Cleaning up your Credit file..

Chainman

Hi,

I have been in a DMP now for just over 2 years and have managed to pay off a fair bit since I started. It's hard but I have managed to go from owing 32k to just over 12k in that time

However I managed to get some money together in May and arranged to pay the biggest debtor off. Halifax, or our friends Blair Oliver and Scott (yes bank of Scotland) got a partial settlement of 9k, which was a huge strain but I just about managed to do it.
This I did only to have them pass the remaining debt (which they said they would write off) to another agency almost straight away! Needless to say I was not too happy and contacted them about this; I finally got this cleared up and no longer owe them money.

But upon checking my credit report I find that I still show as owing them the monies! Not only that but according to my report I still owe them the full amount!

Checking on the last update they made shows no payments made, and there had been no update since June with the account settled.

My question is where do I go from here?

I guess the worst thing about this is that the other debtors could have been settled too but as my credit rating hasn't been updated on this one I see no point in actually settling them at all, I will not see a benefit on my credit score

Feels very depressing to see companies still showing you owing thousands of pounds when you know you have paid it off

Anyone go any pointers?

Have to say feel that trying to do the right thing has just got me more stressed out at the end of the day I sort of wish I had just gone bankrupt and let they all fight over what was left (not much), but I borrowed the money so feel I should pay it back..

Tixy

Hi

What paperwork / paper trail do you have that shows that your payment was in settlement of the account?

First I would try just writing to them (Blair Oliver Scott) and just state that you require them to update your credit files within 28days to show that you have made a partial settlement against the account and that no further money is owed.
If that doesn't work then you'll need to make a formal complaint to them to, enclose copies of your paperwork/full & final settlement offer/evidence of payment etc. Once you have their response to your complaint if it still isn't sorted then you could complain to the OFT, the FOS and put a note on your credit file

Chainman

Well when I complained (about this fact they had passed on the debt after I had paid the agreed settlement figure) I received a letter from Halifax saying sorry and that I will not receive a letter saying it has been settled for another 90 days!

It's now coming to the end of that period and I have been unable to speak to anyone from Halifax or Blair Oliver Scott about this, they are just ignoring my request. Even my request for data held on me has been ignored (it should have been answered in 40 days).

I certainly will never deal with Halifax again, or any of their *other companies*.

Just about to put pen to paper with another complaint this time to OFT and FOS (might try ICO too).

Chainman

Well I ended up phoning Halifax again last week and spoke to someone who said they would sort it out....
.. And Today checking my credit report shows it as settled.. Now I just have to wait for the paperwork through the post, then I can pay the remaining debtors off (at last!).