Is this illegal?

Cornucopia

There's no comeback on the money, I don't think.

You should complain about the default, though, since they agreed to remove it. The issue may be whether the lie was a whopper ie. they have no right to remove it: it is factual reporting.

I think it's high time there was a general prohibition on organisations lying to the public. It's becoming endemic. It'll backfire on them in the end, because no one will believe a word they say.

stator

Send them a Subject Access Request. Complain to whatever regulators they have. Don't hold your breath.

dumpyboy

Cornucopia wrote: »

There's no comeback on the money, I don't think.

You should complain about the default, though, since they agreed to remove it. The issue may be whether the lie was a whopper ie. they have no right to remove it: it is factual reporting.

I think it's high time there was a general prohibition on organisations lying to the public. It's becoming endemic. It'll backfire on them in the end, because no one will believe a word they say.

The public all ready know there is a endemic off being lied to but the governing body's do not after have any one heard of a bank or the credit card or debt collectors tell a lie!!

fermi

supermassive wrote: »

I asked for it in writing, I asked for emails.. and received nothing.

Then I'm afraid you should not have parted with the money if you didn't have it in writing beforehand.

Complain and take them to the FOS etc. I fear you may not have much luck, but you never know.

corbyboy

Whether it is "illegal" or not is probably not the point because you will never be able to prove anything. That's why debt collectors love phone calls as there is little proof of what was said. Incidentally, what was the date on the default?

As a side note, I would be concerned that a creditor would ever do what the OP talked about. Surely credit reports are for statements of fact. Removing all trace of a default just because the debtor pays it years later seems to defeat the point of having a credit record.

xHannahx

Morally wrong, but they have an obligation to report that default and factually correct information.

What has been described may fall under the FCAs unfair debt collection practices, so if happened as described there may be some case for some form of redress.

happy_bunny_2

Complain in writing and take to FOS. But don't hold your breath.

Request the recordings, I bet they have been deleted.

These debt collectors will say stuff they will never put in writing, such as this.

PaulW922

It is not 'illegal' but it is potentially, a breach of contract - a verbal one made by phone. However unless you can get a copy of the recording I don't know how you can demonstrate that now. It is annoying but it is how the debt collection industry works.

However - look at it this way - this was money you had borrowed and genuinely owed so.. it is not as if you have been ripped off over the debt itself.