Credit score ruined by computer error

Slev

Hi all - I’m at a bit of a loss. I discovered that my credit score has over halved and after getting an experian account and doing digging I’ve found that an old internet provider has been claiming Ive owed them £8 for the last 6 months. Problem is they never told me. I spoke to them last week and they said this was a computer error and I was in fact supposed to be credited the £8 when I left as my account was previously in credit. They have said there is nothing they can do about the affect on my credit score. I’ve also just logged back into the closed account and it’s still saying £8 debit.

can anyone advise on what I should do here?

spinningsheep

This is incorrect. If any organisation reports incorrect information to the credit reference agencies, you can raise a dispute to the get the errenous information corrected and any detrimental affect to your credit record ammeded. 

If this is truely no fault of your own and no payments were missed (in which case the record would be correct and would be unlikely to be changed, credit files are meant to be accurate records after all) then the late payment markers would be removed and your credit file left in the position you were in proper to the wrong info being reported.

I had the same issue with British Gas recently, they showed my account 2 months in arrears when in fact I was awaiting a final bill from them. It was frustrating and took a few months to be rectified but it was in the end.  First job is raise a formal complaint to the internet supplier. In writing. 

If there is no joy from that raise a dispute via Experian. 

Best of luck 

macman

Forget your credit score, it's a fictitious number that lenders can't even see. It's your credit history that matters.
Get the marker removed as advised, the score is irrelevant.
Who is the erroneous provider?

Slev

It’s shell - I’ve spoken to them three times, each time they admit it’s a fault, say they’ll rectify my account, but that they can’t remove markers. I’ve asked them for this is writing and each time they say I’ll have it by the end of the day. I’ve yet to receive a single email from them.

penners324

Issue an official complaint to them. If this still isn't done complain to the ICO

DullGreyGuy

Slev said:

It’s shell - I’ve spoken to them three times, each time they admit it’s a fault, say they’ll rectify my account, but that they can’t remove markers. I’ve asked them for this is writing and each time they say I’ll have it by the end of the day. I’ve yet to receive a single email from them.

They cannot change your credit score, as others have said, that's a thing a clever person in the Marketing department of one of the credit reference agencies came up with and the others rapidly copied.

They can correct the credit history though it appears for most companies its not straight forward for them to do so possibly why first line staff are unaware that it can be done.

If you do get it fixed keep a close eye on your record for some time afterwards!! I had wrong information recorded by a high street bank. They too initially said it couldn't be changed but subsequently did correct it after the complaint was escalated. About 2-3 months after it had been corrected it went back to the original wrong information, this happened one more time before they finally corrected it and got it to stick (guess whatever caused the wrong info to be reported kept retriggering)

[Deleted User]

DullGreyGuy said:

Slev said:

It’s shell - I’ve spoken to them three times, each time they admit it’s a fault, say they’ll rectify my account, but that they can’t remove markers. I’ve asked them for this is writing and each time they say I’ll have it by the end of the day. I’ve yet to receive a single email from them.

They cannot change your credit score, as others have said, that's a thing a clever person in the Marketing department of one of the credit reference agencies came up with and the others rapidly copied.

They can correct the credit history though it appears for most companies its not straight forward for them to do so possibly why first line staff are unaware that it can be done.

If you do get it fixed keep a close eye on your record for some time afterwards!! I had wrong information recorded by a high street bank. They too initially said it couldn't be changed but subsequently did correct it after the complaint was escalated. About 2-3 months after it had been corrected it went back to the original wrong information, this happened one more time before they finally corrected it and got it to stick (guess whatever caused the wrong info to be reported kept retriggering)

To be pedantic, the credit scoring system was created in the US way back in 1956, the modern scores were created in 1989 by FICO. The UK system is of course just a gimmick but the CRAs would love for us to move into the US model where they control the financial system

fatbelly

penners324 said:

Issue an official complaint to them. If this still isn't done complain to the ICO

This is correct. Do it in writing. Email is OK

They have 8 weeks to respond.

If no response, you complain to ICO anyway