避ける 蓄える／店 cards if you don't want 負債

By This Is Money
Updated: 09:39 BST, 24 November 2010

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Women are 存在 警告するd against taking out 蓄える／店 cards to 支払う／賃金 for party dresses and 現在のs this Christmas.

Christmas on credit: Tempting, but you could be 支払う／賃金ing for it for years.

Many of the favourite 蓄える／店s of young shoppers ― 倉庫／問屋, Wallis, 行方不明になる Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins ― 押し進める cards with 注目する，もくろむ-watering 利益／興味 率s of almost 30%.

Anyone spending £500 and 返すing only the 最小限 4% each month would take ten years and four months to 返す the 負債 and be 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d £523 利益／興味, によれば data 分析家 Moneyfacts.

There are 12.9m 蓄える／店 cards in 循環／発行部数 with a staggering £2.2bn spent on them in the past 12 months, even though they remain one of the most expensive forms of borrowing.

There are three times more 選び出す／独身 women struggling with 蓄える／店 card 負債 than 選び出す／独身 men, によれば charity the 消費者 Credit Counselling Service, with the 普通の／平均（する） 負債 at £1,301.

Staff are given incentives to sell the cards and often pressurise 顧客s into 調印 up at the till, 約束ing 割引s of 10% on their 購入（する） if they 調印する up すぐに.

告訴する Edwards, of 国民s Advice, says: 'There is a problem with the way 蓄える／店 cards are sold. 的ing young women at the till means 顧客s are usually more 焦点（を合わせる）d on the 割引 for their 購入（する） than the 条件 and 条件s of the credit.'

Karen Millen, New Look and Oasis also 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 high 率s of 28.9%. But it is not just 着せる／賦与するs 蓄える／店s that 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 exorbitant 利益／興味 ― families could be stung when buying 現在のs or Christmas decorations. Argos and Homebase 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 29.9%, while B&Q's 率 is 23.9%.

Michelle Slade, of comparison 場所／位置 Moneyfacts.co.uk, says: '顧客s who 返す only the 最小限 量 on 蓄える／店 cards could 結局最後にはーなる 支払う／賃金ing twice the price and still be 返すing the 負債 in a １０年間's time. Do not touch 蓄える／店 cards unless you can afford to 支払う／賃金 off the balance in 十分な every month.'

The cheapest 率s are at Debenhams, House of Fraser, Laura Ashley and Topshop, w hich all 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 19.9%. However, these are still much more expensive than the best credit cards. Tesco Bank, for example, 申し込む／申し出s 0% 利益／興味 for 13 months and an 利益／興味 率 of 16.9% thereafter.

A 0% credit card is also a better choice because it can be used anywhere, not just at one particular 蓄える／店.

Kevin Mountford, at comparison 場所／位置 Moneysupermarket.com, says: 'Worryingly, staff selling 蓄える／店 cards often 的 low-paid or 攻撃を受けやすい young adults who are 誘惑するd by a 割引, do not やむを得ず understand 高金利s and cannot afford to 返す the 負債. Also staff selling the cards often have little or no 財政上の understanding, so cannot always explain how 利益／興味 率s work.'

蓄える／店 cards are a good money spinner for retailers ― first because they can usually be used only in that particular shop, which encourages people to spend more there.

Second, 蓄える／店s often receive （売買）手数料，委託（する）／委員会／権限 for every card sold from the bank that 供給するs the credit. It is not just on the High Street that women are 的d ― online fashion 蓄える／店s such as Very.co.uk, which sponsors The X Factor, 申し込む／申し出s a 'buy-now-paylater' 取引，協定 where 顧客s could be 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d more than 39.7% 利益／興味 if they do not （疑いを）晴らす the 負債 within the 利益／興味-解放する／自由な period.

In its 連合 manifesto the 政府 提案するd banning 過度の 利益／興味 率s on 蓄える／店 cards and introducing a seven-day 冷静な／正味のing-off period that would mean 顧客s are unable to use the card for a week after taking it out to stop the hard sell at the till.

However, it remains 不明瞭な when this is likely to come into 軍隊. Fiona Hoyle, at the 財政／金融 & 賃貸し（する）ing 協会, says: 'Almost 13 million people enjoy the 利益s of 蓄える／店 cards and most have a 無 or credit balance. People are very 有能な of using them sensibly and shouldn't have to 行方不明になる out on good 申し込む／申し出s.'

国民s Advice has 開始する，打ち上げるd a new website for under 25s struggling with 負債 at www.citizensadvice.org.uk/advice4me.