British Gas / Credit score

Sheridan29

Hi All, after some advice on British Gas please. So I am currently with BG and missed a payment a few months back. I've been with them for about 2 years after buying my first house. Ive never missed a payment before etc. Im trying to remortage at the moment as my deal is up very soon. I checked my credit report and Its showing up as two missed payments for BG ( on same date, 2 diff departments)and now I cannot get a mortgage at a decent rate with a prime lender. Also, they have done the same to my fianc!es credit file so both our scores/files say 'fair' as we both have two very recent missed payments. This surely cannot be okay for them to do this? Are they allowed? I didn't realise they were on my credit report, all of my other household stuff isnt. Can I get this removed? Any assistance greatly appreciated.

Thanks

The_Boss

You don't have a credit score - they don't exist.

When were the missed payments applied to your account? Had you not paid? If so, what was the reason?

If you believe they are duplicates then write to them explaining this and ask them to remove one from yours and your husbands credit files.

Going back to my original point about not having a credit score/rating, the mortgage lender would have assessed your application based on many things and it might not just be the missed payments that mean you cannot get a decent mortgage unless the underwriter has specifically told you that this is the case.

GingerBob_3

The underlying problem is that the likes of British Gas report you to the CRAs - they never used to, but the CRAs have bribed them to do so. Some utility providers don't report you - so when you move, find one that doesn't. I don't think EDF do at the moment.

And of course another underlying problem is the dysfunctional system that takes trivia such as a single late payment into account. It's almost as if the mortgage providers are looking for every opportunity to decline you.

Hope you get it sorted soon.

Thrugelmir

GingerBob wrote: »

And of course another underlying problem is the dysfunctional system that takes trivia such as a single late payment into account. It's almost as if the mortgage providers are looking for every opportunity to decline you.

The OP has made an assumption as to the reason for the decline. Often it's a number of factors which combine that result in a decline. As the detail is buried in the settings of the algorithms there'll never be an explanation.

roubaix

Is it appearing as two entries because you hold dual fuel accounts with them and therefore were late in paying both electricity and gas? They report both electricity and gas.

I am not s mortgage expert but I often see one of the mortgage brokers advise here on the mortgage section of the forum that there will be lenders who are more forgiving of late payments than others particularly for utilities so worth taking a copy of all 3 of your credit reports to an independent broker.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

I recall when BG began this little trick of whispering people's payment history to Experian. If you search you will unearth a thread in the utilities section displaying people's shock.

BG's decision to do this also marked the end of my very long relationship with them as a utility supplier. I think their entry which showed one green dot as I dumped them the same week they started "reporting" has long since dropped off my file.

I now have all my utilities showing just "The Occupier". Not sure how they report on that person if they are late in paying.

Not sure if BT have resumed or started grassing to CRA's but my account is still in the name of my late husband Sidney and I have no intention of altering it.