Old debt, date errors and maybe no paperwork - what next?

mostlyconfused

Hello,

I was advised this was the place to come for some help. I'm not entirely sure where I stand and if there's anything I can do but I'm hoping someone can help.

Years ago I got an overdraft with Halifax and got in to difficulty. Through CCCS (now stepchange) I went on to a payment plan and started to pay this back with a token payment and I have been doing this ever since and had actually forgotten all about it. Now I'm trying to get to the bottom of it but I don't have any paperwork for it.

I've checked my credit rating and it's listed as a default and is being dealt with by Cabot Financial. I rang them who said they don't have any information other than the following dates (I think all of these dates were in fact earlier than I've been told):
Account opened with Halifax - 1/2006
Account passed to Cabot - 3/2012
Defaulted - 10/2010

I have looked back through emails and have nothing. But I have just spoken to a very friendly man at my bank who confirmed the standing order started on 9/2009. I also recall for a fair amount of time before this i went in to the Halifax and physically paid £1 so the repayment plan started before September 2009 for sure.

My first confusion is that I believe the default should have actually occurred earlier due to the fact my repayment plan was before then and, as a result, fallen off my credit rating. Is there any way of a) finding this out and b) if so, get my credit rating updated?

The second is, I'm not sure how long I've been paying and therefore don't know how much is actually left to pay. Im aware thats a bad state of affairs but it's where I'm now at.

Lastly, if Cabot don't have any information about the debt. what should I do about that?

Apologies for the VERY lengthy post - I thought it would be best to get everything I could think of down in the hope I might get a reply.

any advice would be very much appreciated

sourcrates

Hi,

With it been an overdraught, the bank can default you at any time, so trying to get that backdated may be fruitless.

You could try sending Cabot the provit letter, this obliges them to prove you owe the debt, if, as you say, they have very little information on it, they may give up straight away.

I think that should be the first thing to do, see what they come back to you with.

Template letter here :

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247

Oh, and stay off the phone to them, do everything in writing, if they have your phone number, they won't leave you alone.

Scottishmummy

When Cabot took over one of my debts that had previously defaulted and was actually off my records they defaulted it again. Despite contacting them and the bank confirming they had already defaulted it they would not remove it from my record. It is due to come off this year (5 years as Scotland).

SeduLOUs

Scottishmummy wrote: »

When Cabot took over one of my debts that had previously defaulted and was actually off my records they defaulted it again. Despite contacting them and the bank confirming they had already defaulted it they would not remove it from my record. It is due to come off this year (5 years as Scotland).

They aren't allowed to do that - have you disputed it with the credit reference agencies?

debtfreewannabe2010

Scottishmummy wrote: »

When Cabot took over one of my debts that had previously defaulted and was actually off my records they defaulted it again. Despite contacting them and the bank confirming they had already defaulted it they would not remove it from my record. It is due to come off this year (5 years as Scotland).

A similar thing appears to have happened to me - Cabot have sent me a letter re. a defaulted debt that came off my account a long time ago. It hasn't reappeared on my report so far but my rating has dropped from Good, which I had spent a long time building up and I now have Cabot hassling me. It's unfair. I hope I can get it sorted out. Good luck with your own situation! Good that you'll be rid of the default (again) soon.