Am I at fault?

Laura503

I took an 18 month broadband contract with Vodafone July 2018. 3 months later after countless calls to Vodafone, 3 OpenReach engineer visits & a booster later, I could not get a working service in my property and I advised I had to leave due to non-working service. 

I was charged an early termination fee of £215 which I tried to dispute but to no avail. This amount later defaulted and sold to Lowell July 2019, despite my account being closed with Vodafone Sept 2018.

I paid this debt in full by November 2021, however to this day (5th May 2024) the £215 is still in arreers with Vodafone. I want to get a mortgage and this is the only thing holding me back. Im not happy this amount is still under my name with Vodafone despite being paid nearly 3.5 years ago!

I do not believe I was in the wrong to leave Vodafone, I gave them ample opportunities over 3 months -I work from home so need a working internet connection, I wanted them to implement a service but OpenReach advised the signal just would not reach my house - I never had an issue with any other provider. Why should I be expected to pay for a service I cannot receive?!

Due to this still affecting my credit file in 2024 (and will do until July 2025 when it drops off) I contacted CISAS to dispute, they got in touch with Vodafone for proof but Vodafone conviently have no communication for the countless calls for help, they only record of my connection date & when I left 3 months later and CISAS decided to reject my dispute.

As you will be wondering, why has this taken so long.. This is topped off with bringing proof of Lowell's payment confirmation into the nearest Vodafone store 30mins away, dozens of calls to Vodafone this year alone (easy 1hr+ each time), being passed from pillar to post between Vodafone & Lowell because "it is not up to us to contact them, they must contact us", Vodafone cannot help by phone, advised I can send a screenshot via chat to TOBi online, "you need to go instore", go instore and told "you need to phone" yada yada... circling round & round & round, re-explaining my situation to each person, getting cut off calls & needing to phone back, rinse, repeat. Asking for an email is completely absurd, then round & round I go again.

Is there anything else I can do if I do not agree with CISAS' decision, am I at fault?

kathygrif

Your fault is that you should have paid the amount owing and then carried on with the dispute. Leaving it for 3 years before settling the due amount has left you in a poor light and makes you look like a bad debtor. Although you think your credit file will be clear in 2025 it will not, there will always be a ghost report if people do a hard search.

marcia_

kathygrif said:

Your fault is that you should have paid the amount owing and then carried on with the dispute. Leaving it for 3 years before settling the due amount has left you in a poor light and makes you look like a bad debtor. Although you think your credit file will be clear in 2025 it will not, there will always be a ghost report if people do a hard search.

 No it wont, it will drop off.
 What makes you think it wont?

Nasqueron

kathygrif said:

Your fault is that you should have paid the amount owing and then carried on with the dispute. Leaving it for 3 years before settling the due amount has left you in a poor light and makes you look like a bad debtor. Although you think your credit file will be clear in 2025 it will not, there will always be a ghost report if people do a hard search.

ICO rules require it be removed after 6 years from default and there will be no trace left for anyone unless Vodafone themselves keep an internal blacklist

Phoenix72

A 'ghost report'? Stop making stuff up.

sourcrates

The default will be automatically removed after 6 years, and no trace of it will remain anywhere.