Where do I start?

memw17

Hi guys,

Posted my first thread yesterday and got some pretty useful advice. Thanks to all.

In summary, My credit history is a mess from over 14 years ago when I ended up really ill. Now I'm looking to clean the mess up. A lot of my debt seems to have disappeared, I thought I was In 20k or so worth of debt but it's been so long that my debt has been passed around from debt collector to debt collector and I don't know who I owe anymore.

I ordered my report from equifax and let my girlfriend see the mess for the first time. She logged in and the mess just wasn't there. Yes my credit score is awful but it said I only owe £1,600 which is bizzare. Someone said yesterday I need to order reports from 3 different companies. I signed up to a site today called Checkmyfile who apparently get all my history from 2 reference agencies and it again says I only have £1,600 outstanding.

Has anyone used checkmyfile? Is it accurate?

Any idea who the 3rd agency is I need to get a report from? And is it likely that one agency is the one with all my debt listed on?

Any help greatfully appreciated.

The road to being debt free for me finally starts here.

Thanks

M

memw17

Update. I seem to have the reports from all 3 reference agencies.

Experian, Equifax and CallCredit

They all show £1,600 outstanding. Is there any others that would show the older debt that has disappeared? It can't just vanish surely? I know one was over £8,000 alone to Egg Bank. They won't exactly write that off.

I've checked through the files history and it isn't listed at all as ever being on there.

Confused to say the least!

skint_chick

If your old debts went to default and you didn't make any payments in the past 6 years, then after 6 years they fall off your credit report. So while you still owe the money legally the companies can't enforce repayment and if you don't acknowledge the debt it won't reappear on your credit file.

Equifax, Experian, and Callcredit are the 3 agencies so if you have them that's it. If you're a homeowner then you just need to check there are no charging orders against your home. If you're not then you just have the £1,600 to sort out, is it showing as a default? Have you been making payments to the debt?

memw17

Hi thanks for the reply. Yes they're all in default and 2 are CCJs I'm guessing I can't do a full and final settlement offer on a debt with a CCJ can I?

Thanks for your help

skint_chick

So you have 2 options - you can pay them and the debts will stay on your file for 6 years from the date they are settled. Or you can ignore them and they will fall off your credit file 6 years after the date of default/CCJ. It's your choice which you decide to do - if you're going to pay them then I would throw all your spare money at the £1,600 to get it paid ASAP as the 6 years doesn't start for each one until they're fully paid. Full and final settlements might be a possibility even with a CCJ but if you're making an offer, make it in writing, ask them to accept in writing, and make it a condition of the offer that the CCJ is marked as satisfied.