Gambler’s battle to stop Commonwealth Bank offering to increase his credit limit

THE Commonwealth Bank offered to increase a man’s credit card limit within days of him telling staff he had a gambling problem, the banking royal commission heard yesterday.

THE Commonwealth Bank offered to increase a man’s credit card limit within days of him telling staff he had a gambling problem, the banking royal commission heard yesterday.

David Harris found himself in a cycle of continually maxing out his credit cards, which he consolidated to a lower rate card in 2016.

The Commonwealth Bank kept offering David Harris a credit limit.

During a call to change his address details later that year, Mr Harris was told he was eligible for an increase on his $27,100 credit card limit.

“I explained that clearly I’m a gambler, I have a gambling problem,” he told the commission.

“I can’t understand why they kept offering me more money.”

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Ten days later Mr Harris received a letter that offered to increase his limit to $32,100 and four weeks later another offering a $35,100 limit.

After repeated offers, he said he eventually accepted an increased limit of $35,000 and quickly maxed it out.

Whenever he was given a new limit, Mr Harris again maxed his card out.

Mr Harris said he tried to cancel the card both in a branch and over the phone, without success, before he cut it up.

But he then got a replacement card, which he maxed out again, and soon he was getting phone calls about missing payments.

Mr Harris lodged complaints with the bank, saying he tried to get help after telling them he had an addiction.

“I’d tried to reach out for help and I didn’t get any,” he told the commission. “I got the opposite. I got more credit limit increases sent through and I tried to tell them I had a problem.”

Hr Harris has now negotiated with the bank for financial hardship assistance.

After negotiations with the bank for financial hardship assistance, the bank reduced Mr Harris’ debt by $10,000, cancelled the card and stopped future fees and interest.

He still owes $23,400.

In a September 2017 email a CBA employee said they were confident of organising a long-term solution to remedy Mr Harris for the negligent oversights the bank made with his credit facilities.

Originally published as Gambler’s battle to stop Commonwealth Bank offering to increase his credit limit