Credit File Unfair

daveroots24

Hi guys,

Hope someone can advise me. I opened an account with Studio back in 2014 when buying some garden furniture. The furniture was delivered damaged so I arranged for it to be collected and requested a refund. Since then the money was never refunded to my account so I refused to pay them anything until this was sorted. This has taken nearly two years and the only way I found the account to be settled was when I challenged the two debt collection companies assigned to get me to pay. (one was Moorcroft the other I cant remember.)
Anyway, after recently checking my credit score etc I found this Studio 'debt' on my settled accounts in my credit file, along with nearly 24 months of non payment markers. I have conacted the credit reference agencies and they have basically just sent me an automated email saying my dispute is rejected and will stay on my file for up to 6 years so companies can see how I've been managing my accounts!!!! I fell this is totally unfair and not a true reflection on how I deal with any debts I may have!
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Deleted User]

What do you mean that they didn't refund you so you didn't pay? If you hadn't paid, how would you get a refund?

daveroots24

They collected the goods but didn't adjust the credit account with the payment. When I bought it I owed them £279.99 that I could pay in one hit or like a credit account, pay a minimum monthly payment. When I returned the item, the £279.99 should have been wiped off, which it wasn't. After several phone calls, letters etc they still demanded payment and added interest etc that accumulated over months.
Hope this makes sense!

Gaz83

Did they accept the return?

daveroots24

Yes. Their courier came and picked it up.

Gaz83

What did they say when they accepted it? Did they say they would refund you?

DCFC79

Sounds like it's a fair reflection.

takman

Yep sounds perfectly fair to me. Any logical person would pay off the credit and then try and get a refund from the company!.

Putting your head in the sand for 24 months and having debt collectors chase your for the money wasn't a very sensible option!

daveroots24

Ok, thanks for the responses. So let me get this straight, you'd pay out over £200 to someone for something you no longer had. Then argue the toss later? As for burying my head in the sand, months of phone calls, writing letters, repeating myself over and over again by filling in their forms and then being lied to by being told it was sorted doesn't quite add up to me burying my head in the sand. When it went quiet I (maybe wrongly) took their word for it that it was done and dusted.

takman

daveroots24 wrote: »

Ok, thanks for the responses. So let me get this straight, you'd pay out over £200 to someone for something you no longer had. Then argue the toss later? As for burying my head in the sand, months of phone calls, writing letters, repeating myself over and over again by filling in their forms and then being lied to by being told it was sorted doesn't quite add up to me burying my head in the sand. When it went quiet I (maybe wrongly) took their word for it that it was done and dusted.

I've paid for things by credit card in the past and while waiting for a refund I still paid it off because I didn't want to have a late payment maker on my credit report!.

What you should have done was to pay off the fiance and then tried to get a refund. If no refund was given within a reasonable time then send a letter before action. If they still done refund it will be quite easy to file a money claim online to get your money back because they had your money and also the goods.

Refusing to pay off a credit facility that is probably run by a separate company and has already paid studio the money is just asking for trouble!. (Is it a separate company does anyone know?)

molerat

The credit was not taken out with a third party, it is in house.

Written complaint then FOS / ICO.