£3bn 負かす／撃墜する the drain

By Jo Thornhill
Updated: 00:00 BST, 30 June 2004

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SHOPPERS are wasting £3bn a year on credit card 法案s because they don't understand how the 利益／興味 is calculated, making it difficult to compare 取引，協定s. The alarming 人物／姿／数字s were 明らかにする／漏らすd by the 自由主義の 民主党員s last week, just as the Office of Fair 貿易（する）ing 明かすd 計画（する）s for a review into 積極的な advertising by 貸付金 and credit card 会社／堅いs.

Malcolm Bruce, the Lib Dems' 貿易（する） & 産業 広報担当者, says: 'Cardholders are forking out billions in avoidable 利益／興味. This money is 簡単に fuelling the 利益（をあげる）s of banks instead of 運動ing the real economy. It cannot be 権利 that 75% of 消費者s do not know the 利益／興味 率 they are 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d.'

研究員s 設立する that the 普通の／平均（する） 利益／興味 率 paid on credit cards is 15.9%. However, the best 取引，協定s - 除外するing 0% 申し込む／申し出s - 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 only 6.8% for 顧客s with a good credit history.

It means that millions of cardholders are 支払う／賃金ing more than twice what they need to - all the more worrying when 優れた card 負債 stands at £35bn.

Bruce is also 高度に 批判的な of many of the 0% 申し込む／申し出s, which, he says, can 隠す 罠（にかける）s for 消費者s.

'Most of us would need to use an accountant to 避ける the 落し穴s of 0% introductory 取引，協定s,' he says, 'many of which leap to much higher 率s after the 申し込む／申し出 period ends.'

After the 政府's review of the 消費者 Credit 行為／法令／行動する last year, changes to credit advertising 規則s will come into 軍隊 from October. They should 確実にする that adverts are clearer and make it easier for 消費者s to compare credit cards.

But Bruce believes the changes will not go far enough to help 消費者s find the best 取引，協定s.

'We need a statutory 義務 placed on card issuers to show how the 率s they are 申し込む／申し出ing compare with 独立して produced 普通の／平均（する）s,' he says.

In an 初期の review last November, the OFT 設立する that 36% of credit adverts in eight 国家の newspap ers broke the 法律 by failing to give 予定 prominence to the 利益／興味 率.