Will a Default Be Removed?

anotheruser

I mistakenly didn't pay for a final bill.

Years later I have found a default on my credit file. A few days ago I had a creditors letter saying they have been instructed to recover payment. So I paid, which was fine. I guess there will be a notice of correction automatically?

I checked using Equifax (free for a month), but I want to wait until I am ready to buy a house to take Experian up on their 30 free trial.

Any thoughts?

DCFC79

anotheruser wrote: »

I mistakenly didn't pay for a final bill.

Years later I have found a default on my credit file. A few days ago I had a creditors letter saying they have been instructed to recover payment. So I paid, which was fine. I guess there will be a notice of correction automatically?

I checked using Equifax (free for a month), but I want to wait until I am ready to buy a house to take Experian up on their 30 free trial.

Any thoughts?

Cant see it being removed but a notice of correction mighgt be added.

Thrugelmir

anotheruser wrote: »

I mistakenly didn't pay for a final bill.

What's the inaccuracy on your file? The bill was unpaid.

fermi

anotheruser wrote: »

Years later I have found a default on my credit file. A few days ago I had a creditors letter saying they have been instructed to recover payment. So I paid, which was fine. I guess there will be a notice of correction automatically?

It should be marked as settled/satisfied once paid. If you want to add a factual NOC, then you will need to do that yourself with Equifax subject to the conditions below.

https://www.econsumer.equifax.co.uk/consumer/uk/sitepage.ehtml?forward=gb_cpo_ncsample

A Notice of Correction is a piece of text, written by you, that you can request to have added to your Credit File.

You may wish to do this if there is an item of information on your Credit File, which is factually correct, but you believe it creates a misleading impression.

Your Notice of Correction should give a clear and accurate explanation of why you consider a piece of data to be incorrect or misleading. Your Notice of Correction text must not be longer than 200 words. You can prepare this text yourself or with the help of, for example, a Citizens Advice Bureau, a Consumer Advice Centre, or a Solicitor. Please note that the Notice of Correction should not be, defamatory (affecting someone's good name or reputation), frivolous or scandalous, or for any other reason unsuitable for publication.

ALIBOBSY

They should now mark the account as satisfied and fully paid. But they don't have to remove the default. When negotiating paying the account you could have included as part of your agreement with the debt collectors that you would pay in full providing they removed the default. Many will accept this, but once paid they are unlikely to agree.

You can challenged defaults and argue various positions including if the default was issued correctly or if you ever received it. But tbh these arguments seem to drag on and end up being referred to various ombudsman, have no guarantee of success and after a few years the default will have probably expired anyway.

When was the default? As soon as it reaches 6 years the default should drop off your file anyway. You could also add a "notice of correction" to your credit file. Something along the lines of say "I moved address and was unaware a final bill existed, as soon as I was aware I paid it".

Ali x

NB cross posted about the NOC some peeps can type a lot faster than me lol.

Thrugelmir

ALIBOBSY wrote: »

"I moved address and was unaware a final bill existed, as soon as I was aware I paid it".

This could be interpreted in a totally different way. Adds nothing of value.

matttye

Thrugelmir wrote: »

This could be interpreted in a totally different way. Adds nothing of value.

Depends on how you look at it.

Moving house and forgetting to update a creditor (a temporary lack of concentration) vs. receiving and wilfully ignoring bills (an ongoing lack of respect/responsibility).

I know which one I think is the lesser of two evils!

Thrugelmir

matttye wrote: »

I know which one I think is the lesser of two evils!

A business mind will think cynically.

Dunsmorem

I am also looking for some advice and would appreciate anything people can offer.

I am in the process of buying my first home and have had an aip agreed. I have recently been using experian to check my credit which comes up as good with them. However, yesterday out of curiosity I decided to look on equifax and it showed a defaulted account to aktiv kapital. Turns put it refers to a debt I cleared with them in feb 2009. They advised me that this debt is cleared but this isn't showed on my equifax account. Infact the same month they issued the default I have paid. I have never been served with a default notice or any other documentation referring to a default. The amount still on file is much higher that what I paid off. Therefor I am unsure whether this has been going up.

They have obviously been incompetent and not updated records of the settlement of the account. Is there anything I can do to get this removed? Will this show up when I go through the full mortgage application or will I be ok as the mortgage company use experian where the default does not show.

anotheruser

The default was for 2010.

I've applied for credit cards and bank accounts, plus two other rent houses of which nobody queried anything although I don't know when the default was put there.

I also won't be applying for a mortgage for at least 3 years from now, so if it does drop off the file then it won't matter anyway.

ALIBOBSY

Dunsmorem wrote: »

I am also looking for some advice and would appreciate anything people can offer.

I am in the process of buying my first home and have had an aip agreed. I have recently been using experian to check my credit which comes up as good with them. However, yesterday out of curiosity I decided to look on equifax and it showed a defaulted account to aktiv kapital. Turns put it refers to a debt I cleared with them in feb 2009. They advised me that this debt is cleared but this isn't showed on my equifax account. Infact the same month they issued the default I have paid. I have never been served with a default notice or any other documentation referring to a default. The amount still on file is much higher that what I paid off. Therefor I am unsure whether this has been going up.

They have obviously been incompetent and not updated records of the settlement of the account. Is there anything I can do to get this removed? Will this show up when I go through the full mortgage application or will I be ok as the mortgage company use experian where the default does not show.

Do you know what the debt was originally and roughly when the default was? If you are sure the original default was over 6 years ago it will be worth raising a complaint with Experian as they can't reserve the default. But I wouldn't poke the bear so to speak unless you kept WRITTEN proof that you paid it off and the settlement was accepted in "full and final" settlement.

Ali x