Credit File wrongly damaged! Please Help!

Clarinette_2

I have recently had a dispute with Orange PCS (mobile phones) over outstanding charges on my account. This was settled through an independent arbitrator, resulting in an apology from the company and full settlement of my claim including compensation! (that's the good bit)
:beer:

However, their letter of apology included the sentence '...and your credit file has been amended accordingly', in other words Orange had previously supplied information to the credit reference company which was detrimental to my records!

:mad:

Furious, I fired off an email to the nice man who sent the letter (to the address he had given me), demanding to know immediately:

What information was supplied?
When?
To whom?
By whom?
For what reason?
Who authorised this action?

With particular reference to:

1. Why this action was taken while the matter was still under investigation, no conclusions had been reached, and no judgements arrived at?

2. Why I was not informed that this had been done?

As is usual with Orange, I have had no reply. I can put the same in writing and send recorded, but does anyone know:

:question: Are they obliged to give me the information I have requested?

:question: Will their 'amendment' show on my credit file that a gross error was made, or will it just show that the previous problem has now been settled (as in an outstanding debt which was later paid)?

I was recently refused credit (for the first time ever) and now I know why!

:question: Can I claim damages against Orange for supplying false information to the credit reference company, thus damaging my credit rating and causing me to be refused credit (which further damages it)?

:question: Have Orange broken any laws by their actions? Surely they are not allowed to treat people like this??

My aim is not to make any more money out of Orange (though this would be a bonus, especially if it upsets them), but to restore my previously good credit rating to the state it should have been in had they not taken this action; and also to see Orange punished if possible so they can't keep treating people this way.

:question: What should I do? Any help or advice gratefully received. Thank you

Clare

KILL_BILL

get a copy of your credit file online - you can get a free trial from experian for 30 days and you can see if there is any detrimental information on there

they may have marked a default on your account but they should have written to you in any event

if the matter is settled then your account should show as S for settled or closed

Brooker_Dave

Clarinette wrote: »

Can I claim damages against Orange

Demand compensation!!

pinkshoes

Check your credit record to see what it actually says, then write to the credit people, enclosing a copy of the letter saying that it was a mistake, and ask them to remove it.

What damages have you actually occured due to this, other than being refused credit? Did it actually cause you any financial loss? (being refused credit is technically financial gain, as it stops you getting into debt!!)=

How did this actually occur in the first place? (i.e. why did Orange claim you had a debt owed to them?)

Clarinette_2

pinkshoes wrote: »

What damages have you actually occured due to this, other than being refused credit? Did it actually cause you any financial loss? (being refused credit is technically financial gain, as it stops you getting into debt!!)=

How did this actually occur in the first place? (i.e. why did Orange claim you had a debt owed to them?)

Thank you for your reply. There was a fault somewhere which resulted in a ridiculously large amount of data charges on my mobile account, for which I was not responsible.

As regards damages - The credit I was refused was for a 0% balance transfer credit card, to which I would have switched my outstanding balance that I currently pay interest on, so there is the financial loss to me, but I am more worried about the effect on my credit file. If any damage done has not been completely wiped out, then my credit rating will not be as good as it should be. Now that I have finally got Orange to cancel my account, I am looking for another contract, which I may not get....

And also I would like to see Orange officially b*llocked for the way they treat their customers (what you have read here is only the tip of the iceberg). There were many more aspects to my complaint, involving the most outrageous lies and accusations, time after time, from customer services; intimidation from their collections dept, who forced me to pay some of the charges I was disputing (even though at that stage they had yet to send a single word in reply to my 3 Formal Complaint letters) by threatening me with bailiffs if I didn't pay up; and subsequent threats from a debt collection company, which should never even have been engaged at that stage in the proceedings, as the Formal Complaint procedure was still in progress); and much much more!

pinkshoes

Clarinette wrote: »

Thank you for your reply. There was a fault somewhere which resulted in a ridiculously large amount of data charges on my mobile account, for which I was not responsible.

As regards damages - The credit I was refused was for a 0% balance transfer credit card, to which I would have switched my outstanding balance that I currently pay interest on, so there is the financial loss to me, but I am more worried about the effect on my credit file. If any damage done has not been completely wiped out, then my credit rating will not be as good as it should be. Now that I have finally got Orange to cancel my account, I am looking for another contract, which I may not get....

And also I would like to see Orange officially b*llocked for the way they treat their customers (what you have read here is only the tip of the iceberg). There were many more aspects to my complaint, involving the most outrageous lies and accusations, time after time, from customer services; intimidation from their collections dept, who forced me to pay some of the charges I was disputing (even though at that stage they had yet to send a single word in reply to my 3 Formal Complaint letters) by threatening me with bailiffs if I didn't pay up; and subsequent threats from a debt collection company, which should never even have been engaged at that stage in the proceedings, as the Formal Complaint procedure was still in progress); and much much more!

In that case, sign up to experian for their 30 day free trial (details on MSE website somewhere, or http://uk.experian.com/), and view your credit rating.

There's also a section on the webpage telling you what to do if some of the information on your credit rating is wrong. It might take some time from when a mistake is rectified to your credit file being updated.

As for compensation, then I don't think you're really entitled to anything, as you are not "out of pocket" as such. A 0% balance transfer credit card isn't a human right, and shouldn't be relied on for sorting out debts. I would recommend other ways of paying off your credit card debt i.e. working extra hours or spending money only when it's in your bank account.

Orange's behaviour was pretty disgusting, but you have to remember that the people on the end of the phone lines are often numpties (lacking brain cells) who usually believe what the computer tells them. They no doubt get 100s of people trying to tell them that they don't owe any money, when the computer says they do... so to actually get a case where it was a genuine mistake on their behalf would be strange to them! (This is why they probably didn't believe you, and hence the aggressive behaviour!).

Now go view your credit report, and see what it says!

Brooker_Dave

Clarinette wrote: »

Thank you for your reply. There was a fault somewhere which resulted in a ridiculously large amount of data charges on my mobile account, for which I was not responsible.

Keylock problems?

Clarinette wrote: »

And also I would like to see Orange officially b*llocked for the way they treat their customers (what you have read here is only the tip of the iceberg). There were many more aspects to my complaint, involving the most outrageous lies and accusations

Form a posse and burn down their HQ?

Seriously don't take the way you were treated personally, it's not worth it.

If you hate Orange so much, just switch provider.

Clarinette_2

Keylock problems?

The problem, according to Orange from day 1, was a 'known issue' with the particular handset (and, as it turned out, the particular software version - it was eventually cured by a software update)

Form a posse and burn down their HQ?

Seriously don't take the way you were treated personally, it's not worth it.

Lol you misunderstand me Dave (did I really come across so bitter and vengeful??) I can assure you that this is not a personal vendetta. The whole issue, which went on for over a year(!), exposed woeful and serious failings in the Orange staff training department at EVERY level, and my wish would be that no other customer ever gets treated the way I have been. And that every b*st*rd in customer services who ever lied to me never works again...oops

If you hate Orange so much, just switch provider.

I tried! They wouldn't release my number or cancel my contract! When they cut me off the final time I had to set up another phone (PAYG) with another number, though I did charge them for this in my final claim, along with an amount for distress and inconvenience, which they paid without question - presumably in the knowledge that if I had been forced to take them to court, they could probably add an extra '0' onto the figure I asked for.

I think if you were aware of everything that has happened, like me you wouldn't want them to (continue to) get away with providing such a disgraceful, unprofessional service. The whole issue became very complicated and it was left to me to do all the maths, despite the fact that they made it extremely difficult for me to obtain the information I needed to do so! I honestly think that some would have given up and allowed themselves to be bullied into paying a bill they didn't owe.

I was happy with my result, until I found out about the credit file stuff. Orange put me through a nightmare for a year, so far they have got off lightly!