AVON rep default over returned goods - how to proceed?

MrsElbadram

I'm currently working through my credit file and found a default from 2012 for £200 from when I was a representative briefly. I have contacted AVON and said:

In April 2012 I was briefly signed up as an Avon representative at my previous address XXXX.

I placed a couple of orders but then my personal circumstance changed and I was not able to continue, and I moved house shortly afterwards. I had some outstanding products to return from a couple of customers who didn’t pay for their orders and these were outstanding when I resigned as a representative. I received a bill from yourselves for £200 for outstanding stock, and contacted customer services to arrange a collection. This was arranged and the products were left in the secure cupboard where previous deliveries had been left by your delivery driver. The products were subsequently collected and I then moved house.

Four years later, I am applying for a mortgage and have just been going through my credit record, only to find there is an outstanding amount showing to Avon for £200 (which I can only assume is for the products mentioned above), which is showing as a defaulted mail order account. This is adversely affecting my credit record and I urgently need to get it resolved. As above, I have never owed any money to Avon and it is extremely disappointing that something I took up to help out with a little extra money has been having such a detrimental effect on my credit rating. I have also never signed up as a mail order customer directly as implied by what is showing on my credit report. I think this would be a good warning to others on how becoming an Avon rep can be incredibly negative.

Please could you look into this as a matter of urgency and remove the incorrect record from my credit reference report.


They have responded to say:

Please send a copy of the signed proof of return from our carrier for the goods you have returned to Avon.
Upon receipt of the balance, we will instruct the Credit Reference Agencies to update their files to show your account as satisfied.

But I don't have those receipts any more, it was four years ago and I have moved twice since then. I have received nothing from AVON or any DCA so assuming it is still sitting with AVON. Is there anything I can ask them to do, surely they have to keep the records? Also I don't want to pay the balance as I don't owe them anything, and I don't want it shown as satisfied, I want it removed from my file as it shouldn't be there!

Any advice on how to proceed?

Brock_and_Roll

To be honest I doubt a £200 default from 2012 will make naff all difference to your mortgage chances (assuming the rest of your file is clean) so probably not worth fighting this battle.


For what it is worth, it was you that moved several times and did not collect the receipts - so I am not surprised that Avon are standing their ground and they are probably frequently scammed by less scrupulous people.

Tiddlywinks

It was your responsibility to ensure the goods were correctly returned to Avon - you should have followed up on the collection to finalise the account. Why didn't you?

This is a shambles of your own making - if you can't see that then be prepared to suffer similar issues in the future.

PaulW922

Hmmm, some helpful advice there.

Tell us how you know the items were in fact collected. Was a receipt left at the time or did you just assume they were picked up?

You could also ask Avon for the tracking record as it was their carrier who came and collected. They should still have the details and if not you could use that as a basis to challenge. I reckon this will be a pain to get resolved though.

rizla_king

so your rep agreement made you liable for this? have you checked the terms? was it a credit agreemt or one that allowed reporting to the cras?