Credit Report Crisis

donnaeade

So I applied for a loan and was rejected I couldn't understand why so I followed the link to the credit score provider, Equifax. I have never looked at my report by them the one I have checked is Experian the one I usually get told to look at. Well what I saw made me angry seriously angry so much so I had to check Experian too and what did I find. Experian you have a good credit rating 922 score, excellent I have been working hard at keeping my credit in check and building up my score since I got into a lot of trouble around 5years ago so I was really pleased that my experian report has recovered from that.

What I was angry about was the fact that my Equifax report was showing as poor!! 256 or similar score. :mad: how?? why ?? looking through my report everything was looking A ok. longest credit 8yrs 8 active accounts 10 settled account only 2credit apps in the last 12months. all great so how can my credit score be so low. I looked at my credit accounts in more detail all good upto date the odd late payment but nothing too sinister until I get to this BIG RED SPLOG on my account. BARCLAY CARD!! showing from 2007 as AP (arrange to pay) every month!! WHAT?? firstly it shows a credit limit of £400 and a balance of £0 so what am I meant to pay? also there is no barclay card in my purse except my current account I opened last yr certainly no credit card. Through research I find out it was my littlewoods credit card I had YEARS ago we're talking 2004. Well I haven't had that card or a staement off them in years seriously probably 2005 but it was that long ago I don't remember as far as I was concerned the account was closed.
So I call them up and I tell the women I can't give her my card number because I don't have one. She finds my account and say oh yes I see you owe us ......wait for it.....69p!!!:mad: 69pence seriously come on!!! well before I said anything she said I'll just get rid of that....seriously!!! You have ruined my credit rating for 69p and I make one call and you write it off??? it was that important you ruined my credit report but not that important that you actually wanted me to pay it...
I'm at a complete loss, it is now showing as settled on my account but the damage is done.
Surely they can't mark my report every month saying I need to pay and not acutally tell me I owe them anything. Seriously I'd have paid the 69p if I knew I owed it. very sad and distressed feel like all my hard work has been for nothing as i'll have to wait another 6years before this comes off my account. How can that be an acceptable way for a company to conduct itself? How can I be blamed for something when I knew nothing about it?

dtsazza

Technically, while it's sad, the entries on your report are accurate, as you did have an outstanding balance that wasn't paid.

However, given the context you may be able to get in touch with Barclaycard and ask them to remove the negative marks from your credit record. When you speak to them, try to stay calm and be polite - remember that they don't have to do this, and that you're asking them a favour. If you apologise for the miscommunication and the trouble you've caused them, and reiterate that you would have paid if you'd been aware of the outstanding balance (how come you weren't, by the way - house move?) then you stand a much better chance of getting your report rectified. I know you're angry right now, but your post above sounds a bit ranty and an approach like that will likely lead to the customer services representative ending the call.


As an aside - I don't think the numeric scores you get from the credit rating agencies are worth paying anything for. Companies don't get given this number when they do a search, they just get the data that's on your report, and make a decision based on their own scoring systems. It doesn't matter at all that Experian think you're a "922", as they're not the ones giving you a card/loan. What matters is that your credit report is clean and accurate. If you've been paying money for these "scores", I'd stop doing so in future.

donnaeade

I never rant to companies I rant on forums lol I didn't know because they stopped sending me statements. I thought it might have been an address change issue but they had my current address on record and thinking back I remember getting statements here. I didn't realise that the bank could remove what they had put I did say I felt it was unfair when they hadn't asked me for the money to mark my report the women put me through to a guy who was rather rude to me actually the woman hadn't spoken to him and informed him of the call he was about to take so I had to go through the whole finding out who I was again (very frustrating) then all he said he'd do is send out a letter saying the account was closed.
well I didn't get a letter I got a statement for the first time in 6yrs.

Experian_company_representative

If the card provider refuses to change the data, you can add a note to it explaining the circumstances.

Most lenders use CRA data and scores. But the scores you can get from the CRAs as a consumer are not the same scores lenders obtain as they cover less characteristics. They are simply a guide for you on the health of your own credit report data.

James Jones

lisyloo

So if you were getting statements, how come you didn't know about the debt?
We need to understand this.
If there is a fault by the comapny then you could put in a formal complaint to them and ask them to rectify your records at the CRA.
However it seems odd that there was communication but you didn't know about the outstanding balance?
Was it an outstanding balance or a charge?
How come you didnt' know if uyou were getting statements?
Do you still have them? Do they not show it?

I would make a formal complaint to them and ask them to update their records on the basis that you weren't informed.