not my debt but ruined my credit

12beki12

Hoping someone may have some advice.

In 2012 I got a letter from a debt collection agency saying I owed 6000+ for catalogue debt. However I didn't have an account with them. The things were order to my previous address (rented house) after I had moved out. So the people who moved in after us must have used my name. I went to the citizens advice and they wrote to the debt collectors explaining that the debt was not mine and I wasn't living at the address at the time. I then received a letter acknowledging this from the collection agency and I've never heard about it since. I did go to the police but I was told there was nothing they could do.

the problem Now is that me and my partner are wanting to get a joint mortgage. However I have bad credit. I'm devastated as I'm always careful and have never been in debt in my life. I also have a credit card, contract phone etc.

Does anyone know of anything I can do to improve my credit? As I'm only 24 and not really sure how it all works. I'm presuming I can't have the bad credit removed?

My partner has been approved for a mortgage on his own however we really wanted a joint mortgage as I'll be paying half and we aren't married.

Can anyone help?

sinizterguy

Did you report the fraud and have the debt removed from your file ?

Did you received an acknowledgement from the owners of the debt rather than the collection agency ?

12beki12

I did go to the police however they didn't do anything so no it wasn't reported. The letter was from the collection agency

fermi

You may struggle as you left it so long.

Did you get a crime number? If not, try reporting via: http://actionfraud.police.uk/

If the default is in the name of the original creditor or the DCA on your report?

Complain to whoever name it's in saying that they acknowledged it was due to fraud, so should have removed the entry, and that you will be going to ICO/FOS if they don't remove it.

Call the FOS to see whether they can write regarding the credit file now, since you didn't complain about that originally.

http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/consumer/complaints.htm

Same with the ICO who you may need to complain to:

https://ico.org.uk/concerns/handling/

As said, you may struggle due to the delay, but if you emphasise that your complaint back then wasn't about your credit file and you were unaware until now that it had been harmed, then they may be prepared to look at the complaint.