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Removing a Default (British Gas) from my credit report when it is a mistake!

Hi All,

I was turned down for a few credit cards recently and couldnt understand why so thought I would look at my credit record. Basically i have a default on a Gas bill from last year, all my personal details look correct on the default but I wasn't a british gas customer at the time and have received no letters informing me that I am in debt! How do i go about getting the default taken off? I am thinking of writing to them and sending a copy of my utitillty bills from around that time showing that i wasnt a customer. Is this the best way of doing it? And which department should i address the letter to?

Thanks All

Comments

  • bathgatebuyer
    bathgatebuyer Posts: 2,522 Forumite
    They should have a Data Protection Compliance Officer or Dept who will be well aware that it is their responsibility to ensure that information is correctly passed to the 3 credit reference agencies about customers.

    Make sure you check with each of the 3 CRAS - Experian, Equifax and Call Credit that Notices of Correction are placed next to this entry in your records (it may not be on all of them depending upon which ones the gas company use). Write to the DP Officer in the gas company with the associated documentation and hopefully they'll resolve it without any need for arguing!

    The removal of this will make a huge difference to your credit record. The Halifax incorrectly served a default against me which prevented me from getting even a basic bank account. They refused to remove it form my records, until I wrote to the Chief Exec's Office who had it removed within 3 days! (They had served it despite me taking them to court over bank charges - they ended up paying me £4,000 and getting the most grovelling apology I have eve rseen from Andy Hornby!)
    Almost debt-free, but certainly even with the Banks!
  • jtownson
    jtownson Posts: 62 Forumite
    Thanks...would you reccomend going for a friendly friendly approach or more of a legal eagle approach?? How does this sound;

    Dear Sir or Madam

    After recently obtaining a copy of my credit file from Experian I was concerned to note that your company has placed a "Default" notice against an account in my name.

    At the time that I allegedly defaulted, I was a customer of *not british gas* with whom I received a final bill (document enclosed) on ……. shortly after moving out of (Old Address) . I moved out of the property on the ****, since then I have had all my post redirected to my current address. (See enclosed Royal Mail redirection statement).

    Further to this I don’t believe I have defaulted on any such bill and have I have not received a notice requesting payment. Nor have I received any notice that a default will be placed on my credit record (as your aware this is required by law). I therefore require you to substantiate this data at your earliest convenience and remove the default from my credit record.

    If you still believe that the default is correct, I request a 'true and signed copy of the original default notice' within 28 days or I request that the data is removed from my files as unsubstantiated.

    Please contact me in writing by the above address or via email – [EMAIL="jtownson@nhs.net"]********[/EMAIL]

    Yours faithfully

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