Credit rating - how to undo a mistake?

YCL1975

Sorry if something along these lines has been posted before. In summary:


- My ex-wife is currently applying for a mortgage (we're on good terms and are open with each other about things).
- Last year, a credit card in her name that she/we hadn't used for ages had a one-off transaction on it for a pretty small amount (no more than £60). I think it might have been for an annual renewal of something that we had long since forgotten about.
- Because we weren't using that card for day-to-day transactions by then, she/we didn't realise what had happened until we got something in the post saying that 3 months had passed and we hadn't made a payment (I guess there was probably other correspondence - either online or in the post - before then, but we don't recall it).
- She cleared off the outstanding amount on receiving the letter and thought that was that.


This is now coming up on her credit checks and is preventing her from getting a mortgage. It seems that actually speaking to a human being to explain this is pretty difficult and that it essentially is just down to a computer programme.


Does anyone know if this can be overcome? It would be different (in my view at least) if she'd defaulted on a car loan or something 'big'. But this was nothing more than a genuine oversight.


Any help or advice very gratefully received.


Many thanks.

foxy-stoat

Time is the only healer for defaults. The amount means very little.

She needs to speak to a broker, they will know who is likely to accept recent defaults.

Does she not get the monthly statements or monthly emails saying there is a monthly statement, please log on to your account?

kitkatt1982

Hi, If you try to go with a company that accepts defaults as the poster above suggested you’d generally be looking at much higher interest rates. The credit card company she was with would have the ability to either remove this from her credit file or to add a note to it with an explanation. I would say that unless it was a fraudulent transaction or that it was their fault, it would be an act of goodwill of theirs on their part to do this so I’d try and speak very nicely to them pointing out that you have been loyal customers, it was a genuine mistake and that you feel they potentially didn’t do enough to alert you etc and they may amend it. I’ve done this myself regarding something on my file from 8 years ago and another thing more recently. Good luck

YCL1975

I appreciate you taking the time to reply. Very helpful. Thank you.