O2 refusing to remove a settled default

adamck

Hi Guys.
My partner had a default from 3 years ago with O2 for £170 which was due to travelling abroad and not being able to transfer money to her UK account.
The Default was settled and sorted in 2010 with 1 single payment, but the Default will remain on her account until 2016.
We contact O2 to see if they would remove the Default to allow us to get our mortgage.

O2 have responded twice basically saying they 'don't care' and are no willing to show us any compassion or gesture of good will.

I’m sorry but the issue isn’t about compassion or ‘goodwill’. We have an obligation to load an accurate record of your payments to the credit reference agencies as per the Information Commissioners guidelines. I can’t comment on other cases as they all differ, but if the default is the result of proven O2 error then we wil remove it. This is not the case here. We cannot remove a correctly loaded default as this would mean falsifying your payment history which I cannot do. As the legal entity on the account it is your responsibility to ensure that payments are made on time within the terms of your contract.

Am i the only one that feels this is unfair as its ruining peoples lives, over a styled debt of <£180...

This default has a good chance to stopping our mortgage from being approved.
We are honest hard working individuals that have saved for several years to afford a house.
Other than this issue we have squeaky clean credit records.

I am disgusted at the level of customer service O2 are giving here, other people have had defaults removed as gestures of good will but O2 don't seem to want to budge.

I am not going to sit back for another 3 years waiting for his to 'drop off' the credit report so we can buy a house.

Who can i take this too? Ombudsman? Watchdog? Papers?

I understand i can go and see a broker, but as we need 95% and don't want to pay >5% with a settled default i don't think ill have much luck.

O2 cannot get away with this :mad:

antrobus

I’m sorry but the issue isn’t about compassion or ‘goodwill’. We have an obligation to load an accurate record of your payments to the credit reference agencies as per the Information Commissioners guidelines. I can’t comment on other cases as they all differ, but if the default is the result of proven O2 error then we wil remove it. This is not the case here. We cannot remove a correctly loaded default as this would mean falsifying your payment history which I cannot do. As the legal entity on the account it is your responsibility to ensure that payments are made on time within the terms of your contract.

I was going to write something to explain what was going on, and then realised that O2 had already done so.

adamck

I know whats going on, and i know they are 'within their rights' to do what they are doing.

But as a general show of good customer care and compassion for peoples lives, i think it should be removed now that the debt is settled.

Do you think its fair that a very small settled debt from a bloody mobile phone should hinder your life for 6 years and prevent you from purchasing a house.

The whole system is a sham.

I will be taking this further, i have 3 years to waste...

adamck

I have now asked for a copy of all letters relating to the debt and a copy of my 'default notice' that they are legally obliged to provide me with.

If they don't have that and didn't send me it, then i will have some grounds to remove it.

Thrugelmir

adamck wrote: »

Do you think its fair that a very small settled debt from a bloody mobile phone should hinder your life for 6 years and prevent you from purchasing a house.

It's the principle that matters not the size of the debt. If everyone took your attitude no bills would get paid on time. Why would people bother as there's no penalty to pay. There's no excuse not to stay in contact in these days of the internet, nor to pay a bill by direct debit. Ultimately people have to accept personal responsibility for their own affairs.

adamck

So in my position, you would be quite happy about having to wait 3 years to get your mortgage due to a very very small default that is settled and could quite easily be removed by O2.

As i said... i now have 3 years to keep messaging them, i have nothing better to do now

Tixy

As phone contracts are not covered by the consumer credit act they are not actually legally obliged to send out a default notice prior to registering a default.

It is disappointing for your partner/you that they won't agree to remove the default but not that surprising.

But it is likely you will be able to get a mortgage at some point before the default is removed. It may be hard whilst it is relatively new but likely you may be able to find a lender as it gets older and, presumably, as you manage to save a larger deposit for a house.

DCFC79

adamck wrote: »

So in my position, you would be quite happy about having to wait 3 years to get your mortgage due to a very very small default that is settled and could quite easily be removed by O2.

As i said... i now have 3 years to keep messaging them, i have nothing better to do now

If it were me Id ask if it could be removed and if not then Id suck it up and just live with it but be extra careful to not create any problems in the future eg anymore defaults.

adamck wrote: »

Am i the only one that feels this is unfair as its ruining peoples lives, over a styled debt of <£180...

Oh please, ruining peoples lives it isnt.

Naf

adamck wrote: »

So in my position, you would be quite happy about having to wait 3 years to get your mortgage due to a very very small default that is settled and could quite easily be removed by O2.

As O2 have already pointed out to you; to remove it would require them to lie to the credit reference agency and say that it was their error.
I have defaults that I have been waiting for nearly 6 years to be removed; one of them to o2 for only £70-odd; its not about whether I'm happy to - its a simple fact that I do have to.

antrobus

adamck wrote: »

....The whole system is a sham.
........

As O2 explained it:

We cannot remove a correctly loaded default as this would mean falsifying your payment history which I cannot do

You're the one asking O2 to lie. That would make it all a sham.

adamck

I wasn't on about O2 not lying being a sham.
Im on about the system of not being able to get a mortgage due to a very minor settled default on one of the 2 applicants files.

If the default was for £1 and settled but cost you to lose out on a mortgage as you where too risky to lend too... thats a sham!

Once the debt is settled i don't see why is should prevent you from lending money for 6 years!

If it was a credit card or loan for ££££'s that wasn't paid or was outstanding... i could understand it making a difference.

I will just have to keep emailing them, got to be worth a try.

Others have had defaults removed by O2 in the same situation, so they can and do remove defaults for people, even if the default was genuine.