Reversing a default

HSBChell

I am an a really awkward situation here, I moved out out my property in Jan 2010 - my girlfriend and I had split up - we kept the joint account open anyway for another 2-3 months just to see if we had anything else to come out before closing the account altogether as we had both moved back to our parents homes

In 2007 I/We bought a TV through HFC / Currys and also a PS3 via Dixons in 2009 - all was set on standing order and we paid regularly....or so I thought!

When we were going through our accounts in 2010 we assumed I was paying HFC out of my one bank account - this was confirmed in my eyes when in Feb 2010 I was looking at my direct debit / standing orders going out and saw in Jan "Final payment HFC" and in order to keep things nice and neat with my online banking I cancelled thinking I had paid everything.

Friday last week I tried to get a loan out and was declined? so I decided to look into this further on Mycreditfile.com (Brilliant site by the way!) and noticed I had a default against my name for all of last year??

Further investigation into this it was the TV we had bought from Currys and had a total sum outstanding of £255 which I paid in full straight away!

They are telling me that they can not reverse this Default as they had attempted to contact me for 12 months and basically this was tough and this default will remain on my record for 6 years!!!:(

Is there anything I can do about this? It was a genuine mistake, and in know way intentional - we thought we had got round all our debtors and never got the post redirected in time as they obviously can't redirect when you have moved out. We also cut the phone off from the day we left and I know the new owners changed the number anyway - so in fairness to HFC I guess they had no other way to contact me

But to be now have a default against my credit scoring for 6 years over a measly £255 is absolutely criminal in my eyes - had it been several hundred or £1000's then fair enough

I have paid it staright away upon realising there was an issue - can anyone recommend anything for me?

I would really appreciate your help:(:(

Rico6.9

HFC are crooks. I'm on their case but the law is slow. They should help you but they choose not to. We'll see what happens when I eventually get them in front of the supreme court judges to explain their appalling disregard for common decency. They shouldn't be allowed to operate but somehow the law is on their side. At the moment. Speak to your MP. The more MP's involved the more likely we'll get a result to stop this.

HSBChell

I am seriously going to do this

How can you get yourself on the straight and narrow when they show know common sense? I paid it the minute I found out there was an issue - I have not knowingly sherked paying it was a genuine mistake

BackOnTrack

A friend of mine has a £5 default on her credit file for something she had thought she had set up on direct debit and the company won't remove it even though she paid it as soon as she became aware of it. The company refuse to remove it and she is stuck with it for another 5 years and her credit rating is trashed.

Hanky_Panky

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the looney tune - he may not like some aspect of their operation but don't let that affect you personally.

The difficulty for you is that you are looking at this from a 'fairness' point of view whereas the bank and the cra's are looking at this from a factual perspective - factually you did get into arrears and incur the default.

I really don't think you have a leg to stand on - you made an assumption that later turned out to be wrong - big mistake. Even making some note next to the entry won't help you if another lender looks at it - if anything it will make them less likely to lend to you.

You have already done the best thing possible by paying it off immediately so it will show as being settled

spadoosh

Best advice wouldve been not to pay it

G/f just got one removed because we were declined a mortgage.

Basically her mother bought some stuff on an accounth that the g/f had closed(mother reopened it) and failed to pay back to value of £700. she said it wasnt her straight away and when she found out it was her mother had to take a different approach.

This should be a good one for you. Any company issuing a default has to give you notice that they are doing so, until you are aware that they want to issue said default they can not apply it. I think you should write a letter stating that the comapny (HFC) didnt follow the laws regarding issuing a default and thus cannot and should not have placed it on your credit file, give them 40 days to respond with an anwswer. if they dont, you win (have to take it to Financial services ombudsman) and if they do show you proof of notice you will have to show that this was issued whilst you weren't at the address.

Good luck, its a ball ache!

spadoosh

BTW dont accept what they call a 'satisfied default' as this will severely restrict borrowing for at least 3 years!

HSBChell

spadoosh wrote: »

Best advice wouldve been not to pay it

G/f just got one removed because we were declined a mortgage.

Basically her mother bought some stuff on an accounth that the g/f had closed(mother reopened it) and failed to pay back to value of £700. she said it wasnt her straight away and when she found out it was her mother had to take a different approach.

This should be a good one for you. Any company issuing a default has to give you notice that they are doing so, until you are aware that they want to issue said default they can not apply it. I think you should write a letter stating that the comapny (HFC) didnt follow the laws regarding issuing a default and thus cannot and should not have placed it on your credit file, give them 40 days to respond with an anwswer. if they dont, you win (have to take it to Financial services ombudsman) and if they do show you proof of notice you will have to show that this was issued whilst you weren't at the address.

Good luck, its a ball ache!

This is great advice, I really appreciate that. Thanks very much!

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Have you told them you have a statement that shows you had paid them off? If so copy it and send it to them show proof..

Then again from some of your other posts you are in a spot of bother arent you

HSBChell wrote: »

Are they regulated?

I owe ebay £96 - but had a company iQOR send me a letter detailing I must pay the full amount in 3 days or they will start court proceedings

I cant find £96 straight away and they were quite pushy on the phone. What can I do?

And that was in January when you are now claiming that you had moved out.

spadoosh

No no no a settled default is refused by about 95% of mainstream lenders and like i said will have serious implications for about 3 years. if your looking at a mortgage soonish you will either struggle loads or pay through your teeth for the extortionate interest rates

HSBChell

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Have you told them you have a statement that shows you had paid them off? If so copy it and send it to them show proof..

Then again from some of your other posts you are in a spot of bother arent you



And that was in January when you are now claiming that you had moved out.

This is a seperate thing altogether - yes I have been in a spot of bother Jeff, thanks for bringing that up. But this is why this site exists

Thanks again