Credit Rating: How it works and How to improve it discussion area

Just thought i'd share I have managed to get a Default removed from Orange.

I wrote to them asking them to remove it since i will be paying the defaulted balance this week.

They have written back giving me spiel about missed payments etc.. but last paragraph, state as a gesture of good will they will remove it when the balance has been paid.

:T

Not too sure if I'm posting in the correct place but about a month ago I received a letter from the Electoral Commission advising a 'Mr V [My surname]' to register to vote. There's no such person & we've lived here for 15-odd years. I contacted them & was told the information was supplied by Experian. So, contacted them & they couldn't/wouldn't confirm anything about this new person so I had to write to them with my full details and household details etc. They also recommended I sign up for the free trial to check my own details, which I did. I don't have any on-going credit except for a mobile phone and the report didn't tell me anything new, so I cancelled the trial the same day.

Experian (they call themselves something else don't they?) then deducted the £6.99 anyway - evidently I'd signed up with them some 10 years ago (which I cannot recall either) so I'm not entitled to the free trial.

Firstly, I think it's grossly unfair that I have to pay for a credit check that was only prompted by their communication with the Electoral Commission in the first place and secondly they happily let me sign up without notifying me that I was exempt from the free trial.

So, my questions: Should I do anything more about this 'V' person? Do I need to contact other credit agencies to check their details? Should I have been eigible for the free credit check because it was a possible identity (or at least 'address') theft?

I don't intend to ever need any credit but I obviously don't want my address used for any sort of fraudulent stuff.

Any advice gladly accepted.

Loblolly wrote: »

So here's the thing.
A year ago, my wife changed from O2 to Orange. O2 sent her a finall bill for £11 which she forgot to pay. O2 didn't send her any more bills, reminders, nothing. That was until a year later (last month), she got a letter from a debt collection agency demanding the money. Immediatly realising that she had forgotten to pay that bill a year previously, she immediately sent them a cheque and thought no more of it.

Until, we went to the bank today to talk to them about extending our mortgage to pay for home improvements. Result - we were turned down because of an adverse credit socre. The bank were v.supportive, did some digging and discovered that a single default in the amount of £11 had been placed on my wife's record.

My wife fully admits that the fault was entirely hers for not paying the original bill, its just that the "punishment" (both our credit records otherwise entirely clean) seems grossly out of proportion to the "crime" committed and we think that O2 must bear at least some of the blame for failing to chase up the bill. Obviously we will be making some phone calls and writing letters to attempt to get this default removed, but wondered whether anyone had any views on how succesful they believe we might be and any advice on particular strategies that others have found succeseful. :mad:
Many thanks

Write to them offering £11 in exchange for full removal of the default. State that the funds will be paid the day a letter arrives from them saying they will fully remove the default when paid

What does % of your total credit used mean? (400%)This was shown on credit expert when i checked it!

MBNA have told you the reason for your decline - you have only had your card for 7 months, perhaps wait until you have run this card well for at least one year and try again, the fact you have two late payments registered within this period will not help your case.

Lenders also like stability, the fact you move jobs will again have impacted your credit score.

I think you should continue with your Natwest card and build a good history with them before looking to apply for other forms of credit but why pay interest on a card when you can pay it off, sounds silly to me.

Regards
Steven