Credit File - AR - Options

The_Analyst · 28 January 2018 at 4:03PM

I posted this on a thread on the Debt-Free Wannabe forum, but interested to get some opinions on here.

Quick backstory - in 2011 my wife and I entered a DMP. That ran until 2016 when we set up direct payments to our 2 creditors Idem (5 accounts) and PRA (2 accounts). Direct payments actually worked better than the DMP and we are close to getting zero balance on everything.

So, in readiness for a debt-free life, and approaching the 6 year cut off for the defaults on our credit file I signed up to Experian to get a clear picture of our credit scores and when the defaults would start to drop off.

So, across both of our files we have the following:

IDEM
HSBC Loan - Default June 2012
HSBC Overdraft - Default Feb 2012 (now zero balance)
Halifax Credit Card - Default Nov 2012
Egg Loan1 - Not Defaulted, Arrangement to Pay on credit file
Egg Loan2 - Not Defaulted, Arrangement to Pay on credit file

PRA
MBNA Credit Card - Default Feb 2012
Barclaycard - Default June 2015

So, my initial thoughts were why had Egg not defaulted us? Why is there an AP on the file which stays on 6 years after the account is zero balance? Also, why did it take Barclaycard 4 years to default the account? We entered into the DMP in July 2011.

I contacted Idem regarding the APs and they stated that they were the correct markers, but as a gesture of goodwill they'd remove my wife's from her credit file, but mine would stay where it was (eh?). I'm in dispute with them over mine as they can give no reason why they removed my wife's and not mine (complaint is on-going). If they refuse, do I have any options to take it further?

Secondly, is there any merit in contacting PRA or Barclaycard to ask why they didn't default us sooner (obviously, an older default date is better for us going forward)

Lastly, when I look at the AP on my credit file, the payment markers from months 72-7 all state '6' but in the last 6 months that has reduced down to 3.... as far as I know nothing has changed on my account, the payments have stayed the same for the last 12-15 months since we went direct, why would the marker suddenly change and is this a good or a bad thing?

All advice appreciated