Advice please re old debts and credit reports

velveteenwabbit

A few years ago I got myself into debt and then a few things happened in my life and I couldn't pay it back. I completely buried my head in the sand and when I moved I didn't give anyone my forwarding address. I had a few grand outstanding, from what I remember it was the following:
HSBC - overdraft just under £2k
HSBC credit card - Between £2000 and £1500, although I paid this off in a settlement a few years ago
Virgin credit card - about £1500
Dorothy Perkins store card - I'm not sure how much this was for but I think it was about £800
Egg credit card - £500
Pay day loan - £250 (which I paid off later)

I also had / have an overdraft with Barclays (who I am still with) for £1900 but I've paid off £1200 so it's only £700 now.

I've been trying to sort myself out this year, hence paying off £1200 off my overdraft rather than using it as normal money which I had been doing. When I signed up for my credit reports, Equifax and Experian don't have any of my old debts on there. Callcredit has 2 old things:

Aktiv Kapital - £1900 default which I'm not sure what it is (it says credit card but I paid a settlement on the HSBC one) and a CCJ for £269 which I can only imagine is the pay day loan which I paid off in installments although it says it's active.

The dates on these accounts are both 2006 (August and September) and I've read that things drop off your credit report after 6 years so I'm not sure if the other debts are now over that time period and therefore no longer on my credit report.

If I tried to pay off these debts would they then appear back on my credit report for another 6 years? How would I even get in contact with the other debts (I'm not sure who they have been sold to now)? Or would it be sensible to leave it? I want to do the right thing but I also don't want to ruin my credit report for another 6 years. I now have a Capital One cc and Next catalogue which I'm paying off in full every month so I'm building up my credit again.

What would be the most sensible thing to do in my position? By the way I'm not being chased for any of these debts. Should I just pay off the rest of my overdraft and continue building my credit rating? Will the CCJ and Activ Kapital come off my credit report this year? Should I attempt to contact my creditors even though I'm not sure of the details or will I screw myself over?

Sorry about all the questions!

Buzby

The time expired items on your credit report become invisible to a standard enquiry, but the data is still retained (so terms like 'drop off' are innacurate).

As to whether your old debts could be reactivated - it isn;t an exact science, it will be up to the IT systems of the creditor and their current policy as to whether fresh payments will mean your profile is updated. If they've been sold on then the new company cannot expect to have your permission to disclose to a CRA, so you should be safe on that.

Bearing in mind incompetence is often rampant, I'd let sleeping dogs lie and only deal with issues that are current and pressing.

velveteenwabbit

Thank you for your reply Buzby.

Do you think not paying will come back to bite me in the future? E.g. mortgage applications etc?

paulmapp8306

No - if there not showing on your CR, then they wont show in a mortgage search.

If the defaults that aer showing are nearing tht 6 year point, and your not being chased, Id leave them to drop off (as you put it) and concentrate on finishing paying off the overdraft.

i don tknow about CCJs - It may be worth paying that one off, but the default will drop off whether you pay or not.