Barclays Partner Finance - Amending Credit Report

jimmycunliffe

Hello, this is my first post on this forum and I'm wondering if anybody would be kind enough to offer me any advice or if anybody has gone through a similar situation. 

I have been paying off a loan to Barclays Partner Finance since February 2020 when I bought my iPhone. I didn't realise Apple use BPF loans to finance their products so in August 2020, when I came across a monthly direct debit to BPF on my online bank statements, I was confused as to what it was. I contacted my bank, which is Lloyds, and they said they didn't know what it was for and refunded me the money - which totalled 6 months worth of payments. 

This happened on 4th August. Three days later, on the 7th, I realised my error and contacted Barclays directly to amend my mistake. I sent them 7 months worth of payments because my monthly payments were due on the 5th of every month, so by the time I became aware of my mistake I had actually missed August's payments as well as owing them for the refunded 6 months. I have been paying on time ever since and thought nothing of it at the time. 

Today, I am trying to secure a mortgage and this is proving to be a major stumbling block for me, giving me no chance of finding agreements with high street lenders. My credit report for August 2020 on that BPF loan reads as 'either 6 months missed payments or 6 months in arrears'. 

I have been trying to get this amended/deleted for the past month but no luck so far. I have rang Barclays on multiple occasions and even after raising an official complaint they were unwilling to amend the information stating that because it wasn't an error on their part, there's nothing they can do. They forwarded me on to the Financial Ombudsmen, who have told me that it could be up to 4 months before I hear a reply from them due to COVID-19. And I have had a dispute raised on my behalf from my credit report on checkmyfile - Experian and Equifax have had no luck but TransUnion might have made a breakthrough. Im still waiting. 

My next plan of action is to write BPF a letter and hope I get a response that way. 

Any suggestions would be welcomed, thanks for reading and sorry it was a long one 

[Deleted User]

You're very unlikely to have it removed, as the markers are accurate. Not noticing a payment for 6 months and then cancelling a DD is the sort of worrying financial management that concerns lenders, hence the markers.

You can keep trying on the off-chance you get lucky, but in terms of the mortgage, use a mortgage broker experienced in adverse credit. If your deposit is large enough, you'll have a wider choice where you could be placed.

mjm3346

You took the money back so at one point owed them 6 months payments.
Doubtful that having falsely reclaimed your payments will have helped either