Problem with my Experian credit score .. now got a 6 year refusal of credit !

Discussion in 'Bulletin Board' started by Mr Badger, Oct 26, 2020.

  1. Mr Badger

    Mr Badger Well-Known Member

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    About two years ago I had a spat with Vodafone and refused to pay them £31 for a problem that was not caused by me. I kept ringing them, explaining that my mobile phone account had been cancelled a few weeks earlier so they shouldn't be asking me for money now.
    They kept assuring me that all would be ok so I left it at that.
    A few months ago my perfect credit record was screwed by their putting a non payment against my credit report which has effectively stopped me from getting any credit, loan, credit card, extended term for new furniture etc etc and this lasts for 6 years.
    Even if I were to pay the £31 now the 6 year period stands, so fck em, I wish it had been £10000 !!
    Have you any experience of this type of thing, if so were you able to wangle your way out of it or were you screwed for the same 6 years?
     
  2. Gravy Chips

    Gravy Chips Well-Known Member

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    If you have valid grounds I believe you can challenge it with the credit reference agencies. Definitely worth getting in touch with them and explaining. It might not get removed completely, but even having a note against it can mitigate the effects
     
  3. Stephen Dawson

    Stephen Dawson Well-Known Member

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    My uncle couldn't get a mortgage because he'd never been in debt. He had to take out a credit card and start using it before he could have his mortgage.
     
  4. Dar

    Darfield138 Well-Known Member

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    I had a similar problem with Scottish Power about ten years ago. Experian won't remove the default unless Scottish Power agree. Mine was slightly different in that they had ramped up my direct debit (about threefold in two months) to such an extent I was able to reclaim about £1,500 under the direct debit guarantee scheme at which point they registered two defaults (one gas/one leccky).
    They refused to remove it. I took them and Experian to county court for breach of contract and sec (10?- i seem to recall) of the Data Protection Act. Now replaced by GDPR but think principles are the same. They countersued for the outstanding bill but couldnt work out what I owed (cos they're bent B@stards and make it up as they go along) so the judge refused their counterclaim and ordered them to remove the defaults within 28 days. I claimed a nominal £250 for distress but the judge chucked that out but job done (and I never paid the £1500 either)
    I would raise it with experian (who will respond) and also write to Vodafone by recorded delivery (find their legal dept/data protection dept on line). Tell them your story and that you are quite happy to sue them if they dont remove the default.
    You have to remember the one ace you have is that under a £10k claim is small claims court and unless you have been frivolous or vexatious (which you havent) costs aren't awarded to the other side even if you lose. It will cost them £3,000 to fight it. Scottish Power fought me and it cost them a solicitor and a barrister for the day which I found even more hilarious.
     
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  5. andytyke

    andytyke Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    A default can be removed. You can challenge it on your credit file or you can write to Vodafone explaining the situation and asking for it to be removed. I had summat a bit similar as a young un. I stupidly refused to pay for a few stuff which an ex had ordered in my name. I ended up with 3 different defaults. I successfully had them removed from my file after writing direct to the companies.
     
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  6. Che

    Chef Tyke Well-Known Member

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    this
     
  7. red

    red24/7 Well-Known Member

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    provident credit are worse, charge rates of a money lender and put your credit rating even further down tube after one missed payment, they are evil, government should provide low income family loans taken off welfare interest free, no wonder people cant feed their kids paying 1600 percent interest, this is something people should protest about
     
  8. Tyke_67

    Tyke_67 Well-Known Member

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    Strange, I got my first mortgage in 1990 no problems at all and I'd never been in debt before that. Maybe it was the Bank/B.S. that he used.
     
  9. Sco

    Scoff Well-Known Member

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    The damage won't last for six years. It will be on the record (if you don't get it removed), but the effects will fall off after about 6months to 1 year if you make all your payments. Its only if it gets to CCJ level that it becomes a serious effect on your ability to get credit.

    Saying that, even if you have a CCJ or a bad credit score, you can usually still get credit - it'll just cost you more on the interest and repayments.
     
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  10. Sco

    Scoff Well-Known Member

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    Its all automated now, not a nice bank manager discussing it over a cup of tea. If you haven't got a good credit score, you won't get a good mortgage. If you aren't in debt then you won't have a good credit score - it shows how you manage debt as much as how you keep out of debt. Although many of us have debts that we don't really count as such (but are) - phone contracts, utility contracts, sky, etc.
     
  11. Old Goat

    Old Goat Well-Known Member

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    When she first started full-time work, a few years ago, my daughter tried to open a proper current account with Halifax. Previously she'd had a student account with them while working part-time. Halifax refused on the grounds that she had no credit history - despite the fact that she was already a customer. She went into the Co-op Bank and they sorted her out straight away, no mention of credit history.
     
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  12. Stephen Dawson

    Stephen Dawson Well-Known Member

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    Exactly the same with me. I was originally with Halifax and when I started work they wouldn't give me a proper account. I had to move to Alliance and Leicester.
     
  13. Old Goat

    Old Goat Well-Known Member

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    I don't think they realise the negative effect of acting like that. My daughter didn't even bother checking them out when she started mortgage hunting.
     
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  14. JamDrop

    JamDrop Well-Known Member

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    It was the same with me. No debt, no direct debits coming out so no trust from the banks. I still refused to get into debt but I switched utilities to my name and got a cheap phone contract which was enough for the algorithm to say yes to.
     
  15. Tyke_67

    Tyke_67 Well-Known Member

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    Maybe it was the utilities then as I was renting at the time (even renting my own TV!). There were no phone contracts in 1990, because there were hardly any phones! :)
     
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  16. Stephen Dawson

    Stephen Dawson Well-Known Member

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    I haven't bothered with them since I went in to pay my parents their board with their account number and sort code and they told me they'd do it this last time as a gesture of good will. When I got in my parents told me they'd had a phone call from Halifax verifying that I wasn't money laundering.
     
  17. Marc

    Marc Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    Worth signing up with ClearScore. Free, user friendly and gives practical info around your credit file, such as guaranteed offers etc
     
  18. Gally

    Gally Administrator Staff Member Admin

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    I had the same problem a long time back but with EE. They sent a bill to my previous address when I moved house and contract. I did manage to get it removed writing to credit reference agency / EE etc to point out EE's mistake. It was a ballache but I would pay them the 31 quid in the first instance, point out their mistake etc and try and work with them to get it removed otherwise you are going to struggle as you mention. Pull together any proof you had and follow Vodafones complaints procedure. If you are on linkedin, I've found connecting with and messaging senior management and putting together your case and how their staff are impacting you gets the ball rolling pretty quickly. The last few times Ive tried that have got me resoution within a couple of hours :)
     
  19. troff

    troff Well-Known Member

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    Or, going out on a limb, the lending criteria and testing might have changed a little in the last 30 years?
     
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  20. Tyke_67

    Tyke_67 Well-Known Member

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    Yes of course! :)
     

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