Questions Re Gas Co. Default Notice

darbooka

Can anyone give feedback on this:
I had a payment scheme set up with a Gas supplier for an old account that came into arrears after moving home. One day I needed a replacement payment card and when they finally sent it out, it was accompanied by a cover letter that overstated the amount owed. I was reluctant to use the card until I could clarify whether the amount was correct as I wanted to ensure that they didn't mistakenly send a card in connection with some different account, or that they hadn't accounted for all of the payments made. It had been very difficult to get in touch with the supplier (technically, their credit control dept) due to their extensive waiting times on their customer service line. Finally today I got through and paid off most of the amount due and re-established the payment scheme for a couple of more payments (the whole amount had almost been paid off). In a by-the-way manner, the customer service person mentioned that 6 days ago they had registerred a default charge on my credit file. That was quite infuriating as it had taken them so long to send a replacement card, and it was sent with an overstated amount due, and it had been virtually impossible to get through to them until now. She said that they would delete the charge in its entirety if it had been their fault but because the account fell into arrears they will only remove the deafult notice when the account is paid off and then there will remain a record of the incident on the credit file.
Questions:

a. Considering their contribution to the lateness of eventual payment, can I assert an obligation to have them remove the default notice in its entirety?

b. Realistically are their consequences to having a record of a deafult notice that had already been settled and paid off?

c. If they refuse to remove the notice in its entirety, is it relevant and preferrable to pay off the full amount due immediately rather than in two or three months as arranged?

d. Can I myself refute the default charge directly with the credit rating company?

e. Will a default notice appear in every credit reference company or just one?

Sorry for the many questions. Any answers will be grately appreciated.

tripled

a) When you got the new card, did you resume payments as agreed under your payment scheme? If you did, thereby only witholding an amount that was under dispute, then you might, but if not (which is the impression I get)then I wouldn't have thought so.

b) Yes, it will still have a negative impact on your credit report.

c) I don't think it would make much difference.

d) Yes. Also you can have a note added to your credit file explaining what happened.

e) Depends if the gas company just uses one company or several. I think it is possible it will only show up on one report. If it is BG they used to only use experian.

Cardew

I think the weakness of your case is that you apparently didn't write, email, or fax them. Your case rests on the fact that you couldn't get through on the phone, and so you didn't contact them!!

As you didn't contact them they understandably registered a default charge.

So in my opinion to try to dispute this charge solely on the grounds that you couldn't get through on the phone(for presumably months?) would be 'laughed out of court'.

I think it will be in your interest to get your debt paid as quickly as posible so at least the credit reference agency will have it as paid. However you may have difficulty in getting the default reference removed.