First Blemishes on Credit File

AdrianW2

pinkshoes wrote: »

The fact remains that this CCJ is due to your failure to notify them of a change of address...

There's no legal requirement to notify anyone you're in dispute with of a change of address.

To the OP - apply to the court to get the judgment set aside because you didn't get the summons. Then try to get the council to accept payment.

substandard

I think we all understand your frustration - but you're looking at the problem with blinkers on. Credit is not a right - it's something offered to customers by private companies who want to be as sure as they can that they'll make a profit on it. The point of a credit check is for companies to find out at a glance whether you fulful that criteria. If they didn't do this, we'd all be paying a lot more for credit to cover those people who - unlike you - deliberately and cynically avoid their debts.

It's unfortunate that this means you're getting stung, but ultimately, if you want to enjoy good credit you have to look after it yourself. If you don't, either you get stung, the lenders get stung, or other borrowers get stung indirectly through higher fees. The reason most posters here don't see things your way is because it's perfectly clear that the fairest thing would be for you to get stung for your complacency rather than anyone else.

You're right to say that bank charges are unfair, but under the current rules you still owe the money. If the rules change - and most of us hope they will - you'll be able to claim them back. Deciding on your own not to pay them at all is what means the banks do not consider you a good customer for credit.

The advice above about the CCJ seems very useful, and I would do everything you can to follow it.

pinkshoes

AdrianW2 wrote: »

There's no legal requirement to notify anyone you're in dispute with of a change of address.

Maybe not, but a debt and credit file is in a person's name, NOT at a specific address, so although you don't have to notify them of a change of address, it would be rather foolish not to, as how else would you know if you'd lost your battle???

JWT_2

20 days later and an update:

Firstly I'd like to thank you all for your replies and secondly an apology for those who felt my replies were a little abrupt. As was mentioned, I was frustrated with the situation I found myself in and didn't want to accept responsibility.

I've paid the default of £270 and am awaiting a certificate of satisfaction to be added to my credit report. Following this I may try a (very optimistic) letter asking Barclays to rescind the default. If not, I'll await the court's decisions on unfair charges and re-assess my situation then.

Regarding the CCJ:

Well they say you should never assume and I've definitely learned this now. The CCJ is not, as mentioned for a parking ticket. I called the council in question who advised me they accepted my dispute. Not having a clue what else it could be I called the court directly and found the following information.
The bill originates with Severn Trent Water Company. Following my departure from the address that caused these problems (never again will I trust the landlord, and not call EVERY company to tell them I've gone) the following tenants failed to call Severn Trent. As such, the bills just kept coming for me and I of course did not answer them as I had done for the previous 6 months. To cut a long story short, the CCJ relates to a period of the bill that I did not live there and I have my tenancy agreement to prove this. I've sent this off to severn trent water who've advised "when they receive the tenancy agreement, they'll review the circumstances around the CCJ". Things are looking a little brighter already.

Thanks once again to the helpful comments and apologies for my abrasive replies, posted under much frustration.

Volcano

Thanks very much for coming back to update us JWT. A lot of people come here, register, don't like what they hear and disappear never to be seen again, which tends to make the regulars a little less patient with some of the newbies. Updating people is greatly appreciated and ultimately helps others who may find themselves in your situation.

Thanks again and a belated welcome to the forum! :beer:

wannaberichbtch

I had a similar problem with a water company some years ago. Sold a house thought we had advised everyone, was paying water rates at a new property, applied for credit was declined through unknown CCJ. It was sorted pretty quickly when we approached the water company but they do seem to dish out CCJ's very quickly and regularly. Glad you are getting everything sorted, and can understand your frustration.

JWT_2

A couple more questions I hope somebody might be able to help me with:

The reason I found these problems with my credit is solely down to the rejection I received from Halifax for a student account with overdraft facility (I'm not going to go mental and spend it during freshers week as I'm a fairly mature 23 year old). The lovely lady who helped me in branch advised me to speak to her once I'd dealt with the default but my questions are below:

1: How does the certificate of satisfaction impact my credit rating, positively/negatively or not at all?
2: How soon should I apply for the account again? I'm not in desperate need of the account but I'd rather get it sooner than later to act as a safety net of sorts.
3: How likely am I to be rejected for this student bank account? If very, what steps can I take to improve my chances of being accepted?

Thanks again.

wannaberichbtch

As far as the CCJ goes, that should be removed as you can prove no liability for this debt. The default satisfaction will improve your situation, but will remain on file and still be viewed as a negative (Although much better than an unsatisfied default). There is little point in reapplying until the CCJ is removed and the satisfaction in place, and it helps to keep credit searches to a minimum. A couple of years ago I would have said that you would have a very good chance of a successful application, but lenders are extremely cautious now, and applicants are being declined on what would have been seen previously as trivial matters. It certainly won't hurt to go back to the branch and ask for their opinion.