Can mail order defaults be removed? Help Pls

neenmarie

Hi
I have just recently looked at my credit report from Experian to find that I have a default against me from a mail order catalogue for £72.00. The default is dated July 2007 so will come off in 2013 but i fear it is effecting my chances of better deals with mortgages and lending. I am shocked to see a default as I had a dispute with the company at the time as I didn't owe them any money as I had returned the items. In the end after many emails I decided to pay the money so i didn't keep getting letters demanding it. I feel this is very unfair that it has been listed as a default as I was not to blame. When I contacted them they told me that the debt had been sold to credit management. I called Credit Management and they said I need to send a letter explaining but can anyone provide me with a template letter which I can just adjust. Has anyone else had a mail order default removed without problems? Any advice or comments please. Thanks

neenmarie

Anyone??? I don't think the mail order rules are the same as requesting a default from banks, so any help???

stclair

Have you contacted the mail order company in question?

Did the company accept the items was missing and credit your account?

neenmarie

Hi
I had a big dispute with them at the time which went on for weeks but they weren't interested in what I said. I think the debt got sold on to credit account management. here's a letter that I sent to them. I feel its just so unfair none of this is my fault as the items were returned yet I have paid the money and got a default for 6 YEARS!!!
Here the letter, what do you think?
Good Afternoon

After recently obtaining a copy of my Credit Report from Experian I was concerned to note that your company has placed a “Default” notice against my name for a mail order which I believe was in relation to Additions Direct. My purpose of writing this letter today is a humble request to have my credit report updated with regards to the default occurring 26th October 2007.

I am asking if you would kindly consider removing this default against me for the reasons outlined below.

Firstly I don’t believe that I owed any money to Addition Direct as the items I had ordered from them were returned within the return period and in their original condition, although they say they never received them? This dispute went on for many weeks with a number of phone calls and emails back and forth. As a result I reluctantly decided that Additions Direct weren’t listening to me so I paid the balance so that I wouldn’t receive any more hassle from them. I did not realise that they were going to put a default on my credit file via your company and I feel this is very unfair as I strongly feel no money was owed to them in the first place.

Secondly the default amount is a very small amount of money (£72.00) and the penalty of having this default on my file for 6 full years seems very unfair. As a result of this default it is affecting my life and that of my family very much with regards to mortgages and any financial offers!

I am a very honest person and I always take great care when it comes to my financial matters and always pay my bills on time. As a result I am kindly asking if you would consider removing this default from my credit report as the amount is very small and as a gesture of good will?

This kind gesture would be sincerely appreciated and it would make such a big difference to me and my families future.

I would like to thank you for taking your time to read this email and look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards

Yargo1

sounds good , fingers crossed for you.

McKneff

I dont think you have any chance at all to be quite honest.

By eventually albit reluctantly paying up you have admitted that you did indeed owe this money.

Im afraid you will be stuck with it. They dont work on goodwill.

Did you not have any receipt or certicicate of posting when you returned the goods.

Sorry, something you didnt want to hear but youre probably just one among thousands per day so you really are just a number to them.

Just for the record, I hope I'm wrong, send your letter anyway, you have nothing to lose but the price of a stamp. Good luck

stclair

Thats letter is great I hope you get it sorted.

Im a very strong believer in what you dont ask for you dont get ;-)

neenmarie

Thanks for the replies. I did have a receipt but as this happened in 2007 and i didn't realise till now that there was a default. I have thrown it away whilst moving moving house. Had i known about the default at the time I would have produce the receipt or asked to have it removed once I had paid. I only paid because of all the hassle I was getting not because I owed it to them because I didn't! Hopefully I might of caught them on a good day and they might remove it as it has been 4 years now! x