In the past, I've tended to have a fairly negative view of MBNA. No particular reason, it's probably just the name, which has a secretive, anonymous sound to it.

So I was astonished when browsing through their terms and conditions, while considering applying for a credit card, to find that all their contact numbers are free 0800 numbers. I counted seven different 0800 numbers for different functions. Not an 0870 in sight.

It's amazing how such a relatively trivial piece of information changes your attitude about a company. I have no idea how they behave as a credit card company but the use of 0800 numbers suggests that someone in the company is trying to do the right thing for their customers. It's completely changed my attitude towards them.

So this note is just to give credit where it's due.

And credit also to the Contributor Formerly Known As NGM who I now find mentioned this on page three of a recent thread that I hadn't come across before. But as it was hidden away in another discussion I thought it was worth highlighting this information.

And don't forget that one of the cards run by MBNA is a 'profit share' reward card - which, in recent years, has amounted to 1% cashback on all expenditure!

Capital One also use 0800 numbers, and I have a c c that still gives me 1% back of all of my spending.

And MBNA's staff at their main Chester call centre are almost without exception extremely helpful and bright people who seem capable of simply resolving almost any customer issue themselves rather than suggesting you must write in to customer services as is the usual practice of call centre staff when attempting to fob customers off.

On my Conran card I did have an issue with a £3 fee being applied to a £5 bet with the Tote at Ascot on one of their automated betting machines.  Apparently there is a £3 gambling transaction surcharge.  This is odd as using a NatWest credit card to bet on the grand national in the past has never attracted any surcharge fees.  In any event to cut a long story short the call adviser refunded the fee there and then although said that I should be aware of using it on anything resembling a gambling transaction in the future.

I think MBNA are hard sell in terms of always sending out balance transfer checks (which I have now had them stop) but they do also offer excellent customer service unlike the card operations of most of the large UK high street banks virtually all of whom use 0870 contact numbers.