ScottishPower confirmed a repayment plan wouldn’t affect my credit file – opposite has happened..

shazzy93

Hi everyone,

I’m wondering whether anyone else has experienced something similar with ScottishPower, because I’m currently dealing with a situation where I was given clear information about how my account would be handled, relied on that information, and what has actually happened appears to be the opposite.

My ScottishPower supply had already ended and I was left with a final balance of £960.06. I contacted them proactively because I wanted to deal with the balance properly and make sure I understood the consequences of setting up a repayment arrangement.

I specifically asked about the effect on my credit file.

I was told that a repayment arrangement of 12 months or less would not affect my credit score or credit report, whereas an arrangement lasting longer than 12 months would be reported as an Arrangement to Pay.

On that basis, I agreed to a 10-month repayment arrangement, at around £96 per month.

This was particularly important to me because I wasn’t refusing to pay the debt. I was actively trying to agree an affordable way of clearing the final balance, and I specifically checked the credit-reporting consequences before agreeing to anything.

There were already problems with the account beforehand. My final bill repeatedly seemed to be reversing/reappearing, at one point ScottishPower said the balance wasn’t reflecting correctly and needed to be looked at by their back-office team, and despite discussions about the repayment arrangement I then received another final bill demanding the full £960.06.

Eventually, on 25 August, I spoke to ScottishPower again and the 10-month repayment arrangement was set up.

However, despite the assurances I had been given about a sub-12-month arrangement not affecting my credit report, the way the account has subsequently been handled/reported appears to contradict what I was explicitly told.

That’s the part I’m struggling with. Had they told me from the outset, “Yes, you can pay over 10 months, but this may still result in adverse information being reported to the CRAs,” I would at least have been able to make an informed decision.

Instead, I specifically queried the credit-file consequences, received reassurance, acted on it, and then found that the reality was different.

I have kept the correspondence/evidence showing what I was told.

Has anyone else had ScottishPower tell them that a repayment plan of 12 months or less wouldn’t affect their credit file, only to find adverse information reported anyway?

I’d also be really interested to hear from anyone who challenged ScottishPower over something similar and what the outcome was.

Thanks.

fatbelly

This seems to be a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing, which would be typical for SP.

I suggest that you raise a formal complaint by email

https://www.scottishpower.co.uk/support-centre/complaints

MorningcoffeeIV

How is it being reported?

otb666

I think Scottish Power must have a problem with their computer system as we left them in 2024 and they have recently added an agreement to our credit file. We had an amended final bill from them which we paid in 2024. They originally closed it as a house move on February readings refunding £200 when in fact it was a change of supply in April. We paid back the money when we eventually got correct final in April 2024.

I have emailed them and they are insisting no agreement on my credit file when I can see there is.

They have passed it back to their back office but I will imagine I will need to go to ombudsman.

Scot_39

this thread last month maybe relevent - if not exactly tge same.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6680813/wild-west-with-scottish-power-they-added-a-debt-marker-on-my-credit-file

luci

Are you intending taking out a loan or mortgage in the near future?

born_again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6684131/scottishpower-confirmed-a-repayment-plan-wouldn-t-affect-my-credit-file-opposite-has-happened

What they have reported is factual (credit plan) & simply sounds like someone does not know anything about reporting

shazzy93

to be clear, I am looking to get a mortgage within the next few months and they are reporting an arrangement to pay - I realise that’s what it is BUT I specifically asked them how it would be reported before entering as my main concern was protecting my credit file due to my upcoming mortgage application.. and yet the exact opposite of what they promised has now happened

fatbelly

II agree. Regardless of how it's meant to be done, if you were told you wouldn't get a marker, then they should keep to that. Complain.

Ectophile

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82144910#Comment_82144910

But the big thing for a potential lender is what it is being reported as. An arrangement to pay is going to make any lender twitchy. A regular monthly payment against a negative credit balance looks totally normal.

shazzy93

it’s being reported as ‘arrangement to pay’ as I have mentioned, not regular monthly payments with an outstanding balance as I believed it would be