Feeling dazed by card claims

Were the inaccuracies in your article Dazed and Confused by Sean Brierley (MW January 24) about confusion pricing deliberately de signed to leave your readers dazed?

The Cooperative Bank did launch a new Advantage Visa card last year with an APR of 7.9 per cent and it will increase, as we said, to 10.9 APR in April – still the lowest on the market. The APR will not, as the article stated “leap” to 19.5 in July.

Meanwhile, this month we offered new customers taking out any of our “Free for Life” credit cards an opportunity to transfer any balance from their existing card at a special APR of 7.9 per cent Again, our advertising and promotional literature made it clear that the balance transfer rate would increase to the standard rate of 19.5 APR from the beginning of July

Both of these separate promotions were what might be called “special offers” and were clearly marketed as such. There was no intention to confuse our customers.

Nick Bowyer

Personal marketing manager

The Cooperative Bank

Manchester

None of the above, alas, undermines the point made in the article – it merely adds to consumer confusion. In fact, the credit card referred to is a Visa card, which is what the article stated. Editor