Messed up my life and credit is there anything I can do?

jazzythumper

This is the story, I had a credit card, that I spent money on around £600 i made payments every month until I moved house, I moved and didn't change the address of the card, I didn't make the payments and as I have checked on my credit file I defaulted in March 2008 I still haven't settled the reamining debt which I am going to do today £275.

Is there anyway I can ever clear that default? Or am I basically screwed and will have to just wait out the 6 years, so I can never get a mortgage or any other credit until that date?

I have since moved house twice from that date, so I didn't ever receive a default notice, obviously this is my fault?

I assume now I am just going to have to pay the penalty for my actions.

ninky_2

this will be a mark on your file but it's not a major serious default or anything ugly like a ccj. you can't remove it but you can make up for it by building a good credit rating elsewhere. put all your utilities etc on direct debits (this builds up good credit rating - so long as you have enough in your account to always honour them), make sure you are on the electoral role, and make sure it doesn't happen again.

mortgage lenders also like people who don't move address too often (especially between countries), have stable jobs and don't have huge debts like loans and outstanding credit cards elsewhere.

Burlesque_Babe

unfortunately a default is viewed almost as poorly as a CCJ these days. The best thing is to pay it off and ensure you have a letter to say it's paid off and also have the file marked as satisfied until it falls off after 6 years.

CLAPTON

A default on your file is very serious, only just short of a CCJ.
Once it's paid it will show as a setttled default which is alot better.

You can write to them explaining that you never received the default notice and asking them to remove it... it may be a bit of a struggle.

If you have CCs then these will help your credit file if you use them and always pay on time. Normally utility bills don't show on credit files (unless in default) so do nothing to help your creditworthliness.

jazzythumper

So basically I wont be able to get a mortgage for a long time!

ninky_2

CLAPTON wrote: »

Normally utility bills don't show on credit files (unless in default) so do nothing to help your creditworthliness.

my sis used to work high up in credit control for a large mobile phone company a reckoned paying utilities by direct debit helped your credit rating. i don't know how though.

jazzythumper

This is the only blip on my credit rating, but obviously it is quite a serious one!

CLAPTON

ninky wrote: »

my sis used to work high up in credit control for a large mobile phone company a reckoned paying utilities by direct debit helped your credit rating. i don't know how though.

If it's reported on your credit file then it affects your rating; if it's not then it won't ... have a look at your credit files and see.. maybe her mobile company does report to the agencies.... as I said 'usually'

jazzythumper

CLAPTON wrote: »

If it's reported on your credit file then it affects your rating; if it's not then it won't ... have a look at your credit files and see.. maybe her mobile company does report to the agencies.... as I said 'usually'

As I stated earlier, it is on my credit file? However I can't get a credit card, but have managed to get store accounts with Littlewoods and Kays really easily?

CLAPTON

jazzythumper wrote: »

As I stated earlier, it is on my credit file? However I can't get a credit card, but have managed to get store accounts with Littlewoods and Kays really easily?

The quote was directed about the comment on utility bills and not your default.
As I said you can challenge the default on the grounds you didn't receive the notification.
Store cards have much lower criteria for credit scores... I hope you pay them in full and dont use their credit facilities which are very expensive.

jazzythumper

So can i challenge it on the grounds that the reason I didn't receive the default notice was the fact that I moved house and didn't tell them? This seems like it might be unrealistic, and I believe at the time it was served was after the tightening up of all the paper work etc?