Talk mobile ruins my credit rating

Quigibo

Today I learned that talk mobile has ruined my credit rating for £7 that I owed over 12 months ago.

It would appear that when I ported my number to a new supplier and left talk mobile I was to be charged £7 for rental, but because I cancelled the direct debit it could not be taken.

No contact was made by talk mobile, but they continued to blackball my credit rating every month for over 12 months.

Now my rating has gone from gold standard to poor, it took me applying for a loan to find out something was wrong. I checked my credit score and was shocked to find that it was talk mobile.

I phoned them, they said I should pay it and they would talk to to the quality department to look at my request to look at my credit score.

Is this really all I can do about this? I've had no contact from Talk Mobile at all, no email, no letters, no calls or any other form of comms.

Feel powerless!

DCFC79

Quigibo wrote: »

Today I learned that talk mobile has ruined my credit rating for £7 that I owed over 12 months ago.

It would appear that when I ported my number to a new supplier and left talk mobile I was to be charged £7 for rental, but because I cancelled the direct debit it could not be taken.

No contact was made by talk mobile, but they continued to blackball my credit rating every month for over 12 months.

Now my rating has gone from gold standard to poor, it took me applying for a loan to find out something was wrong. I checked my credit score and was shocked to find that it was talk mobile.

I phoned them, they said I should pay it and they would talk to to the quality department to look at my request to look at my credit score.

Is this really all I can do about this? I've had no contact from Talk Mobile at all, no email, no letters, no calls or any other form of comms.

Feel powerless!

Its not your rating thats been screwed, well it is but lenders dont see that, they see the history. You shouldn't cancel direct debits like that, who told you to do that ?

[Deleted User]

Forget the gold standard, the poor, the blackballing, forget everything about the fictional score. You don't have one.

What is appearing on your credit files?

Default? Missed payments? CCJ?

Quigibo

It shows as in arrears for 14 months

Ben8282

Over and over again we have threads from people who cancel the direct debit.
My advice. NEVER cancel a direct debit (unless there are some exceptional genuine grounds to suspect fraud etc).
I have NEVER had anybody take a direct debit that they shouldn't have and if they did you would have the direct debit guarantee to fall back on.
The direct debit should cancel itself in due course. If not, wait a few months and then cancel it.
So because of your haste in cancelling the direct debit before your final payment was taken you have created this problem for yourself. Talk mobile have not ruined your credit rating; you have.

Quigibo

It actually something I've always done when I end any relationship with a company. It would seem that talk mobile suggest 90 days should pass after the 30 day notice period to allow any remaining rental to go out.

I can't understand three things though:
Why they didn't ask for payment
Why they didn't ask me to settle when I ported my numbers
Why they didn't contact me ever

Quigibo

Always thought of direct debit as just a form of payment, are you saying its actually a form of contract? I'm really in the dark here.

takman

Quigibo wrote: »

Always thought of direct debit as just a form of payment, are you saying its actually a form of contract? I'm really in the dark here.

A Direct Debit allows a company to take money from your account as agreed, as you know they can vary the amount and date the money is taken (as long as you agree to it). There is also a Direct Debit guarantee which means any money incorrectly taken is refunded by your bank immediately without question.

So actually there is no real reason to cancel Direct Debits as soon as you think no more payments are going to be taken.

Quigibo

Ben8282 wrote: »

Over and over again we have threads from people who cancel the direct debit.
My advice. NEVER cancel a direct debit (unless there are some exceptional genuine grounds to suspect fraud etc).
I have NEVER had anybody take a direct debit that they shouldn't have and if they did you would have the direct debit guarantee to fall back on.
The direct debit should cancel itself in due course. If not, wait a few months and then cancel it.
So because of your haste in cancelling the direct debit before your final payment was taken you have created this problem for yourself. Talk mobile have not ruined your credit rating; you have.

I've had energy firms constantly talk more and more money when I'm in credit and little option to do anything to prevent.

canceled the direct debit.

I've had the national lottery let me setup a direct debit online, but then request I call their support line to cancel it.

canceled the direct debit.

Both legitimate reasons to cancel the DD.

We must remember DD are in our control, thats part of the guarantee isn't it?

PixelPound

Quigibo wrote: »

It actually something I've always done when I end any relationship with a company. It would seem that talk mobile suggest 90 days should pass after the 30 day notice period to allow any remaining rental to go out.

I can't understand three things though:
Why they didn't ask for payment
Why they didn't ask me to settle when I ported my numbers
Why they didn't contact me ever

Time to change habits. Why did you cancel if you thought you did not owe anything? Did you receive monthly statements, or was it all online - if the latter did you ever check your online account to ensure it was zero.
To answer your questions
- probably did but by the usual billing method
- even is a PAC is requested, if its not used everything continues, so once it completed they probably did a final bill and tried to collect by the DD
- they probably have a low balance policy - is it worth spending money chasing a £7 (letters cost). They did report it to CRA.

Ben8282

Quigibo wrote: »

I can't understand three things though:
Why they didn't ask for payment
Why they didn't ask me to settle when I ported my numbers
Why they didn't contact me ever

You have partially answered your question in your OP

Quigibo wrote: »

It would appear that when I ported my number to a new supplier and left talk mobile I was to be charged £7 for rental, but because I cancelled the direct debit it could not be taken.

Obviously there will be a final bill. Say your bill is generated on 1st of the month and you cancelled on 15th.
Next month on 1st there will be a final bill. That should be self evident. If you had already cancelled the direct debit obviously they couldn't take it.
]

Quigibo wrote: »

I've had energy firms constantly talk more and more money when I'm in credit and little option to do anything to prevent.

canceled the direct debit.

Rather foolish if you ask me. Did you never think to call them and ask them to adjust the direct debit based on your current level of consumption?