Trying to get Natwest Default removed.

AlexTa

Hello all

I'm desperately trying to get a default removed from my credit rating. I hope you can help.

I recently applied for a Career Development Loan with Barleys to help fund an MA course that I'm due to start at the start of October. Unfortunately I was refused credit due to a default setting on my credit rating that I was unaware of until I downloaded my statuary report. The knock on effect of not getting the loan has thrown my MA into doubt as I can't afford the tuition fees without it. It's important to note that during my time as a student I was quite reckless with payments into the account, and had set up up two payment plans, one of which I fail and the other I believed I had completed.

After becoming aware of the default I phoned Natwest immediately to find out exactly what the default was there for. It transpires that there was an outstanding balance on my Student Current Account, which came as a shock as I thought I'd paid the account off roughly two years ago. I explained this to them, told them I didn't received any notifications of the outstanding balance or default warnings and paid the £372 that they said that owed them in full. I asked for the default to be removed, which they wouldn't do. They told methey had tried to contact me about the money I owed and that sold to debt collectors. I moved a number of times within quick succession and didn't update my account details, so I never received the notice. When I politely contested the setting and explained about not knowing about the outs being applied to my account and feeling unfairly treated I was transferred to complaints department and had to explain the situation to them.

I spoke with several members of staff (including a manager) in the complaints department about trying to have the default setting removed but no action was taken. I decided to write a senior member of staff at the Birmingham collections department explaining what had happened and the effect it was having on me, but didn't get a reply. I then wrote to Stephen Hester instead and was contacted by a member of his time within a day of him receiving the letter. He investigated the case, but unfortunately still wouldn't remove the default setting, he did however break down my account history and explained why he didn't deem the removal of the default fit.

In his investigation he found that I had failed twice to meet the payment plan, so between July 2008 - July 2011 the collections team tried to contact me on five separate occasions as a result of the account becoming dormant. On fifth occasion of not receiving a response they hired the services of three different debt recovery agents over a period of two years in an effort to find me. As their attempts at finding me failed, a default was set into place on 31 March 2012.

The letter is slightly confusing when he broke down the second payment plan as he stated that I had arranged to to pay back the outstanding balance over 5 months, making payments of £23. This obviously amounts to only £115, so I've been charged £257 extra, that I assume is payment for the debt collectors.

As I've already mentioned, I thought I'd paid this account off. I'm shocked that my payments of £23 weren't paid at the time, I'm trying to find out if there was a problem with my debit card in my separate account that would have stopped this from going through. It's also important to mentioned again that I didn't receive any of the attempts of contact from Natwest or the three debt collection agents as I'd moved from the addresses that they had on file.

It is of the utmost importance for me to remove the default setting is possible. Any advice in how to progress would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

AT

matttye

Unless you have something in writing saying that the account was settled, or a statement saying the account had a zero balance, you won't get it removed.

Unfortunately simply saying you thought the account was settled is not enough.

You should however be able to argue that the default should be backdated - to 6 months after you last made a payment.

Sorry it's not the answer you were hoping for, but you're hoping for the impossible. You better start thinking of another plan

Thomas_The_Tank_Top

AlexTa wrote: »

Hello all

I'm desperately trying to get a default removed from my credit rating. I hope you can help.

I recently applied for a Career Development Loan with Barleys to help fund an MA course that I'm due to start at the start of October. Unfortunately I was refused credit due to a default setting on my credit rating that I was unaware of until I downloaded my statuary report. The knock on effect of not getting the loan has thrown my MA into doubt as I can't afford the tuition fees without it. It's important to note that during my time as a student I was quite reckless with payments into the account, and had set up up two payment plans, one of which I fail and the other I believed I had completed.

After becoming aware of the default I phoned Natwest immediately to find out exactly what the default was there for. It transpires that there was an outstanding balance on my Student Current Account, which came as a shock as I thought I'd paid the account off roughly two years ago. I explained this to them, told them I didn't received any notifications of the outstanding balance or default warnings and paid the £372 that they said that owed them in full. I asked for the default to be removed, which they wouldn't do. They told methey had tried to contact me about the money I owed and that sold to debt collectors. I moved a number of times within quick succession and didn't update my account details, so I never received the notice. When I politely contested the setting and explained about not knowing about the outs being applied to my account and feeling unfairly treated I was transferred to complaints department and had to explain the situation to them.

I spoke with several members of staff (including a manager) in the complaints department about trying to have the default setting removed but no action was taken. I decided to write a senior member of staff at the Birmingham collections department explaining what had happened and the effect it was having on me, but didn't get a reply. I then wrote to Stephen Hester instead and was contacted by a member of his time within a day of him receiving the letter. He investigated the case, but unfortunately still wouldn't remove the default setting, he did however break down my account history and explained why he didn't deem the removal of the default fit.

In his investigation he found that I had failed twice to meet the payment plan, so between July 2008 - July 2011 the collections team tried to contact me on five separate occasions as a result of the account becoming dormant. On fifth occasion of not receiving a response they hired the services of three different debt recovery agents over a period of two years in an effort to find me. As their attempts at finding me failed, a default was set into place on 31 March 2012.

The letter is slightly confusing when he broke down the second payment plan as he stated that I had arranged to to pay back the outstanding balance over 5 months, making payments of £23. This obviously amounts to only £115, so I've been charged £257 extra, that I assume is payment for the debt collectors.

As I've already mentioned, I thought I'd paid this account off. I'm shocked that my payments of £23 weren't paid at the time, I'm trying to find out if there was a problem with my debit card in my separate account that would have stopped this from going through. It's also important to mentioned again that I didn't receive any of the attempts of contact from Natwest or the three debt collection agents as I'd moved from the addresses that they had on file.

It is of the utmost importance for me to remove the default setting is possible. Any advice in how to progress would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

AT

Have you sent NatWest the proof that you informed them of your change of address during your bout of "quick succession [STRIKE]payment dodging[/STRIKE] moves"?

You defaulted. Therefore you now suffer the consequences of your actions.

Sorry if that isn't what you want to hear.