Heartless capital one

sw19online

Hello,

I used to have a Capital One credit card in 2013 and to cut a long story short, I had cancer and had to move back in with my parents so they could look after me through treatment and operations. I totally forgot about my credit card account that had a balance of £1811.
It wasn't debt avoidance I was just so sick that I couldn't event go out due to having no immune system because of the chemotherapy. I literally just forgot due to the treatment. I guess I was trying to stay alive.

Recently, the debt showed up during a credit file search and I immediately paid it off.

Through months of wrangling, Capital One agreed to remove the default as I sent them medical evidence of the sickness as a gesture of good will. That is where the good will ended.

When I checked my credit file again, Capital One has now recorded 3 years of late payment markers instead as a 3 status and have left me in a worse position than having the default. If i had not paid a thing, the default and all history of the account would have gone in 3 years, Now, I have paid the account off in full in one payment and they gave me a gesture of good will to remove the default - this will show for 6 years as delinquent. You cannot make this up.
If I had just not paid, I would be better off.

After more wrangling they are now offering to put the default back on should I wish them to but they will not remove the late markers. They are making a mockery of me and the credit reporting system.

Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks

Richey_

A credit card company has a duty to accurately record data, you never paid them, they accurately recorded this on your record and defaulted you. As a guesture of good will they removed this and it is now late payment markers, again an accurate reflection of the truth - you never paid them on time, you paid late. My sympathies to your medical condition, but the truth is you never paid them and this has been accurately reflected. Had you have continued to have not have paid them, it would have unlikely just stayed as a default, it may well have been upgraded to a CCJ adding another six years on to its affect.
I would make a decision if I was you to either accept it as a reflection of the truth or put a notice of correction on your file so that a human would then have to look at any application and maybe sympathetic, there are pros and cons of both.

I'd set up a direct debit for the future in case you forget about any other financial commitments.

sw19online

Wow.

I did have a direct debit - there was no money to pay it as I had nothing as I was sick for a year.

Out_Of_Darkness_2

You need to contact the credit reference agencies to ask them to add a note to your file, explaining your previous difficulties and the fact that the debt is now paid etc.

The credit reference agencies will help you with the wording. Once the note is attached to your file any potential lenders you approach in the future will have to read it - it may be enough to help them decide in your favour.

sourcrates

Hi,

I think a critical illness, where death is an ever present possibility, should of been reason enough for Capital One to "cut you a little slack" in my opinion.

Have you put in a written complaint, or did you just phone them ?

Either way, i think you should write back, keep your cool, and attempt to get this matter sorted to your satisfaction.

If Capital One wont budge, you could give the Financial ombudsman a quick call on there helpline, see if this would fall within there re-mit, if not i suspect it will be the information commissionaires office (ICO).

Failing that, write to Watchdog.

JuicyJesus

sw19online wrote: »

Wow.

I did have a direct debit - there was no money to pay it as I had nothing as I was sick for a year.

As unfortunate as it is the fact that you couldn't pay debts when they fell due is information that credit reference agencies are supposed to have. That's the point of them - regardless of the cause, it's information relevant to anyone who would be looking to lend you money.

Cap1 have already removed the default and are still reporting factual information. Unfortunately no matter how or why you didn't pay the money, you still didn't pay the money.

GingerBob_3

It does go to show though, as the OP has pointed out, that you're sometimes better off completely ignoring a debt until the record of it is supressed by the CRAs, than you are by paying it off. Credit reporting: a system not fit for purpose.

JuicyJesus

GingerBob wrote: »

It does go to show though, as the OP has pointed out, that you're sometimes better off completely ignoring a debt until the record of it is supressed by the CRAs, than you are by paying it off. Credit reporting: a system not fit for purpose.

It's perfectly fit for purpose. In this case it did what it was supposed to do. Sucks to be the OP but not paying debts for an extended period of time wrecks your credit rating and so it should.

sw19online

"Sucks to be the OP" Arrogant SOB. Have you ever heard of extenuating circumstances and giving someone a chance to get their life back together.

Have you ever had cancer? The last thing that goes through your mind is money as you are pretty much tied up with trying to survive.

I hope you never go through what I had to endure.

PaulW922

Personally, I think that the default is worse than the late payment markers. Either way, now you are in recovery you can start building up a positive history again which will in time begins to negate the late payment markers (but less so for the default). I would agree that adding a notice to your file would be of value.

sw19online

Thank you.

That's the advice I was looking for.