£4 Arrears with Very.co.uk

Chalky87

Hello all,

I check my credit report on a regular basis (using Noddle), and noticed arreas against my very.co.uk account. I went in to my Very account, and immediately paid off the debt (£4). It was for a delivery charge, which I had expected would just be debited from my account (they have my bank details!). I missed the payment date by a month, althought I wasn't sent a reminder. And I used the 'buy now pay in 12 months' offer, which I assumed would apply to the delivery charge as well...unfortunately not.

I contacted Very to see if they could offer some sort of goodwill gesture to take the 'mark' off my account and assumed they may do this with such a small amount. They responded that they cannot, and suggested sending a 'note of correction'.

My question is will this have any great impact on my credit rating? And can I pursue this any further to ask Very to remove the notice from my credit record?

Thanks very much

Chalky

JKSandy

If you don't have a direct debit set up they won't take a payment from a registered card as it would be unauthorised even if money is owed.

Your best best is to write or email their customer care team to see if they will remove as a goodwill gesture.

mike0090

Exact same thing happened to my girlfriend, bought an item on bnpl 2 months later had a letter arrive advising here she had a missed payment on her account. She paid this immediately and they told her this would not show up on her credit report. 3 months later she's refused credit card due to credit file, she checked this and only negative issue with her report was missed payment to very! She emailed them over 6 times in 12 weeks eventually they got back to her and refused to remove it from her file as they can't legally apparently. She's now in the process of appealing this through the financial ombudsman. Have to say customer service at very we're shocking completely ignoring her emails and calls would certainly not use them again.

GingerBob_3

The underlying problem is that cavalier companies like Very are permitted to report something which is pretty much a trivial oversight to organisations (CRAs) which can wreck your ability to obtain credit. The whole CRA industry is not fit for purpose.

SuperHan

GingerBob wrote: »

The underlying problem is that cavalier companies like Very are permitted to report something which is pretty much a trivial oversight to organisations (CRAs) which can wreck your ability to obtain credit. The whole CRA industry is not fit for purpose.

But if you're the sort of person to make trivial oversights, then other companies should have some awareness of this before lending you money. You may 'forget' to pay them more substantial sums, they should be able to enter in to that transaction.

I've never made an error like that, as I am vigilant not to, and so my credit rating reflects this. If I do ever make such a mistake, I will know it's my fault and so I wouldn't blame Very for reporting if it's factual. It just reflects that I've been sloppy.

GingerBob_3

SuperHan wrote: »

But if you're the sort of person to make trivial oversights, then other companies should have some awareness of this before lending you money. You may 'forget' to pay them more substantial sums, they should be able to enter in to that transaction.

I've never made an error like that, as I am vigilant not to, and so my credit rating reflects this. If I do ever make such a mistake, I will know it's my fault and so I wouldn't blame Very for reporting if it's factual. It just reflects that I've been sloppy.

Another example of perfection. For some reason that I've yet to work out, this board is full of such people.

mike0090

SuperHan wrote: »

But if you're the sort of person to make trivial oversights, then other companies should have some awareness of this before lending you money. You may 'forget' to pay them more substantial sums, they should be able to enter in to that transaction.

I've never made an error like that, as I am vigilant not to, and so my credit rating reflects this. If I do ever make such a mistake, I will know it's my fault and so I wouldn't blame Very for reporting if it's factual. It just reflects that I've been sloppy.

To be fair purchasing an item through very.co.uk on bnpl they do not make it clear or ask for delivery charge at point of purchase. This seems to be a common problem with very, why they don't just ask for payment of delivery charge at purchase or it is part of the bnpl is beyond me.

SnowTiger

mike0090 wrote: »

To be fair purchasing an item through very.co.uk on bnpl they do not make it clear or ask for delivery charge at point of purchase. This seems to be a common problem with very, why they don't just ask for payment of delivery charge at purchase or it is part of the bnpl is beyond me.

That's because your girlfriend made the purchase using her Very credit account. Therefore, the price of the item and delivery charge was added to her credit account. Only the item, and not the delivery charge, is on BNPL.

While we're being fair: to be fair the charge will have been listed on her statement. Two or three statements I guess in her case.

I must admit I was nearly caught out with this myself. Fortunately, I have a Direct Debit in place which mopped it up.

I wouldn't blame Very because your girlfriend has been refused credit elsewhere. AFAIK credit provides have access to payment details, so the scale of the infraction would have been obvious.

SuperHan

Not perfect, but if I make a mistake I hold my own hands up to it, and I take any consequences.

I've kicked myself over a few things I've done, but I wouldn't complain about anybody who held it over me.

I just don't get people who make an error and then it's the company's fault, when everything the company has done is factual and in line with terms and conditions that they signed up to.

GingerBob_3

SuperHan wrote: »

Not perfect, but if I make a mistake I hold my own hands up to it, and I take any consequences.

I've kicked myself over a few things I've done, but I wouldn't complain about anybody who held it over me.

I just don't get people who make an error and then it's the company's fault, when everything the company has done is factual and in line with terms and conditions that they signed up to.

'Making an error', and that is the problem. Credit reports don't differentiate between an error/mistake/oversight and a genuine failure to honour a debt due to an inability or refusal to do so. Hence my argument that - in this respect at any rate - they are not fit for purpose. Now off the top of my head I don't know how they could be made fit for purpose, and I get the impression that readers here are not inclined to even think about it; because the majority here believe the CRAs and their "products" are fit for purpose.

Chalky87

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate you coming back to me. I'm still in the process of arguing with Very.co.uk regarding this issue. I've moved from 5/5 credit rating to 2/5 due to this single issue (for £4).

And it's interesting that Very haven't been so quick as to update the file is now no longer in arrears. So my credit file is now showing that I'm still in arrears (I'm not), and that it has been that way for three months.

I received no statement from Very.co.uk or notificationt that I needed to pay. Nor was it stated explicitly that payment of the delivery charge would be due immediately. As the earlier poster said if it's not included then either force the setup of a direct debit for a credit account or charge for delivery at point of purchase. I'm sure most people can afford a £4 delivery charge if they're opening a credit account. The first I knew that payment was required was checking my credit file.

I appreciate your comments SuperHan but a £4 oversight does not warrant ruining my credit score. You take the consequences, yes, but not presumably if they're disproportionate to the 'crime'.

I'll update with anything else I here back from Very. If not is the Financial Ombudsman an option to take my complaint further?

Thanks

Chalky