MBNA/Villa Credit Card

[eamonn]

I did. Spent £200 on it as I would have done on my business card for Christmas presents and got a free shirt for my troubles. 6 months interest free to pay it back. Job's a good 'un.

Did you have to do anything to claim it?

Yes. Legion had to supply one of the banking clerks with a verified list of all the bad things that have happened to him in his life thus far and how he therefore, more than anyone else, qualifies for this treat.

[Legion]

Not this time. That would take months. Years, even.

The shirt arrived in the post a couple of weeks later.

[Surrey Villain]

So did you get the shirt?

If I'd have known you could get a free Villa away shirt for buying four tyres I'd have taken out a loan and bought a car to go with them!

I signed up for the card in January with a lady in the Holte Suite before a match as it seemed an offer too good to miss, just divert some of my spending from Mastercard to MBNA. As soon as the card arrived I did just that and waited, and waited.  In March I checked with AVFC and got an email confirming the offer was still valid so called MBNA customer services where a pleasant lady checked and agreed I had qualified and she would pass it on to marketing and I should get the shirt in a week or so.  Again I waited, and waited until last week I emailed their customer services and waited. I have now had a response saying they can confirm there is no free shirt offer linked to my account!  I am staggered at the abruptness of this response when I have clearly qualified and to add insult to injury the response went on to tell me about other benefits of having an MBNA card.

[Legion]

So did you get the shirt?

If I'd have known you could get a free Villa away shirt for buying four tyres I'd have taken out a loan and bought a car to go with them!

I signed up for the card in January with a lady in the Holte Suite before a match as it seemed an offer too good to miss, just divert some of my spending from Mastercard to MBNA. As soon as the card arrived I did just that and waited, and waited.  In March I checked with AVFC and got an email confirming the offer was still valid so called MBNA customer services where a pleasant lady checked and agreed I had qualified and she would pass it on to marketing and I should get the shirt in a week or so.  Again I waited, and waited until last week I emailed their customer services and waited. I have now had a response saying they can confirm there is no free shirt offer linked to my account!  I am staggered at the abruptness of this response when I have clearly qualified and to add insult to injury the response went on to tell me about other benefits of having an MBNA card.

And that is where the problem lies. The free shirt offer was only for on-line applications. I also met a rep in the ticket office who tried to get me to sign up. She was genuinely surprised when I told her that I already had one and had received a shirt as her promotional offer was different.

[Villa'Zawg]

Have you tried phoning Nicola Keye?

[DeKuip]

So did you get the shirt?

If I'd have known you could get a free Villa away shirt for buying four tyres I'd have taken out a loan and bought a car to go with them!

I signed up for the card in January with a lady in the Holte Suite before a match as it seemed an offer too good to miss, just divert some of my spending from Mastercard to MBNA. As soon as the card arrived I did just that and waited, and waited.  In March I checked with AVFC and got an email confirming the offer was still valid so called MBNA customer services where a pleasant lady checked and agreed I had qualified and she would pass it on to marketing and I should get the shirt in a week or so.  Again I waited, and waited until last week I emailed their customer services and waited. I have now had a response saying they can confirm there is no free shirt offer linked to my account!  I am staggered at the abruptness of this response when I have clearly qualified and to add insult to injury the response went on to tell me about other benefits of having an MBNA card.

I hope you're going to take that further and not let them get away with it.
As the offer was made to you on Villa premises and using the Villa name I would hope the club themselves get involved and get it sorted.
Failing that, try BBC Watchdog - the combination of a big finance company and a Premier League club misleading fans would be one they'd love to have a pop at. You might find it's been happening at other clubs too.

[Surrey Villain]

So did you get the shirt?

If I'd have known you could get a free Villa away shirt for buying four tyres I'd have taken out a loan and bought a car to go with them!

I signed up for the card in January with a lady in the Holte Suite before a match as it seemed an offer too good to miss, just divert some of my spending from Mastercard to MBNA. As soon as the card arrived I did just that and waited, and waited.  In March I checked with AVFC and got an email confirming the offer was still valid so called MBNA customer services where a pleasant lady checked and agreed I had qualified and she would pass it on to marketing and I should get the shirt in a week or so.  Again I waited, and waited until last week I emailed their customer services and waited. I have now had a response saying they can confirm there is no free shirt offer linked to my account!  I am staggered at the abruptness of this response when I have clearly qualified and to add insult to injury the response went on to tell me about other benefits of having an MBNA card.

And that is where the problem lies. The free shirt offer was only for on-line applications. I also met a rep in the ticket office who tried to get me to sign up. She was genuinely surprised when I told her that I already had one and had received a shirt as her promotional offer was different.

I haven't seen anywhere that says it was an online offer only, even in the email sent from AVFC, but perhaps I didn't read the small print in the 'online offer' because I didn't need to having already signed up in person as you say on Villa premises having been accosted in the Holte Suite with the very same verbal offer and signed on the dotted line. It stinks.

[Surrey Villain]

I recall the woman even asked for my shirt size then said it didn't matter because they were all large anyway.
I started this thread because I wondered if anyone else had been caught out in this way.  I hesitate to use the words conned and fraud but that's really how its turned out.  Then the arrogant uncaring response just rubbed it in.
I'm glad Legion got his by signing up online. 

[Legion]

I hope you pursue the matter with them and get your shirt as if it was mentioned to you as part of the deal by the rep then I would assume that it would have been part of her promotional package.

[Surrey Villain]

I hope you pursue the matter with them and get your shirt as if it was mentioned to you as part of the deal by the rep then I would assume that it would have been part of her promotional package.

I have suggested that the lack of the offer being linked to my account can only be a mistake on their part in view of all the evidence that I took up the offer in good faith.  That faith is being sorely tested at the moment.  I don't want to drag Villa's name into the mud on this because they are innocent really apart from allowing in the MBNA rep to in effect con the fans although it is not right to say it was intentional even if it was but that is the net result.
I am of course awaiting another reply!

[Chico Hamilton III]

I'd wait until October to complain about it. That way you should be able to get the "new" away kit out of MBNA

[Surrey Villain]

I'd wait until October to complain about it. That way you should be able to get the "new" away kit out of MBNA

That quote was from an email from Villa on 25 February.  Nowhere does it say online only. Just apply, spend and wait for shirt.

[dave.woodhall]

Hold on a minute. Are you saying that you and Legion applied for the same offer and you were the unlucky one?

Sorry, but I don't believe you.

[Surrey Villain]

Hold on a minute. Are you saying that you and Legion applied for the same offer and you were the unlucky one?

Sorry, but I don't believe you.

Why don't you believe me?  Legion got his shirt fair and square, I didn't although I have complied with the requirements.

[dave.woodhall]

Hold on a minute. Are you saying that you and Legion applied for the same offer and you were the unlucky one?

Sorry, but I don't believe you.

Why don't you believe me?  Legion got his shirt fair and square, I didn't although I have complied with the requirements.

Because that would mean you were unluckier than Legion, which is impossible.