I asked is there any other way they can look over my accounts? short answer was no! this is the only document of any value to them the one I cannot get for a few more months.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />When speaking to friends ( some of which I would like to say are also highly successful business owners ,they all said the same thing they had all had trouble getting credit from FNB - they asked me …. why are you trying to get a card with FNB? there are lots of other institutions that will give you credit no problem.</p> <p>Why be loyal to a bank?</p> <p> </p> <p><br />I would have preferred for many reasons to get my first Credit Card with FNB as they are the financial institution that I have used my whole life and always had great service, which for the most part has still continued up until now. I would have like to be able to transfer money between accounts seemlessley.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />I still wish things had gone differently because I always imagined that when I buy my first house It would also be through FNB, but its a new world now where one need not hold onto ideas of loyalty to an institution, when many institutions would not consider me a credit risk at all.</p> <p>In fact I would not have bothered going through the process had they not scored me for credit to begin with and told me there would be no problem.</p> <p> </p> <p><br />Anyway I understand all the reasons they gave but wish they had tried to come up with a solution that would work for me and for them instead of just saying no and re-apply with your new Sars document in a few months. That for me is not a solution. that is an inflexibility, a lack of interest in trying to assist, and an inability to solve a problem. one which is only held up by nothing but due process.</p>