Failed credit check

rs82uk

Hi I posted this in the buying renting forum but was told its not the best place.

Hi all,
I was hoping to move to a new rental property, but it turns out I have failed the credit check. So I paid for a report and it turns out I have a score of fair.

I have always been someone that has saved for everything, so I have not had much credit, but it turns out a dispute I had with Three (the mobile company)
IS the one bad mark on my history, basically my phone stopped working in the july of 2005 I informed them of this and was told i would be contacted.

Anyway by mid august and alot of phone calls I still had a non functional mobile phone and by this time had paid one month's rental since it stopped working, so I contacted three again and told them I would cancel my dd until it was functional.
By the end of august my phone was still not working so I told three I was cancelling my contract and that they could send me a bill for outstanding charges. I never heard anything so assumed that they had decided not to charge me as I had suffered such inconvience(stupid I know)

But it turns out that somehow they had forgotten that I had moved (a year earlier) and sent said final bill to my old address.

So now my credit history shows a black mark of me owing £197 to three. What can I do about this as I could do with moving asap.

BMWobbleU

rsootarsing wrote: »

Hi I posted this in the buying renting forum but was told its not the best place.

Hi all,
I was hoping to move to a new rental property, but it turns out I have failed the credit check. So I paid for a report and it turns out I have a score of fair.

I have always been someone that has saved for everything, so I have not had much credit, but it turns out a dispute I had with Three (the mobile company)
IS the one bad mark on my history, basically my phone stopped working in the july of 2005 I informed them of this and was told i would be contacted.

Anyway by mid august and alot of phone calls I still had a non functional mobile phone and by this time had paid one month's rental since it stopped working, so I contacted three again and told them I would cancel my dd until it was functional.
By the end of august my phone was still not working so I told three I was cancelling my contract and that they could send me a bill for outstanding charges. I never heard anything so assumed that they had decided not to charge me as I had suffered such inconvience(stupid I know)

But it turns out that somehow they had forgotten that I had moved (a year earlier) and sent said final bill to my old address.

So now my credit history shows a black mark of me owing £197 to three. What can I do about this as I could do with moving asap.

You can add this info to your credit file, but i doubt it would make much difference to your rating.

rs82uk

So basically I am forced to be homeless?

because if one letting agent wont rent to me I doubt any will, and I dont really fancy paying lots of agents fees only to find out Ive failed again.

There must be a way I can get this information off my file, three made a mistake and im being punished for it.

I earn easily enough money to pay the rent on this new house and can prove to the agents how much I earn.

postingalwaysposting

rsooter what about pritave landlords?

Dr_Hook

Have you tried offering to pay a few months' rent in advance (if you have the money) or would a family member stand as guarantor?

Have you asked the letting agent why the credit check failed? A friend of mine recently started renting and his credit history was pretty much in tatters. He sailed through the check without so much as a raised eyebrow.

I think letting agents put more stock in employer & previous landlord references and how long you have held a bank account. I'd be very surprised if a £197 bad debt to a mobile phone company stopped you renting - I suspect there's another reason.

rs82uk

Yeah obviously that is the next option.
Just really frustrating as we have found a house that is perfect for us.

Im going to ask the letting agent if I can go in to see them tomorrow with a full copy of my credit report that shows no other missed payments. Along with pay slips etc.

rs82uk

Dr_Hook wrote: »

Have you tried offering to pay a few months' rent in advance (if you have the money) or would a family member stand as guarantor?

Have you asked the letting agent why the credit check failed? A friend of mine recently started renting and his credit history was pretty much in tatters. He sailed through the check without so much as a raised eyebrow.

I think letting agents put more stock in employer & previous landlord references and how long you have held a bank account. I'd be very surprised if a £197 bad debt to a mobile phone company stopped you renting - I suspect there's another reason.

I asked them and they said it was the credit check that failed.

The Landlord has vouched for us and said that we have been model tenants paid all our rent on time etc.

Snaggles

I work as an underwriter, and if I was looking to lend you money, a SATISFIED issue with a mobile phone company wouldn't put me off lending (mobile phone companies are notorious for 'running to tell teacher' (ie the credit reference agencies) if you so much as pause for breath before you pay your bill). However, an outstanding default WOULD put me off.

So, the options are to either a) pay it, or b) get them to agree that it was their fault and remove it from your file.

Have you written to them explaining the circumstances? What have they said? If they were willing to send you something in writing to confirm that it is an error, you could give this to the letting agency to prove you are not a 'bad risk' (getting it removed from your file could take a couple of months or so even if they DO agree).

Have you got a copy of a bill with the correct address on it? I'm just thinking if you can PROVE they knew your new address, then they might be more willing to agree that it was a mistake.

You can add a notice of dispute or notice of correction explaining the circumstances to your credit file, it wont improve your rating, but anyone that carries out a search will be able to see the explanation you have given. But remember to remove it once all this is resolved, because having it there when there is no longer a problem with your file can actually create more problems than it solves.

tigtag02

rsootarsing wrote: »

Yeah obviously that is the next option.
Just really frustrating as we have found a house that is perfect for us.

Im going to ask the letting agent if I can go in to see them tomorrow with a full copy of my credit report that shows no other missed payments. Along with pay slips etc.

This is probably your best bet.

I agree with DrHook in that something certainly seems amiss to fail a credit check on a 2 year old debt for £197

There has got to be some mistake somewhere. I hope you get the problem fixed

Dr_Hook

rsootarsing wrote: »

I asked them and they said it was the credit check that failed.

The Landlord has vouched for us and said that we have been model tenants paid all our rent on time etc.

Hmm, seems odd then. This might be a daft question, but did you get your credit file from the credit reference agency the letting agents use? Different agencies keep (sometimes radically) different information.

I'd be tempted to do what you said and go along with wage slips, bank statements, references from landlords, etc, etc and see if you can't get them to make an exception.

rs82uk

I need to ask them if they did a check on my missus as I believe her history could be rather pants.

But as I will be paying all the rent will her history bother them?