Quick question

the*dark*one

I received a letter yesterday from Barclaycard stating that they had decreased my credit limit. That’s all well and good except I don’t have a Barclaycard! :rotfl:

It was a strange letter as well in that it stated that my credit limit had been decreased and to refer to the limit stated at the top of the letter (no amount was stated).

I last had a Barclaycard back in 1999 when I was a student, I fell behind on my payments and the account defaulted. It was only a small amount (£300ish) which looking back now seems so stupid to get a default on your credit file for such a miniscule sum. Anyway, long story short, account was defaulted in July 2001, I paid off the entire £300 odd quid in October 2001 and my account on my credit file shows it as ‘satisfied’.

I called the number on the letter and spoke to someone at Barclaycard CS team and she said that there was £24 outstanding on my account (!!!!!!?? ) and that my account hadn’t been closed since all those years ago. I had assumed that if an account states satisfied or settled on the credit file that means that the said account is closed? It hardly makes sense otherwise, I mean if you defaulted on the credit agreement, why would they keep your credit card account open?

I could have sworn I called to confirm that my account was closed when I made the final payment all them years ago and have not heard from them since 2001, not one letter/statement/phone call, nothing, and I haven’t moved so why after all these years are they contacting me to make payment for something I have already paid? I’m not sure if I kept the payment slips to them showing that I cleared the amount because that was four years ago.

This is what is says in my credit report:

Started: 17/9/1999
Defaulted: 31/7/2001
Satisfied
File updated for period to: 31/10/2005
Barclaycard

Any advice on what to do next?

Entrepreneur_en_faillite

It doesn't appear from your notes that the account is actually settled. You would normally see a date beside the 'satsfied'. On the CR does it state an amount defaullted and an amount outstanding?

the*dark*one

Thank you for your reply.

This is it copied and pasted from my credit file online:

Company name: BARCLAYCARD
Account type: Credit Card / Store Card
Started: 17/09/1999
Default Balance: £345
Current Balance: Satisfied
Defaulted On: 31/07/2001
File updated for period to: 30/10/2005

Before this it hadn't been updated since 2001, if that makes any difference?

There is no date besides the ‘satisfied’ and there is no amount outstanding.

I did a quick web search and found this:

http://uk.biz.yahoo.com/idfraud/whatsonmyreport.html

If you have paid off everything you owe since you broke the credit agreement, the account will be shown to be ‘satisfied' at the balance.

So does this mean I am in the clear as I've paid and it shows as satisfied on my credit file?

Entrepreneur_en_faillite

It certainly appears so! I would ask them to supply you with copies of all the statements on your account since the date of default, this way you should be able to track where the erroneous charge has been applied.