Help me get rid of this default! (Telecoms)

roastbeeef

Hi all,

I just thought I'd come here for a bit of advice and to tap into your experience and knowledge base. I'm really up against it with a default from Virgin Media for £162 that has just approached 3 years old. It's a pretty major blemish on my credit history that I've been trying to improve over the last few years, but it's in the way of me getting a 90-95% LTV mortgage. Currently causing me a lot of stress!

Here's the details in summary (chronological):

• Signed up for Virgin Media in April 2011. Missed 4 payments over first 21 months of contract.
• Moved flat in December 2012. Took account with me.
• Subsequently missed 6 payments due to minor disputes with both new housemate and Virgin Media around payment terms.
• Payment arrears backed up to 3 months, initially due to non-payment but also complicated by Virgins inability to bill me correctly. They couldn't nail down a termination date.
• Agreed payment terms with Virgin to divide final balance of £162 over two payments, paid half (£81) on the spot.
• Called back up a month later to pay the last £81 and was told that there was nothing outstanding on my account (they have no recording of this, apparently calls are only kept for 90 days)
• Default was applied to account in June 2013.
• Account was paid immediately post-default and is now satisfied
• In total 22 missed payments over the course of the account (I was pretty bad). 5 of these were pre-dispute and due to me, 17 while I was either waiting for Virgin to sort it out or under the impression that my account was paid in full.
• I would have been paying for direct debit if they would accommodate a payment plan for me - I was always a month in arrears and they required me to clear the balance on the account before setting up a direct debit, which at the time I couldn't afford. I have ZERO missed payments on my credit file apart from this.

I've spoken directly to the Director of CS at Virgin two times (in June last year and again this week), and subsequently had two calls from very helpful customer service agents to get this sorted for me, both have which have said no chance getting it removed. I'm now going through a phase of escalation to see if I can get this sorted.

I've pleaded irresponsibility, financial hardship (I was broke back then), even tried blaming it directly on Virgin (a lot of it was actually their fault), but they just wont budge. Any ideas on how I can progress this?

thanks!
Matt

[Deleted User]

I think with that sort of history, you don't have any chance.

roastbeeef

It's not really that bad is it? The 17 of the 22 missed payments were all in a row after the default, before the settlement date (because they told me that there was nothing outstanding). There were only really 5 unique instances of a missed payment.

[Deleted User]

That really doesn't make it any better. Whichever way you look at it, it's a pretty poor attempt at making payments on time.