Default from BT, the voyage begins!

Morrow1984

So I recently discovered (to my surprise) that my credit file contains a default from BT on an old address. A quick look at the date shows that they have continued to provide a service after cancellation and susequently defaulted the account when their letters to the old address went unanswered.

I specifically remember cancelling the account with them, in fact I also took up a new account with the at my new property. A service I was with until last year. As far as I'm concerned this is an error on there part and therefore so is the default. The default is very old and almost expired from my credit report, but its not really the point.

So I have sent BT a letter explaining clearly the situation and asking them to review it. Yesterday I received a condescending answer from their 'care team' advising me to take the matter up with Equifax and providing me with contact details for them. I'm sure Equifax will take my word for it!

I have replied today explaining to them that they have a responsibility under Data Protection to update my records (which they did not when i cancelled the service) and asking them to speak to a member of their compliance team before providing me with a more suitable response.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? What are my options? Should I just save myself valuable time and wait for it to expire? Prior experience with BT tells me I'm wasting my time but as a consumer I'm rather irate and want to see this corrected.

Gordon_Hose

I have been dealing with BT today regarding a late payment they placed on my file in May 2009, the same month I took service with them. They installed my telephone service on the 11th May 2009.

I spoke with a chap on 0800 800 150, who gave me the number for their Credit Reference team: 0800 917 0122 who agreed that it was entered in error and they will be removing it.

Before I called them I raised a dispute with Equifax and the BT advisor I spoke to required the reference number for that dispute so that he could speak with them to get it removed.

Looking around the internet it looks like BT have started reporting to Equifax and lots of people have had incorrect data shared with CRA's.

Morrow1984

Well as expected BT have simply ignored my request and passed me on to Equafax again. What courses of action are open to me here?

Morrow1984

Hello,

My account with BT is no business of Equifax so I'm not sure how you expect them to be able to help. As you seem to be struggling to understand the ground for my complaint i will break it down for you.

You provided me with a telephone line at *****. The account started on 03/03/2009.

I left this address in July 2009, at which point I contacted your company to cease my service and setup the same service at my new address. I received confirmation of this over the telephone. However it appears that despite this contact my service has not been terminated and has continued to accrue until finally defaulting in February of 2010. As I was no longer a resident at that address I did not receive any correspondence. Note that my new service was setup without any issues and I continued to be a BT customer until last year.

You have not cancelled, when requested, my telephone service or updated my contact information. This is a failure on your part to carry out my request.

1. Do you dispute that that it is your responsibility to cancel, when requested through the proper channels, a service that you provide?

2. Do you dispute that it is your duty under the data protection act to maintain up to date information about your customers?

Please be aware that i have no had to contact you 3 times in order to get this simple question answered. This is therefore the last time i will attempt to satisfy this issue before taking my complaint to the relevant regulatory body.

My last attempt at dealing with 'customer service'. :mad:

Gordon_Hose

Did you call the credit reference team of BT on the number I gave above?

Morrow1984

I'll give it a go and let you know how it went.