Section 75 causing negative repayment status

Kirstin89

I requested section 75 to reclaim funds from Ryan Air on my Sainsbury’s credit card around August 2020. I didn’t need to pursue this as by the time Sainsbury’s responded asking for more information Ryan Air had refunded me.

Sainsbury’s have now added an “account under review” marker on my file solely due to this from October 2020 and Equifax have interpreted this as a negative repayment marker and recorded it as a missed payment on my credit report.

I have been in touch with both sides and had a final response from both and neither will budge on this. I have asked the financial ombudsman to investigate.

I was just hoping to get some general opinions - should requesting Section 75 cause a negative repayment marker and a missed payment marker on my credit report? Is there anything else I can do? If I knew this would be a consequence I wouldn’t have applied for the section 75. To clarify there is nothing else that would have caused this - balance was £0 throughout that period.

[Deleted User]

Section 74 shouldn't cause any negative markers.

Was there any point where you didn't make a payment - for example, when the refund came in, and you considered that to act as a payment?

Kirstin89

Deleted_User said:

Section 74 shouldn't cause any negative markers.

Was there any point where you didn't make a payment - for example, when the refund came in, and you considered that to act as a payment?

No - as the balance was £0 throughout. Sainsbury’s have confirmed that this is the only reason it is on the account but won’t remove it. Equifax won’t remove the marker as the account has the query marker on it from that month. So it is on my credit report that I had a missed payment 9 months ago and that my payments aren’t up to date.

born_again

So did Ryan Airs refund come through in the same statement period as the debit? Or had you already cleared the debit?

As not all card provider will take a retailer refund as a payment. 

S75 will have no affect on your credit report.

Kirstin89

born_again said:

So did Ryan Airs refund come through in the same statement period as the debit? Or had you already cleared the debit?

As not all card provider will take a retailer refund as a payment. 

S75 will have no affect on your credit report.

I had already completely cleared the credit card. The balance was £0 throughout this period and this is shown on my statements. There was no balance at the end of the month whatsoever. I have never missed a payment. Sainsbury’s have confirmed this to Equifax.

I have told Equifax s75 should not be affecting my credit score but they won’t accept this as they just see the marker from Sainsbury’s that my account was under review (purely due to requesting S75) and attribute a negative repayment status. I have been arguing this incessantly with both sides for the last 2 months hence getting the financial ombudsman involved.

Is there anything else I can do? Are FO likely to step in and do anything?

[Deleted User]

FOS and ICO would be your best bets but it will take a while

Kirstin89

Deleted_User said:

FOS and ICO would be your best bets but it will take a while

Thanks, I didn’t know about ICO but I will contact them as well.

born_again

Kirstin89 said:

born_again said:

So did Ryan Airs refund come through in the same statement period as the debit? Or had you already cleared the debit?

As not all card provider will take a retailer refund as a payment. 

S75 will have no affect on your credit report.

I had already completely cleared the credit card. The balance was £0 throughout this period and this is shown on my statements. There was no balance at the end of the month whatsoever. I have never missed a payment. Sainsbury’s have confirmed this to Equifax.

I have told Equifax s75 should not be affecting my credit score but they won’t accept this as they just see the marker from Sainsbury’s that my account was under review (purely due to requesting S75) and attribute a negative repayment status. I have been arguing this incessantly with both sides for the last 2 months hence getting the financial ombudsman involved.

Is there anything else I can do? Are FO likely to step in and do anything?

Thanks. 
Crazy 

p3ncilsharpener

Kirstin89 said:

born_again said:

So did Ryan Airs refund come through in the same statement period as the debit? Or had you already cleared the debit?

As not all card provider will take a retailer refund as a payment. 

S75 will have no affect on your credit report.

I had already completely cleared the credit card. The balance was £0 throughout this period and this is shown on my statements. There was no balance at the end of the month whatsoever. I have never missed a payment. Sainsbury’s have confirmed this to Equifax.

I have told Equifax s75 should not be affecting my credit score but they won’t accept this as they just see the marker from Sainsbury’s that my account was under review (purely due to requesting S75) and attribute a negative repayment status. I have been arguing this incessantly with both sides for the last 2 months hence getting the financial ombudsman involved.

Is there anything else I can do? Are FO likely to step in and do anything?

Your score doesn't matter, and it especially doesn't matter how Equifax view your credit report. They do not lend money.  If these are Q markers then https://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/files/306835/DRN-2821691.pdf seems relevant.

Kirstin89

p3ncilsharpener said:

Kirstin89 said:

born_again said:

So did Ryan Airs refund come through in the same statement period as the debit? Or had you already cleared the debit?

As not all card provider will take a retailer refund as a payment. 

S75 will have no affect on your credit report.

I had already completely cleared the credit card. The balance was £0 throughout this period and this is shown on my statements. There was no balance at the end of the month whatsoever. I have never missed a payment. Sainsbury’s have confirmed this to Equifax.

I have told Equifax s75 should not be affecting my credit score but they won’t accept this as they just see the marker from Sainsbury’s that my account was under review (purely due to requesting S75) and attribute a negative repayment status. I have been arguing this incessantly with both sides for the last 2 months hence getting the financial ombudsman involved.

Is there anything else I can do? Are FO likely to step in and do anything?

Your score doesn't matter, and it especially doesn't matter how Equifax view your credit report. They do not lend money.  If these are Q markers then seems relevant.

Thank you, that is really helpful. I am aware that Equifax don’t lend money. 

I’m not worried about my score or the Q marker in itself,  more the big yellow flags with “9 months since last missed payment” and “Up to date with payments? No”. Equifax have confirmed these would be viewed negatively by a lender.

p3ncilsharpener

Kirstin89 said:

p3ncilsharpener said:

Kirstin89 said:

born_again said:

So did Ryan Airs refund come through in the same statement period as the debit? Or had you already cleared the debit?

As not all card provider will take a retailer refund as a payment. 

S75 will have no affect on your credit report.

I had already completely cleared the credit card. The balance was £0 throughout this period and this is shown on my statements. There was no balance at the end of the month whatsoever. I have never missed a payment. Sainsbury’s have confirmed this to Equifax.

I have told Equifax s75 should not be affecting my credit score but they won’t accept this as they just see the marker from Sainsbury’s that my account was under review (purely due to requesting S75) and attribute a negative repayment status. I have been arguing this incessantly with both sides for the last 2 months hence getting the financial ombudsman involved.

Is there anything else I can do? Are FO likely to step in and do anything?

Your score doesn't matter, and it especially doesn't matter how Equifax view your credit report. They do not lend money.  If these are Q markers then seems relevant.

Thank you, that is really helpful. I am aware that Equifax don’t lend money. 

I’m not worried about my score or the Q marker in itself,  more the big yellow flags with “9 months since last missed payment” and “Up to date with payments? No”. Equifax have confirmed these would be viewed negatively by a lender.

My research seems to suggest that this is Equifax erroneously viewing Q markers as missed payments.  But that's a faulty interpretation (I have no idea why they're misinterpreting their own markers.)  The plus side is that Equifax's interpretation doesn't matter, lenders will see the raw data and make their own assessment (and a Q marker is not a negative.)