How to avoid embarrassment at the till when doing your Christmas shopping

Posted in 'Credit Reports' by Barry Stamp

23 November 2011

Traipsing around the shops isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, especially when Christmas shopping, though one of the few benefits of the economic downturn is that there are some great bargains to be had

'Buy now pay later’ is one of many incentives to help us part with our hard-earned money, especially on larger purchases. It usually allows an interest-free period, often combined with a payment holiday at the start, and means you can spread the cost of Christmas a little.

Although this allows many people to get the white goods or new flat screen TV they otherwise couldn’t afford, simply telling the salesman that you’ll take one doesn’t guarantee you’ll actually end up getting it.

Because these promotions involve credit agreements, the retailer will conduct a credit check in the same way that a credit card or loan provider would. Unlike the privacy you enjoy when you apply for something on line at home, or through a postal application, the result of this credit check will become obvious to everyone else in the queue behind you.

If you are unlucky enough to be declined while a large queue tuts and shuffles restlessly behind you, it’s likely that you’ll then be asked to either pay for the goods in full, or simply not buy them. But in many cases you’ll be none the wiser as to why you have been refused credit.

The easiest and cheapest way to avoid potential embarrassment is to check your credit report online before the shop does. You’ll see the information they’ll be checking and the report will highlight where any weak or strong points lie, or any errors that you may be totally unaware of.

If you need any help understanding your credit report, expert analysts are only an email or freephone call away.

To see what information is held about you, click here. It's free to trial our Multi Agency Credit Report subscription service, and if you don't cancel within the 30 day free trial period, the cost is only £8.99 per month, which is around half of what our competitors charge for less than half of the information we can provide you.