British gas default changed to settled

This month my british gas default on my account was changed to settled, but I havn't made any payment to the account and it was defaulted in june 2018. Anybody have any idea whats going on?



Also I checked my experian report and it said my score went from like 500 to 913 but says my credit report etc is "unavailable and to try again later". So I'm not sure if it's just experian that has broken but I find it hard to believe they have rated me as 913/999 with a default against my account.


My Equifax report is 300/600 which has me in the poor catagory(more like it).



I also read that accounts which have never had a default get put as "settled", accounts that have a default get put as "satisfied". So I really don't know what is going on. The default/missed payments still show on the account.


I only have this one default against me.

Comments

  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 28,717
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    Hi,

    The most likely reason for your account showing as settled, will be because British Gas will have sold the debt, if you haven't paid it, then chances are its been sold to a 3rd party debt purchasing company.

    Usually Lowell, Cabot or Arrow Global will have picked it up as part of a portfolio of debts, at some point in the future they may get around to writing to you, in the meantime you may get emails, calls or texts, dependent on what contact details they have for you.

    When you receive something in writing, respond with the "provit" letter, if they prove liability, and you accept its your debt, its up to you to arrange a repayment plan, or ignore it, your choice.

    Oh, and ignore your made up scores, they are of no value as an indication of your credit worthiness.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • x34cha
    x34cha Posts: 45
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    edited 26 January 2020 at 4:26PM
    Will I get a new default against my account from one of these companies? Is sending the provit letter an admittance of debt? What do you think is best to do?
  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 28,717
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    x34cha wrote: »
    Will I get a new default against my account from one of these companies? Is sending the provit letter an admittance of debt? What do you think is best to do?

    If the debt has been sold, the original default date still stands, a debt can only default once.
    It will show as a default from British Gas, but settled, with a zero balance, the new owner will add there entry,(remember same default, not a new one), there entry will bear the same default date, plus the outstanding balance.

    So there will be two entries, but its for the same default, all will drop off your file on the 6 year anniversary.

    The "provit" letter is specifically worded so as not to acknowledge anything, how much do you owe ?

    It really is your choice to decide to pay it or not, i`m just answering your questions, I`m not here to tell you what you should or should not do, only you know your own circumstances.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • x34cha
    x34cha Posts: 45
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    edited 26 January 2020 at 4:51PM
    I owe(supposedly) £755.


    I emailed them about a year a go disputing it but it didn't go anywhere, mainly on my behalf because I was fed up of having to ring multiple people and waiting for hours just to be redirected to someone else.


    I was a single male living in a house for 6months in summer time, my debt up until I moved out was £0, being in credit for most of it, I had a meter reading 1 month before I moved out and my debt was still £0, yet a couple months after I had moved out I got a debt of £755 for gas after a "final meter reading". I really don't see how this is possible, even if I had the gas on full blast for the entire 6months(I didn't), that is still £100+ a month for gas. I know for a fact I only had the gas on for the last 3 months I was living there as it was hot enough as it was june-august. So how the hell did I rack up a £755 gas bill in 3months?(granted water still is gas). I was paying off my balances every month too and still had that bill. It just doesn't make sense. Anyways, I have wrote to british gas today to get it removed but if they have sold the debt anyways then I guess it's no use. I didn't provide a forwarding address to them(hosuing issues) so I didn't even get a default warning letter and had no idea about the debt until 8months after I had moved out.


    I'm mostly angry because it's going to destory my chances of getting a morgage.
  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 28,717
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    You should still submit a written complaint to British Gas, don’t just accept what they say is true, if you remain unsatisfied, contact ombudsman services here :

    https://www.ombudsman-services.org/sectors/energy
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
  • x34cha
    x34cha Posts: 45
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    Thanks for your help :)
  • x34cha
    x34cha Posts: 45
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    edited 27 January 2020 at 1:19PM
    Well, after a lengthy live chat with British Gas today, I was able to get some clarity. You was correct, they have sold my debt to Lowell, after a long chat trying to prove that the debt was incorrect, I think the live chat person pretty much agreed that the debt is incorrect. I got her to send me gas meter readings(opening and ending) and these gas meter readings turned out to be £300(for a year, I was there 6months) at the price that I was on per KWH. I showed her the british gas website detailing average gas bills for households. Light usage for 1 year = £250, medium usage for 1 year £450 and heavy usage £600, yet I was a single male in summer time for 6months and got a bill of £755. and she was investigating for a good 30mins and came back and said "I understand that this debt is incorrect, but I can't make any changes to your account because I don't have the access, I have added a note to your account, please contact (somenumber) or [EMAIL="post@lowellgroup.com"]post@lowellgroup.com[/EMAIL] for the next steps".


    So I have emailed that address basically saying all of the above and asking them to remove the defaults on my account( Even though there isn't a default on my account yet from them), I told them that british gas had added a note to my account for them to check and verify. When I asked the live chat person if she can remove the british gas one, she said she can't and that it's in Lowell's hands.


    Is this a good sign? Does this mean that it's already set in stone that it's getting removed? If british gas have added a note to my account saying there is an error here.. surely the defaults should be removed? Lowell havn't even added something to my account yet so.. not sure how this is going to even work. They have the power to remove the british gas default?
  • I have also come home today to a letter from Lowell saying they have bought my debt from British Gas and that I owe them £217 from between 13/12/2013 - 20/06/2014. I will sure be digging my heels in until 20th June 2020 when the debt becomes statue barred :)
  • sourcrates
    sourcrates Posts: 28,717
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    Lowell can’t remove the original default as it was added by British Gas, you need to write to them, and ask them to remove it, reiterating what they said to you, nothing is set in stone with cases like this, you may have a fight on your hands.

    You can escalate this to the ICO if they won’t comply.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the Debt free wannabe, Credit file and ratings, and Bankruptcy and living with it boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.For free non-judgemental debt advice, contact either Stepchange, National Debtline, or CitizensAdviceBureaux.Link to SOA Calculator- https://www.stoozing.com/soa.php The "provit letter" is here-https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2607247/letter-when-you-know-nothing-about-about-the-debt-aka-prove-it-letter
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