credit file item - can I remove by paying?

southamptonloves

Good morning all, hoping for some advice and it looks like this is the place to be!

After a really rough 2011/2012 I have spent 2013 clearing some debts and getting everything in order so that I can (hopefully) get a mortgage and move house in 2014. All is going to plan so far (ish...)

Having obtained a copy of my credit record from Equifax I noticed that there was a default on my account from Lloyds TSB (whom I no longer bank with) in January 2013. I have called them about this and have found out the following:

I stopped using this account just before I moved house in Nov 12 and switched all of my accounts over to Natwest. The particular account in question was a current account with Lloyds with no overdraft facility which i had used for a couple of years. When I stopped using the account (and moved house) there was a standing order still live on the account. They tried to send the money but the account was empty (as I'm not using it anymore!) so they charged me a £10 charge for a missed standing order payment. Next month the same thing happened again, they tried to send the payment, couldn't due to empty account and charged another £10. Third month the same again, so now my current account is £30 overdrawn (all charges!) and I had no idea as the statements/letters were being sent to my old address (my bad...)

Having checked my credit file I can see the default for £30, showing unpaid to this Lloyds current account. I called them and explained that I had no idea about this and they explained that they had closed the account and written off the £30 - hence why I was not chased. No worries at all with this - obviously I would rather not pay the charges if given the choice but would rather pay the £30 and not have this on my credit file.

Now my issue is that the credit file shows a defaulted current account for £30. Is there any way that I can just pay them the £30 and have this removed?? This happened in January so nearly a year ago now...

Any advise much appreciated.

~Beanie~

Even if you pay the £30, you will be incredibly unlikely to get the default removed as it seems that it was applied correctly.

myright

You can get it satisfied.

southamptonloves

myright wrote: »

You can get it satisfied.

Thanks myright, I assume I do this by contacting Lloyds not equifax? Is there a normal way to arrange this? A letter perhaps?

marty2be2000

You can get it satisfied by contacting Lloyds and paying the outstanding amount, that will automatically mark it as satisfied.

The default will however still remain on your files for six years, but look slightly better as the debt has been paid.

rizla_king

Always worth trying to negotiate. If it doesn't work you've lost nothing.

simeyb

When you switched from Lloyds (rubbish bank) to NatWest (another rubbish bank) it was, I'm afraid, your responsibility and not anyone else's to make sure that you moved all your SO's, DD's etc and any continuous authorisations were cancelled. You didn't and therefore wonder why they defaulted you? They would have written to you too telling you about the impending charges on the account - they have to - if they didn't then maybe you could have a go at them - but otherwise you have screwed up your credit file for the sake of a £30 charge they arent even worried about collecting.

bengal-stripe

simeyb wrote: »

They would have written to you too telling you about the impending charges on the account - they have to - if they didn't then maybe you could have a go at them -

They obviously did, but OP failed to supply a current address or have his mail redirected. The beneficiary of the failed DD would have equally tried to contact the OP. They might have a few charges as well.

OP sort it out, you do not want another default!

southamptonloves wrote: »

I stopped using this account just before I moved house in Nov 12 and switched all of my accounts over to Natwest.....now my current account is £30 overdrawn (all charges!) and I had no idea as the statements/letters were being sent to my old address (my bad...)