Unknown debt default showing on credit record

magyar

PaulW922 wrote: »

Lowells and/or O2 may consider it necessary to keep some information given this may have been fraudulent. For example, if they are later required to account for their actions, or to assist in an investigation, how would they do so if they had deleted all the data?You do not need to actually be a customer for a business to have reasonable grounds to keep data about you.

Well, since the police actually have no right to keep a record on you if you were arrested and accused of an offence and subsequently acquitted, I'm not sure how a private company is allowed more rights than this!

magyar

This has proven very hard to resolve!

O2 have finally admitted the account was fraudulent and have credited the Lowells account. Lowells in turn have finally agreed to remove the default. O2 have offered £100 in compensation and Lowells have offered £75. I suspect both of them know that an Ombudsman complaint would cost them far more than this but to be honest it's not a wholly unreasonable amount and I'm minded to accept it once the default is actually removed.

What concerns me - and O2 have refused (in writing) to answer this - is (a) why they made a link between a fraudulent address and my real one and (b) having done so, why they made no attempt to contact me before putting a default on there.

All they have said is

I’ve found that applications are subject to credit, fraud and security checks on the information we receive at the point of opening an account. We’re unable to confirm as to how this information is linked to an individual. We carry out these checks based on the information we receive from individuals who open an account with us. For this reason, any correspondence is sent to the contact details we receive at the point of sale. We’re unable to be responsible for the transfer of information to us. We do consider ourselves to be responsible for the security of the data that we hold.

As far as I can see all this is saying is "if someone gives us a false address, then we use that false address, and it's not our fault". Which is understandable. But that person didn't give them my address, they somehow must have made the link.

Naf

That quote sounds as though the account was opened by a third party retailer (like Carphone Warehouse, Phones 4 U). They appear to be claiming that someone else's actions made the link to you, and they just accepted it was you based on their data.

In all honesty, it seems like you're not going to get any further than this, I'm afraid. O2 are unlikely to tell you which third party made the connection, and even if they did its probably most likely Phones 4U (who weren't exactly renowned for good practises, I worked there!) so it'll be a definite dead end.

As long as the mark is removed from your file, I'd take the money and leave it. Unless you really want to sort out that car loan application, and try to chase someone for the difference in total cost which the mark has caused you; but you'll be very hard pushed to prove that, since Sainsbury's aren't going to tell you outright that this mark was the reason; nor are they likely to recheck your file without reference to what they found there the last time.

magyar

Thanks Naf that sounds exactly right. As you say, best not to lose too much sleep and just let it drop - the rating is finally sorted.