Advice please! Mail Order Service error has ruined my credit rating

Joe_L_2

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice, or at least to be pointed in the right direction around an issue I've run into.

A little background first. I am planning to buy my first home this year, and move out from my parents house. I have spent the last 20 months working hard to save a nice deposit up, which currently sits at £14k, I have been looking tirelessly at houses and mortgages etc. However, I feel like I am likely to be rejected a mortgage of any kind due to some issues I had around 2 years ago now.

The issues revolve around a mail order service from a company called Fashion World based in Manchester. The company would on a regular basis send me junk mail in the post, which I would always bin as I wasn't interested. However, fast track forward a few months and I found that I was rejected for a credit card. At the time I decided to check my credit rating with Experian and was horrified to find that it had tanked into the low end of poor if I recall. Looking into it, it claimed that I had missed payments against my name, confused I looked into where the missed payments had come from and was surprised to see that they were for Fashion World. Confused I immediately got on the phone to them to find out what was going on, it turns out that there was an account open in my name, with outstanding balance on it, and that five payments had been missed, each by a day or so.

At this point I was in a panic, I asked who was making the payments but they refused to give me details despite being 'my account'. I went downstairs and told my mum about it all, who was surprised herself, she told me that she had been making payments to Fashion World after she had opened an account with them a few months back. At this point I realised there must have been some clerical error and so phoned the company back and explained the error. However I was shot down and told that they couldn't close the account until the payment was settled, and they would be unable to change any of the account details either. I argued that I hadn't opened the account, and that I was now suffering due to a few missed payments on my mums behalf, but they would not listen and kept insisting that the only option I had was that I open a fraud case against my own mum, which was not an option as she hadn't done anything wrong. I called the company back on numerous occasions, hoping that the next customer service rep would be more forgiving of their error, however after months of trying, and getting no where I gave up, feeling completely depressed and defeated.

I eventually paid off the account for my mum, and closed the account 24 months ago. However, my rating is still lingering around the low 800s on experian, and the low 400s on exuifax. I have since opened a credit building credit card account in hopes that it would improve the score, but so far nothing of significance has happened.

I am now worrying though, that when I come to apply for a mortgage later in the year, I will be immediately declined due to these existing missed payments that have nothing to do with me.

And so, I am hoping that someone will be able to offer me some advice on what to do? Is there anyway that I can get these black marks removed from my account? I have searched online for an answer before, but I have come up dry, and I'm at a total loss as to what to do now! I'm getting more stressed just thinking about it, and all excitement of looking for a house has collapsed.

Please help!

Rrushi_Shqiptar

I am not an expert at all on this and I fear it may be too long ago to be dealt with, also with the payment being made in full it may also negate it somehow.

Did you ask them to look at the application? does it have a full set of matching names? dob the same maybe a signature if a written application.

Have you applied to the CRA's to put a notice of correction on the files explaining this issue.

Maybe contacting the Information reporting officer of fashion world with a request to change it. Failing that contact the ombudsman and ask for their help

Maybe I am wrong and will be corrected. Fashion world are a bit shoddy with their admin and my ex wife would agree with me on that.

Joe_L_2

Thanks for the reply! I had a feeling it might have been too long ago, and that paying it off wouldn't help. I just wanted to forget about it all.

As for matches, the only thing I could see was the last name. All the other details where my mums. Even checking my credit report, it shows the dob on the account as my mums, and not mine.

I have put a correction notice on my account though yes, though if it will make the slightest difference I don't know.

And I had thought about contacting ombudsman but wasn't sure if it was something they would deal with.

But yeah, the whole company seemed off to me, cs was awful every time I called, no one seemed to know what they were doing.

Rrushi_Shqiptar

contact the data control officer at Fashion World with the evidence of your mums dob etc and ask them to remove the report as they are reporting incorrect information as it should be on your mums CRF.

Ombudsman should deal, not sure of the time limits.

Maybe a letter from a solicitor, sworn etc. that your mother opened the account and supplied the details.....long shot not too expensive I think.

Has your mum checked her files for any reports?

Get your mum to write to the DCO at Fashion World as well.

Rrushi_Shqiptar

I believe the notice of correction MUST be read by the creditor before decisions are made so may help you.

Archi_Bald

If you have evidence that an error was made by Fashion World, write to pippa.dutton@firstfinancial.co.uk or pippa.dutton@jdwilliams.co.uk and demand they remove their data from your credit file. She is listed as the contact for Fashion Trading and J D Williams on ceoemail dot com.

Fashion World is a trading style of J D Williams & Company Limited.
As J D Williams & Company Limited trading as Fashion World is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Firm Reference Number: 311618), you can complain to the FOS if they don't handle the matter to your satisfaction.

I wouldn't mention that you paid off your mum's debt with Fashion World as this could be seen as your admission that the problem was caused by your mum. Also, are you sure that you can see the date of birth of the Fashion World account on your credit file?

Good luck

stator

Write a joint letter from you and your mum, signed by both of you, asking for a copy of the application form and credit agreement that you allegedly signed.

Joe_L_2

Thank you all for your replies, I will get a letter written now and send it off with all the evidence and just hope I can get this sorted. I'm kicking myself for not sorting it any sooner really, but I was far to stressed by it all.

I will report back if I hear anything!

Thanks!

Joe_L_2

Hi guys,

I just thought I'd let you know that I spoke with Pippa Dutton today, she apologised for the issue and whilst she couldn't sort it herself, she did pass me on to the complaints department for JD Williams, and well, it's sorted. I explained my case to them, and they said

On this occasion however as there is no outstanding balance and all goods ordered on the account collaborate your comments I have today taken steps to remove all record of this account from your credit file. Whilst I have requested this information is updated as a matter of urgency please allow 28 days for the relevant agencies to update their records.

So, it looks to be sorted! I'm going to keep an eye on my credit file and get back to them if I can still see the account on there in a months time. But, it looks like I can at least relax about the whole thing finally!

Thank you for the advice all, really helped me out!

Rrushi_Shqiptar

Joe_L wrote: »

Hi guys,

I just thought I'd let you know that I spoke with Pippa Dutton today, she apologised for the issue and whilst she couldn't sort it herself, she did pass me on to the complaints department for JD Williams, and well, it's sorted. I explained my case to them, and they said



So, it looks to be sorted! I'm going to keep an eye on my credit file and get back to them if I can still see the account on there in a months time. But, it looks like I can at least relax about the whole thing finally!

Thank you for the advice all, really helped me out!

Well done you. You should see some improvement, your mum however

Well good news anyway. Thanks for sharing it with us.

sniggings

Advice please! Mail Order Service error has ruined my credit rating Hi all, I'm looking for some advice, or at least to be pointed in the right direction around an issue I've run into.

A little background first. I am planning to buy my first home this year, and move out from my parents house. I have spent the last 20 months working hard to save a nice deposit up, which currently sits at £14k, I have been looking tirelessly at houses and mortgages etc. However, I feel like I am likely to be rejected a mortgage of any kind due to some issues I had around 2 years ago now.

The issues revolve around a mail order service from a company called Fashion World based in Manchester. The company would on a regular basis send me junk mail in the post, which I would always bin as I wasn't interested. However, fast track forward a few months and I found that I was rejected for a credit card. At the time I decided to check my credit rating with Experian and was horrified to find that it had tanked into the low end of poor if I recall. Looking into it, it claimed that I had missed payments against my name, confused I looked into where the missed payments had come from and was surprised to see that they were for Fashion World. Confused I immediately got on the phone to them to find out what was going on, it turns out that there was an account open in my name, with outstanding balance on it, and that five payments had been missed, each by a day or so.

At this point I was in a panic, I asked who was making the payments but they refused to give me details despite being 'my account'. I went downstairs and told my mum about it all, who was surprised herself, she told me that she had been making payments to Fashion World after she had opened an account with them a few months back. At this point I realised there must have been some clerical error and so phoned the company back and explained the error. However I was shot down and told that they couldn't close the account until the payment was settled, and they would be unable to change any of the account details either. I argued that I hadn't opened the account, and that I was now suffering due to a few missed payments on my mums behalf, but they would not listen and kept insisting that the only option I had was that I open a fraud case against my own mum, which was not an option as she hadn't done anything wrong. I called the company back on numerous occasions, hoping that the next customer service rep would be more forgiving of their error, however after months of trying, and getting no where I gave up, feeling completely depressed and defeated.

I eventually paid off the account for my mum, and closed the account 24 months ago. However, my rating is still lingering around the low 800s on experian, and the low 400s on exuifax. I have since opened a credit building credit card account in hopes that it would improve the score, but so far nothing of significance has happened.

I am now worrying though, that when I come to apply for a mortgage later in the year, I will be immediately declined due to these existing missed payments that have nothing to do with me.

And so, I am hoping that someone will be able to offer me some advice on what to do? Is there anyway that I can get these black marks removed from my account? I have searched online for an answer before, but I have come up dry, and I'm at a total loss as to what to do now! I'm getting more stressed just thinking about it, and all excitement of looking for a house has collapsed.

Please help!

Joe_L wrote: »

they would not listen and kept insisting that the only option I had was that I open a fraud case against my own mum, which was not an option as she hadn't done anything wrong.

You are very lucky they agree to change your file as your Mother was 100% in the wrong, opening your mail, then opening an account in your name without permission :eek: you are being taken advantage of, and then YOU pay off the balance, if this happens again, I very strongly doubt the information will be removed, without a fraud case being opened.