Backdating the date of a default?

Cocorico123 · 31 August 2012 at 3:15PM

I entered into a DMP in June 2005 but Natwest did not apply a default to my account until January 2008. I finished my DMP earlier this year and the other default I incurred during my DMP will drop off my account later this year. Obviously, I will still have the Natwest default on my credit file for another year and a half or so.

Has anyone had any success with asking a bank to move the date of a default - I technically broke the terms of their agreement in 2005 and think it was a little unfair of them to wait two and half years before they applied the default.

I don't even know if this is possible, if anyone has any experience of this, I'd be very interested to hear about it.

jessie4109 · 31 August 2012 at 3:36PM

have you put an official complaint into Natwest?

Cocorico123 · 31 August 2012 at 3:43PM

Not yet, wanted to see if anyone had had any success with this sort of thing first.

shedhead55 · 31 August 2012 at 4:08PM

The ICO guide on defaults states that any default should normally be applied within 6 months of the breakdown of the agreement.

http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/sector_guides/finance.aspx

You should quote this in your complaint to the bank and complain to the ICO if the bank does not cooperate.

leftbehind · 31 August 2012 at 4:17PM

Hi,

As Shedhead55 says, use the information available on the ICO website.

I have recently managed to get Lloyds and Natwest to change the date of defaults and it was no trouble at all, I only had to send one letter off. Lloyds even gave me a cheque for £25, for my time taken to raise the issue.

Hope this helps

Cocorico123 · 31 August 2012 at 4:22PM

Thanks both, I will write to them and see what they say.

Cocorico123 · 23 October 2012 at 2:11PM

Hi All

Just wanted to update you all on this. I wrote to Natwest and they have just replied saying that they agree that the default should have been applied to my account in 2005 rather than 2008. They are now going to remove the whole record from my credit record. And, to top it off, they enclosed a £50 cheque to compensate me for the inconvenience this has caused me.

I am now well on the way to re-building my credit score - thanks for all of the advice!