Unrecognised Default

PayOffTheLoans

Hi

New poster but long-term browser and was hoping somebody could help me with this one. Hope I'm in the right place

I took out a loan about 2 weeks ago and checked my experian prior to doing so and was awarded a fair score. I logged in again (to cancel my free trial) and have since had a default put on my account.

The default is from Yorkshire Water and is defaulted 09/01/2016 for a total of 69pounds

I had an account with Yorkshire Water which was closed in July 2014 when I left the area. I have this email from them:

"Thank you for your email received 9 July 2014 about your change of address.

Just to let you know, your old account at XXX has been closed. Upon closure this generated a final credit balance of
£112.46. I have arranged for this to be paid directly into your bank
account. Please allow 5 to 7 days for this to arrive'

I have not opened any other accounts with Yorkshire Water nor lived in Yorkshire since. I also had a postal forward set up from that house for 6 months after I left although I no longer have forwarded mail from there. If I log into the Yorkshire Water account it only shows my closed account with an outstanding balance of 0pounds.

The account in question was opened in October 2014 when I was living in London so therefore would not have been in Yorkshire to open an account with them. The account didn't appear at all on my credit file 2 weeks ago.

Could it be that there was in fact at outstanding balance even though the email above confirms the account was in credit at the time of cancelling and therefore I legitimately cancelled my direct debit.

I'm really confused and not sure what to do next. Obviously it's too late to contact them now tonight but I am concerned as to where this has come from. It seems a bit strange to have suddenly appeared on my file since I checked it . It also seems unfair that if this is a defaulted account I have had no notice of the debt until checking my file today (I have changed address but not phone number or email address and it isn't showing on my online account.

Any ideas? I am not in a position to be looking at a mortgage yet but would like one in the next 6 years!

Thanks!

Dobbibill

I would firstly check with the other CRAs, Equifax can be done through Clearscore and Call Credit through Noddle, both of which are free. Then contact the CRAs which are showing this and raise a dispute.

PayOffTheLoans

Thanks Dobbibill. I just checked Call Credit and nothing is showing on there and it was the same 2 weeks ago when I applied and was accepted for my loan. Will check equifax as well

pappa_golf

call credit and noddle are only updated once per month , therefore things often do not show up in the first monthly check

PayOffTheLoans

The default was apparently from January 2016 so should it not have shown up by then?

I looked a bit more into it and the account in question had a payment made to it settling a balance of £158 3 months after it was opened (not by me) and then then £69 outstanding looks like it was left after some of a £471 bill was paid. I have double checked my bank statements from this time and have not accidentally paid any money to the company!

I'm starting to wander if the tenants after me used my details to open an account.

Have opened a dispute with experien and will keep checking the others, thanks Pappa Golf.

Should I contact Yorkshire Water directly by telephone tomorrow or leave it until I've heard back from Experian?

Dobbibill

It won't hurt to contact YW yourself too, this is what Experian will do with the dispute too.

Please come back and update us when you get a result, it may help others in the same situation.

I hope it's resolved quickly for you.

Nebulous2

HevJane wrote: »

Should I contact Yorkshire Water directly by telephone tomorrow or leave it until I've heard back from Experian?

CRAs are likely to contact Yorkshire Water who may well insist the default is correct. They are reporting what they are told. You need to go to Yorkshire water direct.

Find Yorkshire water's complaints procedure and use that. I wouldn't phone - write to them, so you then have a record if you need to go to a regulator. Email should be fine.

PayOffTheLoans

Thanks everyone

I am writing to them today. I may give them a call to see if I can get it sorted quickly but will send the letter anyway to make sure I have everything in writing.

I can't find an email other than an online complaints form

PayOffTheLoans

So I contacted Yorkshire water by phone and also by email. They have no record of any defaulted account in the name or address on the account and are sending me a letter with which to contact the credit reference agencies.

I am a bit worried I may end in a game of ping pong as they try decide who made the initial error but I am reassured that the debt should be erased and the default removed even if it might involve some chasing

PayOffTheLoans

Just an update

I found out I have been incorrectly linked to a very similar address to one I lived at for a year. Yorkshire Water actually sorted it out and led Experian know and I am in the process of trying to remove that address from my file. Luckily the default has gone an my credit score is looking much happier!

Thanks for all the help. I am going to spend the next 6 months regularly checking to make sure I don't get linked to any other accounts!