very.co.uk changing me to online statements red mark

fishingcinema

Hi all

Very long time no talk on me
But I now have a very important dilemma that I could use your guidance and help with. It is a long one so please bare with me and give yourself a pat on the back if you stick to the end of it

Had a very.co.uk account for 7 years. (Shop direct finance limited)

I have been receiving paper statements/billing for 7 years.

Account was clear zero balance from May 2015.

Very sent me a promotional £30 off a £60 spend through the post.

I went online in December 2015 and placed an order.

Fast forward to January 2016 statement through the door from very with a £12 missed payment applied on it??

So I go through my old statements realise I've not had a bill since May 2015.

Phone them up and ask why I have a late payment charge on my account. Oh you missed a £5 payment in December 2015. I said I have not received any statements. No you are online billing!!!

I asked how I was online billing as had been paper bilking for several years and also requested where my other missing statements were from may 2015 onwards. Well if your account is clear we do not send them out. I argued that I had not ticked any boxe's or electronically signed to go from paper to online statement ts nor was I notified by email or post that I had gone to online statements. I also asked why I got a statement through the post and was told "oh when you miss a payment you get reverted back to paper statements" Managed to get the charge of £12 removed and back to paper statements.

Still with me.....

Go to check my credit file as my landlady is having to go bankrupt so I have to buy the house me my partner and 3 children rent of she will sell to another buyer and leave us homeless. There is a dirty big red missed payment from very on there that my mortgage broker advises that the mortgage company will not touch me with all the time it is on there.

So call customer excellence team (ironic name) at very and ask why it's been put there go through the whole story again, and again ask where all the missing staements are from may 2015 onwards.

1st reply we don't send them out to you when your account is clear as it is a security risk.

2nd reply we don't send them out when your account is clear as it will just say same information and it's friendly to the environment not to send them out.

3rd reply ummm we don't know why.

My complaint is not resolved so I go higher up. Get a phone call explain the situation get told that they need to go away and investigate and will call me back.

Anyway I call them back and get told that we sent you a email on December with your statement attached. I said I do not check my email for statements as I have been getting them through the post for the last 7 years, can I again ask how I consented to change to online statements and why I was not notified and was told I would have to go away and contact you back.

Received a phone call a few days later and was told there was a banner on the website but as you were a restart customer you would not have seen that. OK right I said so how was I notified that I had been changed to online statements?? You were sent an online statement in December 2015. Your not understanding me how was I notified that I had been changed from paper to online statements?? She would not give me the answer that I was not notified. I quoted principles from the financial conduct authority as had been in contact with them and this was also sidestepped and the call ended with we are not going to change the decision to remove the red mark from your credit file.

I had also emailed Alex Baldock group chief executive in between phone calls with Jane Dowd but have not heard back from him. I have now taken the case up with financial services obudsman too but fear that there is not enough time between them investigating and my landlady going bankrupt.

I also contacted experian (Fri 8th April 16) who pit a dispute onto very reasonable the mark who very reply to very quickly to experian who I phoned back today 11th April 2016 and was told very had replied and are not willing to change the information and to inform the customer (me) to contact customer excellence!!!!

I have requested a notice of correction to be put on my credit file


Arghhhhhh I am seriously pulling my hair out does anyone have any advice or ideas please.

A4445

Just thought I'd let you know I complained to the ombudsman and it took 12 weeks from original letter to getting a matter resolved. They don't work at all fast they seem to have a large backlog!

wealdroam

fishingcinema wrote: »

Hi all

Very long time no talk on me
But I now have a very important dilemma that I could use your guidance and help with. It is a long one so please bare with me and give yourself a pat on the back if you stick to the end of it

Had a very.co.uk account for 7 years. (Shop direct finance limited)

I have been receiving paper statements/billing for 7 years.

Account was clear zero balance from May 2015.

Very sent me a promotional £30 off a £60 spend through the post.

I went online in December 2015 and placed an order.

Fast forward to January 2016 statement through the door from very with a £12 missed payment applied on it??

So I go through my old statements realise I've not had a bill since May 2015.

Phone them up and ask why I have a late payment charge on my account. Oh you missed a £5 payment in December 2015. I said I have not received any statements. No you are online billing!!!

I asked how I was online billing as had been paper bilking for several years and also requested where my other missing statements were from may 2015 onwards. Well if your account is clear we do not send them out. I argued that I had not ticked any boxe's or electronically signed to go from paper to online statement ts nor was I notified by email or post that I had gone to online statements. I also asked why I got a statement through the post and was told "oh when you miss a payment you get reverted back to paper statements" Managed to get the charge of £12 removed and back to paper statements.

Still with me.....

Go to check my credit file as my landlady is having to go bankrupt so I have to buy the house me my partner and 3 children rent of she will sell to another buyer and leave us homeless. There is a dirty big red missed payment from very on there that my mortgage broker advises that the mortgage company will not touch me with all the time it is on there.

So call customer excellence team (ironic name) at very and ask why it's been put there go through the whole story again, and again ask where all the missing staements are from may 2015 onwards.

1st reply we don't send them out to you when your account is clear as it is a security risk.

2nd reply we don't send them out when your account is clear as it will just say same information and it's friendly to the environment not to send them out.

3rd reply ummm we don't know why.

My complaint is not resolved so I go higher up. Get a phone call explain the situation get told that they need to go away and investigate and will call me back.

Anyway I call them back and get told that we sent you a email on December with your statement attached. I said I do not check my email for statements as I have been getting them through the post for the last 7 years, can I again ask how I consented to change to online statements and why I was not notified and was told I would have to go away and contact you back.

Received a phone call a few days later and was told there was a banner on the website but as you were a restart customer you would not have seen that. OK right I said so how was I notified that I had been changed to online statements?? You were sent an online statement in December 2015. Your not understanding me how was I notified that I had been changed from paper to online statements?? She would not give me the answer that I was not notified. I quoted principles from the financial conduct authority as had been in contact with them and this was also sidestepped and the call ended with we are not going to change the decision to remove the red mark from your credit file.

I had also emailed Alex Baldock group chief executive in between phone calls with Jane Dowd but have not heard back from him. I have now taken the case up with financial services obudsman too but fear that there is not enough time between them investigating and my landlady going bankrupt.

I also contacted experian (Fri 8th April 16) who pit a dispute onto very reasonable the mark who very reply to very quickly to experian who I phoned back today 11th April 2016 and was told very had replied and are not willing to change the information and to inform the customer (me) to contact customer excellence!!!!

I have requested a notice of correction to be put on my credit file


Arghhhhhh I am seriously pulling my hair out does anyone have any advice or ideas please.

I've read all that.

The only issue appears to be that somehow you have been changed from paper statements through the post to statements being sent by email.

Everything else you have written is just noise.

You place an order in December.
Were you not expecting to pay for that?
When you didn't receive the expected statement through the post, didn't you wonder why that might be?
You tell us you did get an email from Very but chose to ignore it.

It does seem a shame that Very cannot tell you why you have been moved from paper billing, but the bottom line is that you missed a payment, so the 'red mark' should stay.

System

While I get that you were expecting a paper statement you did know you owed them money .

bod1467

Duplicate thread - this is already in Consumer Rights.

daytona0

What if the same thing happens, but with your mortgage provider instead?

GingerBob_3

Based on the number of complaints about Very in this forum, it's clear that they are a problem organisation and should be avoided at all costs.


The OP's detailed post also clarifies some CRA-related issues:


A single, minor, missed payment can stop you getting a mortgage - fact!


Companies like Very use CRA reporting as a blackmailing tool.


The CRA reporting system has evolved into something far in excess of its original remit, which is to identify bad payers.


There is no process in place to ban delinquent organisations such as Very from having access to CRA reporting - there should be.


OP, please take this matter up with your MP, whatever the eventual result. Maybe even see a solicitor.

marliepanda

I have a very account with paperless billing I assume (its never posted me anything)

I bought something last month on it, for £10.

I got an email, a text when the statement was generated AND a reminder text to pay it closer to the due date.

fishingcinema

A4445 wrote: »

Just thought I'd let you know I complained to the ombudsman and it took 12 weeks from original letter to getting a matter resolved. They don't work at all fast they seem to have a large backlog!

Seems like I am going to run out of time mortgage wise then

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply to my autobiography hope you had a nice cup of tea after

fishingcinema

GingerBob wrote: »

Based on the number of complaints about Very in this forum, it's clear that they are a problem organisation and should be avoided at all costs.


The OP's detailed post also clarifies some CRA-related issues:


A single, minor, missed payment can stop you getting a mortgage - fact!


Companies like Very use CRA reporting as a blackmailing tool.


The CRA reporting system has evolved into something far in excess of its original remit, which is to identify bad payers.


There is no process in place to ban delinquent organisations such as Very from having access to CRA reporting - there should be.


OP, please take this matter up with your MP, whatever the eventual result. Maybe even see a solicitor.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and reply was rather a long post but thought best to get all the information in so people could advise.

You are correct the credit reference agency along with companies are hard work its a simple case and very use cra as a blackmail tool. It's like today I phoned Barclays as paid off 9k of debt on the 4th of April but it's still showing on my credit file explined I am applying for a mortgage and this amount it not going to look good to a potential lender is there any way they could contact cra and update info. Ummm no will have to wait till next month's update.

Phone cra if barclays contact us we can update info sometimes a company does not even have to contact us they can do it online. Barclays should have updated us on 6th march but they were late and didn't update until 14th March Grrrrrr the power these companies have is unreal I'm doomed I tell you doomed

fishingcinema

CHRISSYG wrote: »

While I get that you were expecting a paper statement you did know you owed them money .

Thank you for taking the time to read my mammoth post and reply

Yes I was aware that I owed them a total of £30 my argument is the fact that I received paper statements for 7 years and when I logged on to place an order without knowing was switched to online statements.

Thing is as I said to them you can send me a email saying review your recent purchase and you could win £500 but can not email someone a vital piece of information just thought we would let you know you have been switched to online statements you will no longer receive paper statements through the post. As financial conduct authority said that they should really go on principle 6 and 7 of the handbook but they have not....