Westcott, default on credit rating, help?!

berrybum

Hello,

This is quite a long story so I'll try and condense it!

* I took out a contract with BT for phone an internet
* I left the contract early due to relocation into a shared house, in the midst of the move I completely forgot about the final bill (left in Aug 2010)
* I received a phone call from Westcott who were trying to recover the debt in Nov 2010. I asked for a copy of the bill to be sent to my parents house and then my father paid it for me (I was a skint student at the time). The bill was for £237.98, and my dad confirmed at the time with BT whether he should pay BT or Westcott, BT said to pay Westcott and my dad confirmed that £237.98 was the total amount which was to be paid. He paid this at the end of November 2010.

Then I heard nothing (we'd paid the amount so assumed this was finished with).

*November 2013 (THREE YEARS later) I begin to receive letters from Past Due chasing for £74.38 relating to my BT account at the previous address.
*After months of going backwards and forwards between BT and Past Due I eventually find out that there was a balance on my account of £59.50.
*BT told me that they could see a payment on account in November 2010 of £178.48 (not the £237.98 I actually paid). I disputed this and sent in proof of the payment.
*I then did a credit check and can see that BT placed a default on my account in December 2010 after I paid Westcott for £59.50
*I called BT and they said that what has probably happened is that Westcott charge a fee so I should have paid £237.98 + £59.50. and Westcott had only transfered £178.48 to BT (£237.98-£59.50)
*I disputed this and said my father paid what he was told to pay and at no point was he ever told to pay an additional amount, furthermore I was never contacted to pay this additional amount after we paid £237.98.

Hopefully that makes sense?!

Anyway BT are saying that the default is correct on my credit rating and won't remove it. I think this is unfair as I was never told by Westcott to pay any additional amount and paid what they told me to in full a month before they placed the default on my account.

I'm now in a position that I'm looking into buying a house and really don't want this on my record, is there anything I can go? BT have said that they've written off the debt but that it won't change my credit report.

Any advice?

Thanks in advance!
Holly

happy_bunny_2

Complain, in writing if you haven't already.

If they reject it, which they will, refer to the the Ombudsman. FOS I presume.

Might be worth giving the FOS a call to see if they can help now.
http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

McKneff

Dig your heals in, virtually exactly the same thing happened to my daughter, eventually, without going ot the ombudsman, default was wiped and she received £100 plus as compensation. All for them giving her the correct amount to pay to clear an account.


Let us know how you get on, it always helps others.