MBNA Credit card/credit ruiners

jevban

I took out an Amazon credit card in September last year and its apparently made the payment of choice by Amazon, automatically. Thicko that I am, I didn't realise that and thought my debit card, which was always my preferred payment method, was the linked payment account. Anyhow, it seems I bought an item on Amazon for the princely sum of £12.61 in May. Now the MBNA account is internet only, no paper statements. The problem starts when I was burgled last October and every credit and debit card I had was stolen. Clear forgot about the MBNA thing as I have used it on 2 occasion only, the second being in May when I made the purchase on Amazon. It gets better, as in January, we changed ISP from Virgin media to Sky, so, it transpires the statements for MBNA asking for payment of the £12.61, were going to a dead email address I haven't accessed and can't remember the password to. Anyway, last night, I got my old laptop out to clean it up, having only used my smartphone for internet use for the last year, and opened up my old Hotmail account that has previously been linked to my old Virgin account. I found an email dated yesterday timed at 14.21, saying I needed to pay £25 plus coppers for this debt. Didn't recognise or remember the details, ie Bank of America, so rang the company to discuss. Lo and behold, they say they sent me statements to virgin media in June and July and also the email I saw yesterday. They have placed markers on my credit file. Now I am an avid moneysaver and have repaid my mortgage 5 years early, cleared all my debts, pay everything early/settle in full, and have admittedly, missed this and its my mistake...but , I've rejoined Experian (cost £14.99 as I was previously a member when chasing my debts down), and Equifax. This flaming error, has made my credit report look like I'm 'in arrears'...would any sane person deliberately spoil their credit rating for £12.61 when they've paid thousands of pounds of debt off????MBNA spoke to me like I owed them £12000....no help, paid a total of £37 plus interest as they said I'd missed Augusts deadline too, a date set at 4/8...told them they only sent the email at 14.21 yesterday asking for £25. All this just reminds me why I hate credit, credit card companies, and now Amazon, who when I rang to speak to them, were also 'so what do you want us to do?'...I have spent literally thousands of pounds with Amazon...well no more..no more credit cards...all cut up. I asked if they could note to Equifax/Experian that I had paid up in full plus penalties as soon as I realised I owed the debt. Got a big fat NO from them. By the way, got in touch with virgin to reaccess my account. No statements showing on their requesting money for my debt from MBNA. Rant over. Thanks for reading.

Maestro.

To be fair (and it's very rare for me to stand up for a financial institution) the mistake was yours and only yours. If you are an avid moneysaver I don't quite know how you could forget about your credit cards and money owed.

Also when you buy anything from Amazon it asks you to confirm a payment method even if it's the sole existing one.

MoneySaverLog

If you paid it back in full now and closed the card down they should mark it as settled. You could add a notice of correction to the file explaining your side of the story.

Experian_company_representative

Might be better credit-rating wise to pay off the arrears and then keep the card open for one year. Once you close it down the record is frozen and kept on your report for six years. Looks better I think to keep the account open and updating each month so that the previous late payments drop off the immediate radar.

James

izools

Agreed. Pay the arrears off double quick before the account defaults.

Raise a formal complaint with MBNA re: the fact they didn't post you any arrears notices as per their obligations and advise that in settlement you require the arrears expunged from your credit file. Advise you will escalate to the FOS if they don't.

If they won't play ball, as James Jones says its better to keep the account open for a year with clean payment history before closing it.

But make sure all of your contact details with MBNA are up to date! And maybe revert to paper billing

jevban

Thanks for the replies. I fully accept responsibility and have maybe been a little distracted, as on top of all the above I have had my daughter in long term intensive care after a fire and relied solely on my mobile for internet checking of things...what has upset me is the statement that all communications are via internet only, but since I knee jerked and closed the account on paying the total bill, MBNA/Amazon have written to me on, ON PAPER, asking me to reconsider, but in the case I don't, and proceed to close down the account, I am to ensure a number of things...ie cut the card up, close down all associated payments ie to magazine subscriptions etc etc...my beef is why , when I am clearly not a problematic payer, could they not have sent me a paper request..again, I am taking responsibility for this, but have assiduously tried to get debt free, worked like mad at this and then, through no ones fault but mine, completely missed this account. No one can tell me what I bought from Amazon, but I can only assume I purchased a book for my Kindle either on my smartphone or from my 3G Kindle..

Jan

jevban

Experian_company_representative wrote: »

Might be better credit-rating wise to pay off the arrears and then keep the card open for one year. Once you close it down the record is frozen and kept on your report for six years. Looks better I think to keep the account open and updating each month so that the previous late payments drop off the immediate radar.

James

Hi James, I'm afraid I knee jerked when I paid the amount if full and closed it down with immediate effect. I rang Experian and then Equifax, but didn't get the advice you have offered, but it would have been too late anyhow. I have written to Equifax and put a NOC on my account there, but still waiting for Experian to do the same on that record. I have just sent another reminder to Customer Services to ask when are they likely to put this on for me as my account with Experian is costing me £14.99 per month. As I was previously a customer, this money has gone from my account already.

Jan

izools

It still couldn't hurt writing to MBNA requesting removal of the arrears from your credit file on the basis they failed to fulfill their obligation to notify you of amounts due / overdue / in arrears in an effective manner, pointing out that if they had the balance due would have been paid long ago.

jevban

izools wrote: »

It still couldn't hurt writing to MBNA requesting removal of the arrears from your credit file on the basis they failed to fulfill their obligation to notify you of amounts due / overdue / in arrears in an effective manner, pointing out that if they had the balance due would have been paid long ago.

Hi Izools

I have done just that after reading your last posting...have sent a formal complaint/explanation. As I've said, I take responsibility for the debt and for not keeping abreast of it, but I have worked long and hard to get a good credit status and am angry with myself firstly, and the company secondly for letting this get to this stage.

Jan