Something strange on my credit report, please advise

talksalot81

Hi there,

Thanks to this site I have managed to get my credit report. I have done so because I have now twice been refused credit inspite of never actually been in debt.

Now that I have it, I notice an entry into the credit account info. It appears to be for an orange mobile phone, I did have an orange contract a few years ago so that is OK, but it was never in any debt. I am assuming that its presence on this report means someone thinks otherwise?

It is currently marked as settled but it is only marked as having been so since Easter of this year. I have had zero correspondence with Orange in years! So I cant possibly have settled it!

Does all this sound like this is an error? How can I find more details about this? It is the first thing I have ever heard of this so dont even know where to start trying to sus it out!

Thanks

Adam

Stonk

I think it probably does refer to your old Orange contract. Mobile phone contracts do show up on credit reports (well, my old one did anyway), presumably because you tend to owe them money at any given time. (Then again, my BT bill isn't on there, nor is the gas bill, etc, but that's another story.) Also, Settled accounts will persist on a credit report for quite some time. They ought not to be taken into account by lenders to whom you now apply, because Settled effectively means closed, no further activity.

So, it's not a problem to have it on your report. It is only a problem if there are incorrect reports of late payments, defaults, etc. You should see a line of codes, one per month, indicating your payment history. Look for bad ones.

Rafter

Adam,

Mobile phones appear if they are monthly contract. You have credit because you pay for calls later so effectively have a credit arrangement.

If it is settled that is fine - not sure why the dates are odd, but no point in following it up.

Your inability to get credit is because you have never been in debt?

Do you bank with HSBC too, in which case your credit report may not include bank account details either?

Suggest you try Capital 1 or Barclaycard for one of their credit builder products. After a few months you should then be able to get access to more products.

Make sure you are on the Electoral roll and always quote a home phone number on applications - both things providers look for.

Good luck.

R.

YorkshireBoy

talksalot81 wrote:

...I did have an orange contract a few years ago so that is OK, but it was never in any debt.......It is currently marked as settled but it is only marked as having been so since Easter of this year. I have had zero correspondence with Orange in years! So I cant possibly have settled it!

After a long period of inactivity, lenders (or creditors) will often automatically mark accounts such as mobile phones and buy-now-pay-later deals as settled.

This settled account will remain on your report for a period of 6 years from the date of settlement.

talksalot81

I dont need credit in any way and it may well be ok now, I just had a couple of refusals over the last few years and having never been in debt, I didnt know why. Since the orange thing is the only thing showing on my report, I thought maybe it might have been the problem- after all, if it was only 'settled' easter 05, goodness knows what the status was showing previously!

My O2 contracts of the following years dont feature one bit....

Anyhow, if the combined feeling is that it is OK, I shall take that in mind and close my credit expert free trial before i forget!

Thanks

Adam