default removal and improving credit report

Swhite1991_2

hello all im new to this site and thought i would share my journey on improving my credit report and removing some of my defaults

ive been trying to improve the look of my report since January 2014. Basic story is I had money troubles back in 2010/2011 due to losing my job and unable to find further work which caused me to default on 9 accounts and inccur 1 CCJ. I have since turned over a new leaf and am trying to sort the mess i got into a few years ago with a goal of applying for my first mortgage in 3-5 years time for me and my 2 children.

before January 2014 i had not applied for any credit for 2 years as i knew i wasnt gonna be touched with a vary large barge pole so i didnt bother even looking at my report as i was too scared to see the damage that had been caused a few years ago. But this year i manged to pluck up the courage to log back in to experian to find my credit score was 250 and i had 9 defaults and 1 CCJ registered between 2010-2011. But what i also didnt expect to find was 2 credit accounts with british gas (which i closed and switch suppliers last october 2013) to be still open and £600 in arrears with a total of 8 late payment marks (4 on each), i rang BG up who stated that they sent me a final bill back in December 2013, which i never recieved and i havent moved or anything, which hadnt been paid! as far as i knew i paid them what i owed when i closed the account back in october 2013 and i didnt hear from them since! BG said they would look into it and let me know what would be happening, 1 week later i recieved a DCA letter from clarity! i rang them up told them the story and the told me to go back to BG, after 2 months of going back and forward to DCA and BG plus i had to write a very stern letter to the CEO of BG i got the accounts cleared and only 4 of the late payment marks removed and the accounts closed.
I also had 3 defaults on my credit report from BG back in 2010 which after another letter sent to the CEO of BG they were taken off my credit report after a week.
Another of my defaults was from santander for £332, i remember opening the account back in 2009 but i dont recall ever using it. so i rang santander who told me that the account went over drawn by £32 and the remaining £300 was bank charges, she told me if i paid the £32 then the £300 bank charges would be wiped and the default would be removed within 48hours, in which i paid £32 and the default was removed the next day!
i had 4 defaults removed in a week but that didnt improve my score at all!
i am currently in contact with a senior customer relations officer for lowell who is looking to get 3 defaults removed which they issued back in 2010. he has already told me that 2 of the defaults were wrongly added (due to not sending me the normal paperwork) and hes waiting for a reply from vodafone to determine if the 3rd will be removed aswell. he is suppose to be ringing me in an hour with an update on it.
in regards to the CCJ, i have contacted Northampton courts and they told me i owed £453 to united utilities (water company) from a previous address. i did not get any court papers regarding this debt as i moved out the property 6 months before the ccj was issued and i have proof of this. I have spoken to the CEO od united utilities who has stated that if i pay what i owe i can apply to have the ccj set aside and united utilities will NOT contest it. I am currently saving the money to do this within the next month or so.

in relation to improving my credit report in the mean time, i have opened a credit card with vanquis (only one who would accept me with such bad history) and i have a limit of £250 which i spend £50 a month and pay off in full, im due a credit limit increase on my next statement in may.
i have a virgin media account that has been running for 4 years with no late payments
my bank account has been open for 8 years with a few late payments from 2010/2011
ive got a cashbuilder loan which has been open for 2 months

all these should help i hope after having them open for a while

James_Robertson

Hi,

1.
Why not avoid British Gas and get supplied by SSE or other company that does not report ongoing status of energy accounts to CRA's

British Gas are the worst, it is like having a credit card, and the payments show up if you are behind in the same way as credit cards.
I dont think its fair, but you have a choice.

If things were to go belly-up, then they may put some kind of report on.

It would make me inclined to switch.!!!

2. I may be a bit of a cynic, but it seems that there is not much of a difference between a "defaulted account" as per the strict definition of no payments for 6 months etc.../ and the CCJ judgement on the credit file
They both affect it in a similar way for a similar period.

Good luck
jamie

Vodafone

Hi Swhite1991,

If you need any further help with the Vodafone side of things, could you email me with your details via the link in our profile here?

All you need to do is copy and paste the link into your web browser and it'll take you to the Contact us form on our website. To make sure it reaches me, quote the code WRT135 - MSE in the subject line.

Once sent, you'll receive an automated reply with a reference number. Post back with this and I’ll check I've received it.

Kind regards,

Lee

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