Loan companys mistake may affect my credit - not sure what to do....

Listlover

Hi


I'm sorry in advance, this is quite a long story....


So, about 7 years ago I took out a loan with Halifax along with (you guessed it) PPI! I bought the PPI because I thought that it would improve my chances of being approved.


Last year I reclaimed the PPI on the basis that they told me that I would be more likely to be approved if I took it out and received a cheque in the post.


In April I received my annual statement, I hadn't received any other correspondence except for the letter stating that my complain regarding PPI had been accepted and subsequently the cheque.


The statement showed all sorts of random credits and debits and there was a three month period when no payment were requested against the loan (a completely accept that I should have noticed this at the time).


As soon as I got my statement I started trying to resolve the problems on the account because I still owed about £500 more than expected. I was passed from one department to another, there were written correspondence and I am sure that many of the people that I spoke to did not understand my concern - which was sorting out the remaining balance without any problems at the end of my load as it was due to expire at the start of August this year (2015).


Finally in July I managed to speak to someone in customer service who reassured me that there would be no problems with the remaining outstanding balance, the loan would simply continue until as usual until the balance was cleared. I asked 2 specific questions 1) would this show as being in arrears and she said not, the loan would simply extend and 2) would this show as any sort of payment plan to which she said no - the loan would simply extend until the balance was cleared. I got off the phone comfortable that I could continue to pay off the loan for a further 3 months with no large final payment and no affect on my credit score.


Low and behold, the first week in August I received a strongly worded letter from the Halifax stating that my loan account was in arrears. I rang straight away and spoke to collections, going through the whole scenario. He basically said that there was nothing that he could do at this point to reverse the loan closure and that there was nothing that could be done to prevent this showing up on my credit report. Basically all he could do was to set up a payment plan that would pay of the balance but would show up as a payment plan - exactly what I didn't want. And he said that I could put a correction on my credit file.


The Halifax did refund the charges and interest associated with the loan going over it's final date and refunded my £45 for being given incorrect advice but I do not feel that this addresses the long term impact on my potential to get credit.


My concern is what to do now, is it better to leave this payment plan on my account and hope that this does not affect my ability to get credit too badly or for too long or do I put a correction note on and go through the rigmarole of companies having to read it and make a specific decision every time I want a new phone or to rent a flat!?


My other concern is what is the best way to go about putting a note on, there are so many credit agencies out there is there a way of covering all of them in one hit.


Thank you everyone in advance for your advice.