“This default is destroying my credit score – how do I get rid of it?”
This is a very common question!
It’s sometimes asked when people’s finances have improved and they are trying to clean up old problems on their credit history as fast as possible. Or sometimes the default feels unfair in someway
I will look at various cases to see what – if anything – can be done for each of them.
But first, there is no magic trick that an “expert” can use to do this. Don’t ever pay a firm that says they can sort this for you – their claims are often exaggerated, they can’t do anything that you couldn’t do yourself.
Contents
The rules about when debts disappear from your credit record
There are three credit reference agencies (CRAs) in Britain – Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. They all apply the same rules about reporting defaults.
How long a debt stays on your record depends on whether the record shows a default date or not. The two rules are:
- a debt with no default date stays on your record for six years from the date when it is settled. This applies whether it was settled in full or partially;
- a debt with a default date stays for six years from that date. You may have paid it in full, made a full and final settlement, not paid anything to it, or still be making payments… none of these matter, the debt is still going to drop off after six years.
So the default date is an important piece of information for you to know. Don’t guess! Check your records with all three CRAs so you know exactly what they say.
“I agree with the default, but six years is too long!”
If you just had a temporary problem, perhaps you lost your job, or couldn’t work when you were unwell, but after a year you were sorted and back making payments it can seem very hard for this black mark to stay on your credit file for so long.
But there is nothing you can do to make the default go away sooner.
You can add a Notice of Correction to your credit file to say why the problem happened.
As the default gets older, some lenders will be less worried about it. But for some creditors, eg many high street mortgage lenders, any default, even five years ago, may result in a rejection.
Usually the best you can do is settle the debt as soon as possible. This doesn’t get rid of the default and doesn’t actually improve your credit score, but it will mean that more lender are willing to give you credit.
“The default was added very late”
The rules say that a default should normally be when you are 3-6 months in arrears compared to what your normal payments would have been.
If a creditor has added a default later than this, it won’t be deleted, but it should be changed to be earlier. That means it will drop off sooner. See “What should the default date for a debt be?” which describes how to get your record corrected.
“It’s not fair – I only missed one payment”
In this case, no default should have been added as you were never three months in arrears! Write to the lender, then appeal to the ICO if the lender refuses to correct it, see the above article about what the default date should be for details.
“The lender agreed to reduced payments but still added a default”
This can feel very unfair, but legally they can do this when the arrears reach 3-6 months.
This applies if you have payments arrangements with one or two lenders or a debt management plan through a DMP firm. See How does a DMP affect my credit rating for more details.
And although you may hate that default, it may actually be better for you than an Arrangement To Pay (AP) marker on your file! A defaulted record disappears after 6 years, an AP marker stays for 6 years after the debt is settled.
“The lender is adding a new default every month!”
This may make your credit report look dreadful but it is normal and it doesn’t matter:
- the later defaults don’t make your credit rating worse because lenders’ scoring systems only look at the first one;
- the debt will drop off 6 years after the first default, the later ones don’t affect this.
“A debt collector has added a later default”
They shouldn’t have done this.
A debt collector can add a new record, but it should have the same default date as the original lender. Write to the debt collector and ask them to correct it, and then appeal to the ICO if necessary.
“I never owed this money”
If the debt isn’t yours, you should tell the lender and ask them to remove it from your credit record. It’s not just your credit record that matters here, you don’t want to be chased for money by the creditor or be taken to court for a CCJ.
If you recognise the debt but you don’t think you were ever in arrears with it, ask the lender for a statement of account to see where the problem is.
“I was never properly informed about the debt”
Arguments can occur between you and a creditor if you feel they didn’t properly write to you about the debt, explain what the debt was or the size of it. Perhaps you moved house and the creditor carried on writing to your old address even though you notified them you had moved – this sort of thing.
If you paid the debt promptly as soon as you know about it, you could ask the lender to remove the default. Pointing out that you previously had a good history of paying their bills on time and that you don’t have other credit record problems can support your argument. You may have more luck going to the relevant Ombudsman rather than the ICO if the creditor refuses.
“The debt isn’t enforceable”
Sometimes a lender will admit – or a court may decide – that a debt isn’t enforceable. If this is because it is statute barred, then a default should have been added to the debt over six years ago so you should ask for the default date to be changed so that it is earlier.
But if it is unenforceable for other reasons, the debt still exists and the lender may refuse to delete it from your record because you do still owe the money.
“I should never have been given the loan!”
Until a few years ago I would have said you will find it hard to make this argument work… but since then many thousands of payday loan defaults have been deleted from credit records when people have won affordability complaints.
Lenders should have checked you could afford to repay a loan before they gave you the loan. A loan is only “affordable” if you can repay it without hardship and without having to borrow again or get behind with bills.
If a proper check would have shown that the credit wasn’t affordable for you, ask for a refund of the interest you paid and for any defaults or late payments markers to be deleted from your credit file. See Affordability refunds for info on how to make these complaints for different sorts of credit including payday loans, Provident, guarantor loans, car finance, Brighthouse, large bad credit loans and even catalogues.
Hundreds of thousands of these complaints have worked. Here is a comment from a reader who made a successful complaint against Satsuma, a payday lender:
I accepted Satsuma’s offer on 2nd January and received the cheque on 17th January. The negative information already removed from my credit file as well which made my credit score jump by 100 points :)
“I was in an abusive relationship”
Many people, usually women, have been pressured to take out credit for a partner or had a joint account with an abusive partner. Financial abuse is now recognised as a serious problem and most banks now subscribe to the Financial Abuse Code of Practice published in 2018.
If you feel the debt and the default resulted from an abusive relationship, I suggest going to your local Citizens Advice and asking for their help to see if the debt could be written off and the default removed.
Summary – when can you get rid of defaults
If the default doesn’t comply with the “3-6 months arrears” rule then you can ask for it to be corrected.
But if the default is in line with the “3-6 months arrears”, there often isn’t anything you can do about it except wait for it to get older and then drop off.
Pay a defaulted account to help credit score?
Is an unknown debt on your credit file?
Improve your credit score for a mortgage
Rina says
Hi,
I have recently made a request to Idem collection agency for my original agreement under S77-79 of the Consumer Credit Act and have received a response today stating it cannot be located (yet!) so they acknowledge the debt can’t be enforced. (I have been making payments to this debt via a DMP through Stepchange for 10+ years)
My questions are:
1) Can a CCJ or default still be registered on my credit file for this debt? (They state they will continue to pursue me including registering defaults with CRAs)
2) Should I continue to make payments toward this debt or do I have grounds to cease payments?
My last payment to them through my DMP was today.
Your advice would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
1) they shouldn’t start court action unless they can find the CCA so you can’t get a CCJ. It’s very rare for a firm to try this.
How does the debt show on your credit record at the moment?
2) how long ago did you ask for the CCA?
Rina says
Hi Sara,
Thanks for your reply!
The debt isn’t showing on my credit file. I believe it may have been defaulted in 2010 before it went to the collection agency but can’t remember. I’m worried that they might default it if I stop making payments.
Should I go back to them for confirmation on what they report before I stop?
I requested the CCA mid Jan and received it today.
Thanks again
Sara (Debt Camel) says
if it isn’t there then is because it defaulted more then 6 years ago. They cannot add a new, later default. This debt is not going to reappear.
I usually suggest waiting two months before you assume it cant be found and tell StepChange to stop payments
Rina says
Thanks Sara.
Really appreciate your response and knowledge.
You should receive honours for empowering people to understand their rights!
I’ll take your advice and wait a couple of months.
Much appreciated!
Paton says
Hi Sarah
I am in a similar situation to above Was in a DMP then came out of it with the intention of offering partial settlements to my creditors. Most of them accepted apart from Link who issued a default which l didn’t think they could do as l thought Barclaycard issued one years ago but apparently they did but wasn’t registered. I then asked for the credit agreement which they don’t have so they admitted it’s not enforceable. I queried the default turns out l was given false information from Barclaycard. Link responded saying they weren’t going to pursue the debt. I’m annoyed about the default though how come they can default it if it’s not enforceable and aren’t pursuing me for a debt. I have paid the majority of this debt off so feel it’s unfair to have the default now even though they know they can pursue me for the debt. Any help much appreciated.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you back to Barclaycard and ask them to add a default back 6 months after you got into trouble. Then Link have to use that old default. See https://debtcamel.co.uk/debt-default-date/
Paton says
I actually phoned them after Link put the default on my account to make a complaint about them giving me the wrong information. They just apologised for someone giving me the wrong info 🙄 But I will get back in touch with them and ask to speak to a manager about getting it removed. Thing is if they issued me with a default you’d think they would have followed through with it wouldn’t you cause that’s what the told me 3 times when I phoned them. 🤷🏻♀️ Very strange is you ask me 🤔
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Who are you going to phone, Link or Barclaycard? And how long ago did you start making reduced payments?
Paton says
Hi Sarah
I have phoned Barclaycard a few times who told me the default was put on my account in the 4/3/12 at least 3 different people l spoke to said this. That’s why I didn’t bother when Link threatened to issue a default. Was in a DMP for about 8 years with a few different ones they kept moving my account to another company.
So you think l should phone Barclaycard and ask them to issue the default they were originally going to do? Although Link aren’t going to pursue me for the debt due to not having the CCA I feel it’s not right they can still issue a default 🤔
Thanks so much for your help and advice Sarah 🙌🏻
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Well it’s up to you. But it sounds from what you have said that there should have been a default back in 2012 and that would mean the Link debt drops off your credit record now.
Paton47 says
Hi Sarah
I just wanted to update you regarding this issue incase it helps anyone else out. So having exhausted all avenues with Link, them saying they were right to put the default on my file but also saying they wouldn’t pursue me for the debt 🤔 I wrote a letter of complaint to Barclaycard about the false information l was given on numerous occasions regarding the default they had originally placed on my account. A manager phoned me on Friday to apologise for the way this has been handled and told me he would be instructing Link to remove the default ASAP even gave me some compensation for the way I’ve been treated which l wasn’t expecting. I’m just delighted the default will be removed 🙌🏻 Turns out defaults are now dealt with differently to how they were years ago Years who you would receive the default notice and a few months later it would be registered if no payment received, whereas now they issue the default and register it straight away. Which he said maybe explains why his advisors kept saying the default was on that date. Thanks Sara for your advice
Jim says
Thank you Sara,
Very helpful advice. I cannot remember if I was sent a Default Notice, but the loan defaulted in June 2014 (apologies, not February as I stated in my previous message) and I have not made any payments or acknowledged the debt in any way since then. My reading of your comments is that it may be better to wait to receive a “Letter Before Action/Claim” and then request a CCA at that stage for what it’s worth (as it is unlikely the debt has been sold). Thanks again for your help. Any further advice will be helpful.
Jim
Jim says
Hi Sara,
They finally sent me a “Letter Before Action” through their solicitors, to which I have replied requesting further information. I have also sent a CCA letter directly to NatWest for what it’s worth and I am awaiting a response. In any case, this default should drop off my credit file in June this year.
I have another default on file (from Orange in 2016) due to expire in 2022. This was for a relatively small sum (less than £100) which occurred as an error on my part really! Because my mobile phone account (which I had kept since 2006) had been moved over to EE, I did not realise that an additional number I had taken out (on the same account) had remained with Orange. When this bill arrived, I thought it was an error and promptly ignored it! By the time I realised and settled the account a few months later, it had already been defaulted by Orange.
I have written to Orange requesting that they consider removing this default but have not yet received a response. Is this a reasonable request in view of the circumstances? Is there another approach that I could adopt to get this default removed? I understand such contracts are not necessarily covered under CCA rules. Thanks.
Jim
Sara (Debt Camel) says
“They finally sent me a “Letter Before Action” through their solicitors, to which I have replied requesting further information.”
I hope you used the proper reply form, you didn’t just send a general letter.
No I don’t think your request to remove the orange default is reasonable. Good luck with it but I doubt you will succeed.
Jim says
Hi Sara.
Yes, I used the proper reply form and followed your earlier guidance contained in this link – https://debtcamel.co.uk/letter-before-claim-ccj/
Thanks again for your help.
Jim
Jim says
Hi Sara,
I finally heard back from NatWest and their solicitors. They responded with a copy of the loan agreement and statement of account and gave me 30 days to comply. I now have to complete the income and expenditure form supplied earlier with a proposal for payment. The total sum owed is £18,000. Is it an option for me at the stage to make a lower full and final offer or am I restricted to paying the full sum in affordable instalments?
Thanks.
Jim.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You can make a settlement offer, I have no idea whether they are likely to accept. I guess it will depend on your circumstances and the amount you are offering.
I also don’t know if the debt may be statute barred. I suggested you talk to National Debtline about this – did you?
I suggest you talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 now about what sort of payment offer you should make and whether they are likely to accept a F&F offer.
Temmy says
Dear Sara, I defaulted (couldn’t meet up with the payments) on a Barclaycard credit card in 2006. The credit card was taken out in 2004. I was on a DMP from 2006 for about 10 years and I am presuming that a default notice was issued during this period and has now dropped off as nothing is showing on my credit record. Received a claim form from Asset Link ( I have been in touch with Legalbeagle as advised by you but no response yet so just looking for general advice now) in which they stated that a default was recorded in 2016 after they had been assigned the debt in 2015. I have just checked my credit record and in the ‘closed’ account and there are 2 accounts showing. 1 from Barclaycard showing a £0 balance but payments being made from Mar 2011 until Feb 2015. The 2nd account is for Link Financial rather than Asset Link and the reference number is different so not sure if it is for the same debt. This one is showing payments being made from Jan 2015 till Sept 2016. I came off the DMP around this time so my confusion is, whether a DMP payment is regarded as a normal payment even though it was much lesser than the minimum payment required ( original debt around £4000) if a default was not added to the account at the start of the DMP, can I now request it? . I have sent off a CCA request to Asset Link but I just want to know where I stand with the default dates. Thank you in advance Sara, you have been so helpful.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Honestly you need to defend this Claim. You can resolve any credit record queries later.
Talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000. Sending off a CCA request is NOT sufficient to defend a claim and you are likely to end up with a CCJ if you do not enter a good defence.
philip says
I have a default which was satisfied and is now two years old. Will Equifax increase my score automatically or do I have to ask them to do this. I understand that my score could increase by 100 points. Thanks for any help with this matter.
Edward Quigley says
Tye advice I’ve received contradicts this. I have been told that it is within lenders gift to remove a default and they can do so IF they choose. Getting them to do so is another matter, but wouldn’t you agree that this can be a way for some individuals to have a default removed from their credit file – subject to full settlement of the amount owing? Thanks.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
In practice any lender can remove any default at any time. However, that would not comply with the SCOR principles which all lenders are supposed to use. Because all lenders rely on credit reporting to help them decide who to give credit to, it is in all lenders’ interests if the reporting is factually accurate and that means people shouldn’t be able to bribe a lender to remove a default by offering to settle a loan.
I’m not saying this never happens, but it shouldn’t.
Adam says
Hi
love your page and advice you give
I have a Capital One Credit Card, I was 5 payments behind, and then brought the account up to date, I then missed the next payment(11th), but paid it by the 25th of the month, but received a letter dated 24th that I have now defaulted
Does this seem accurate for being one payment behind? Could this be a mistake or removed at all on the grounds I was in a better position?
Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So you failed to make 6 payments in a row on time? But after the 5th one you brought the account up to date?
Is your position actually better or are you scrabbling around each month with this and other debts?
Adam says
I missed 5 in a row, paid the payment to bring my account back up to date, then missed the next payment, but now paid that to bring up to date.
I am in a better position with my money now, paying this Card and other debts off too
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Well you could ask them to remove the default, saying it has been unfairly added as at the time your account was only one month in arrears. But strictly they were entitled to add a default when you had missed 3 payments.
Laura says
I was a customer with Southern water for 12 years paying my bill on time every month I phoned to inform them I would be leaving the property 10 days later and could I settle my bill in full, and was informed as I hadn’t yet left the property I could not pay the bill.
I then moved country was very poorly in pregnancy and due to an oversight missed the final bill of £56 i do not recall receiving a default notice, however I was heavily pregnant or had a newborn at the time, I then had a default placed on my account by Southern water but was unaware of this until I applied for a mortgage on being made aware of the default I cleared it in full. Yet it is still showing as a default on my experian account. How can I get them to remove this default from my credit report?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
what is the date on the default on your Experian account?
Laura says
Hi so the opening account date was 19th April 2007
Default date was 12 nov 2017
I rang on 17th July 2017 to inform I was leaving the property on the 27th July 2017
And I paid the full outstanding balance including all fees which was over £130 but only £56 was the water fee and the rest was charges beginning of 2019, they still havnt even updated my file to state I’ve paid in full..
it’s just showing on my account and my husband account as £90 default which was never the amount owed or paid?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So that default date look right if you didn’t pay the final bill. The amount may be wrong, but getting that corrected won’t make any difference to yiour credit score.
Did you tell Southern where you were moving to? Or did you have a direct debit set up that should have paid the bill?
Gina says
Hi, I’ve now recieved a deadlock letter from virgin media. They state I never closed the accounts and still owe the outstanding balances.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so you have two proiblems.
One whether you owe the balance. Do you have any proof of what you said before, that “Virgin changed my contract so allowed me to leave penalty free from the contract. I cancelled contract and as far as they told me my account was up to date at the time.” ?
Secondly why it is still on your credit record. Whether you owe the money or not, the account should have been marked as in deafult 3-6 months after you stopped paying.
What ombudsman did they say you could take the case too?
Gina says
Thank you for your reply.
I dont have anything from the account now as it’s been so long and I believed the account to be closed. They have said I am able to forward my complaint on to CISAS now that I’ve recieved their deadlock letter.
Priya says
Hi Sarah,
I recently found out I have an NPower default account (default date March 2019) when moving from London to Manchester and never received any correspondence. It’s the usual story unfortunately. However I’m keen to have records for my own piece of mind and just well…at least I’ll have records.
So, after chasing, I found the creditors with my Npower account and have paid off the debt in full (I’m under no financial difficulty, I’ve just found myself in a very annoying situation). Wescot, the collection agency were never given my full contact details (ie phone number or email) and Npower’s last recorded correspondence with me was 3 weeks after leaving my old flat. Am I correct in understanding that I’m allowed to ask for original correspondence of the notice to default the account? Even if it got sent to the old address? What happens if they never sent it? What other paper records can I ask for to show that they actually made some level of effort to make correspondence regarding a final bill and an account default?
Thanks!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You can ask for details of any correspondence with you. But if you have paid it all off, I am not sure why you would bother.
daniel arnold says
I have read along of articles on here regarding defaulted accounts, however I’m confused about one thing.. Has a company I.e. Vodafone, got the power to remove my defaulted account from my credit score?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes, but they need a good reason to do that.
Daniel Arnold says
Excellent cheers, they have basically called me a liar and that I have never paid anything to a debt collection agency until I got proof off the bank I’ve been paying them for 48 months (July-2015- July 2019) the debt collection agency has since gone bust and now Vodafone apparently don’t know where the debt has gone 🤷🏻♂️
Darren says
If a pay day loan company has gone into administration, can negative data be removed immediately from my credit file. Is there legislation surrounding this and can I ask the credit references agencies to remove the data. For example defaults or CCJ or any association with the lending organisation? I also have irresponsible lending claims against them currently in consideration?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
No. What usually happens is that the administrators will assess your complaint and where they decide a loan was unaffordable, that loan will be deleted from your credit record. But this isn’t fast.
who are the lenders?
Darren says
The Money Shop & Active Securities TA 247 Money Box loans.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok you are JUST in time to put in a claim to the money shop – it has to be in by 9 April! See https://debtcamel.co.uk/money-shop-to-close-two-million-customers-will-be-informed/ which has a link to the Claims page.
for 247 Moneybox, send an email to customer.services@247moneybox.com saying you want to make an affordability complaint.
If you don’t win a Claim it is very unlikely the negative data will be removed.
Darren says
Hi Sara
Many thanks I already have claims in for both its a very long process, waiting for the administrators, I guess its just awaiting game for now.
Best wishes
Anna says
Hi Sarah
I ended a contract with virgin media, this is what happened: According to them, my call ended abruptly, I wasn’t transferred to the cancellations department, so they decided to remove the telephone and tv service and leave me with broadband. On my blind side of course. They didn’t provide a new contract to that effect either.
They registered a default against me without my knowledge! I called them several times to draw their attention to this error – the staff don’t seem to care at all.
I drew the attention of Cisas but they totally partial as they didn’t refer to any of the evidence I supplied to point to the fact that 1. The contract had elapsed, 2. I informed virgin of not renewing contract. 3. They didn’t provide a new contract. 4. Evidence of contract with a new service provider. 5. Emails sent to customer services that were unattended. Instead they referred to patchy customer call records from virgin media.
I feel utterly helpless and frustrated that this sort of behaviour from a media company would go unpunished when they didn’t render any service to me! I feel so pained and cheated by this.
They’ve blown my credit apart and I feel as though there’s no remedy.
I’d like to know what options there are to seek redress.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You can put in a complaint if you feel Visas did not fairly decide your complaint but this will. Not lead to a different decision on your complaint.
I am afraid your only option to take this forward is to go to court. I suggest you should take legal advice before doing this.
Meg says
Hi Sara,
I have defaulted on a loan from Satsuma which I couldn’t afford. I have been contacted by a debt collection agency (Moorcroft) and agreed a payment plan with them. I was going through a very difficult time financially when I defaulted on this loan however I have since sorted this. I have read online about contacting the original company and offering to pay the total owed – in my case £900 – to have the default removed. If I continued to pay the debt collection agency is it likely that Satsuma will remove the default if I also pay them £900? Is this legal?
Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
What you have heard sounds confused and wrong.
You may be able to make an affordability complaint – if you win that, the default will be removed.
Was this the first loan you had from Satsuma? Are the current repayments affordable?
Meg says
No it was the third I’d had, firstly £200 and then £300 – taken out within 2 months of each other – which I paid off a month early. Then two months after having paid off the first two I took out another loan for £500 which I have now defaulted on. The current repayments his Moorcroft are affordable for me but this is due to receiving an inheritance, so otherwise they probably wouldn’t have been.
Does this sound like a good case for winning an affordability complaint?
although these amounts are small, my income is only £800 which was put on the affordability questions when applying.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
ok, well Satsuma should not agree to remove the default if you pay the loan in full. You can try but I don’t think it will work.
I think it is worth making that affordability compplaint. 200,300,500 are not large loans but they were going up, suggesting you were getting into more trouble and your income was low.
I think this is worth a try. There is a template letter here: https://debtcamel.co.uk/payday-loan-refunds/ but I suggest you change that to say you would like to ask for the interest to be removed from the last loan as you that loan was unaffordable given your low income and the fact this was larger than your previous 2 loans.
Paton47 says
Hi Sarah
Sorry to jump on here but l was looking to see where l could post about a PPI complaint but can’t seem to find it 🤔
So l was awarded a PPI refund from RBS on an old debt. Was for a CC which was sold on to AIC who I’ve been dealing with since then. They offered me a settlement figure a few times way back when l was in financial difficulty but l wasn’t in a position to accept the offer. So I’ve continued to pay it monthly then offered them a settlement figure which they wouldn’t accept bearing in mind the offer they sent me years ago was 25% of the balance and I’ve paid 60% of the debt. They’re just being awkward for some reason 🤷🏻♀️ So back to the PPI claim for £1300 which RBS took it upon themselves to pay to the debt l still owed AIC 🤔 Now l must add l also had other debts with RBS which l paid off in full last year so I’m 100% sure AIC have bought this debt from RBS So my question is do they have the right to do this with my refund Sarah? Any advice gratefully received 😁
Sara (Debt Camel) says
yes they can. Sorry.
Paton47 says
Ok thanks Sara
I didn’t think they could if they’d sold the debt on 🤔🤷🏻♀️
Lisa says
Gutted. I was finally getting somewhere with sorting my debts and I have now had a default added to my account from Barclays. I had an original loan back in 2008 for £14k which I struggled to pay so they set me up a resolve loan which had zero interest in 2010. This resolve loan has never appeared on any of my 3 credit reports. I did miss 4 payments recently as I was trying to pay off higher interest debt but paid smaller amounts each month. I then had an email from a third party stating they now held the debt so I set up a pamyment plan with them once i received a letter from Barclays confirming. I have just checked my credit file today and Barclays have added a default in March, no letter recevied but i think this may have gone to my old address as just moved. The letter selling the debt came to the right address though. Is there anything I do? Can they remove it if I borrow the money to clear the debt?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I did miss 4 payments recently as I was trying to pay off higher interest debt
That was a mistake. Barclays are entitled to add a default if you get 3 months into arrears. Lenders aren’t legally obliged to tell you they are adding a default.
Can they remove it if I borrow the money to clear the debt?
It’s very unlikely that they would. And this would be a mad thing to do – no interest is being charged on this debt. With this recent default on your credit record, you could only borrow at a high rate of interest.
If you are struggling with high interest debt, have a look at a debt management plan.
Or if it’s very high interest (guarantor loans, payday loans, doorstep loans etc) look at making affordability complaint – if you can name the lenders I can give you links to template complaint letters.
Lisa says
Hi Sara
Thank you for this. I am managing to pay all of my debt now as they have payment plans in place. I didnt think that Barclays could default me on the original loan and then default me again on the resolve loan?
I also thought that i read if you pay off a default soon after receiving it then it will help your score.
Could kick myself.
Jim says
Hi Sara,
I think you may be right. I will be speaking to the National Debt Helpline this morning. I took a closer look at the accompanying statement they sent to me and the last payment I made towards the debt was in November 2012!
Although the default was not recorded on my credit file until June 2014, it seems from the loan’s terms and conditions that a default notice should have been issued within 30 days of a missed payment. NatWest responded to my request (in the Reply form) for a copy of the default notice by saying they will send it along in due course.
Thanks for your help. I will let you know the outcome of my discussion with the helpline today.
Jim.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
please make sure you speak to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000. There are a variety of commercial firms who advertise on google with very similar names and “National Debt Helpline” could get you to the wrong one!
Jordan says
Hi,
I have a default from Vivus on my credit file. They said before they went out of business that they would remove it but it’s still on my clear score credit file.
Does anyone know who I would contact regarding this?
Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Do you have an email from them saying it would be deleted? Or an email saying the loan was unaffordable and would be refunded?
Jordan says
Yes I do. I made an affordability complaint just before they went out of business.
Matthew Copson says
Hello Sara,
Today I received a default notice from Barclaycard. They have explained my card has been cancelled and I have a default on my file that will last 6 years.
3 months ago Barclaycard called me, asked me lots of questions about my finances and then stopped charging me interest, on the instruction that I clear the minimum payment by the end of March, and continue in that fashion.
I have done so, clearing all interest added, and reduced my balance by £400. Yet the letter states nothing has changed and I am now default.
I have tried to call today, but the coronavirus outbreak caused a long wait, after 2 hours I was given a number to call on Monday.
I am now back to being in a position where I can clear the debt owed. I have already started making payments and intend on doing so each month. But they have defaulted me.
Is there anything I can do to reverse the default? I’ve even tried calling them twice this week to make a further payment towards the balance and have been unsuccessful. This doesn’t seem fair to me? Please help!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Did your conversation with Barclaycard happen after they had sent you letters referring to “persistent credit card debt”?
Grace says
Initially I had a good credit report. However, In 2017 I was a victim of a family dispute. I was assaulted by my step-father and it resulted in me being kicked out of the family home and left homeless for several weeks. I have documentation as evidence to prove this. I was unable to pay my bills and I was eventually defaulted three accounts. I am not sure if this would qualify as financial abuse and if there is anyway I can get these defaults removed.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That’s sounds like it was a horrible time for you.
I think in this sort of case it often helps if the letter to the lender comes from a debt adviser. Can I suggest you wait a while an go to your local Citizens Advice when that is again possible and ask for their help.
Lisa says
Hi Sara
Another problem. I wrote to Morrcroft, as they hold two old debts, to ask for the paperwork. They asked for more time and said I wouldnt be chased for payment while they were investigating so i stopped the payments. They have written to me today to say that they have received confirmation that they cannot provide the paperwork. They want me to contact them to discuss payment. Can they add a default to my account if i refuse to pay? As above I have just had a default added from Barclays so im thinking if they add two they will drop off at the same time anyway, or is only having one default better?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
are these old debts still on your credit record undefaulted? Who was the lender and when did you default on them?
Lisa says
Hi Sara
These are really old debts, over 10 years, and both for old credit cards. I have been paying them a small amount each month for years. They are unable to provide the original contract so have admitted they are not enforceable. They do not currently appear on my credit file and since moorcroft took over the debts i dont ever remember them appearing on any of the 3 credit reports. I am worried as the Barclay resolve loan I have has never appeared on my credit file, as the loan was taken over 10 years ago, but they have just defaulted me and suddenly its on my report for the first time as a default.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
so these debts were almost certainly defaulted years ago and have dropped off your file – in which case they can’t reappear.
The Barclays resolve loan was a different problem – there you hadn’t defaulted on the loan until recently.
Lisa says
Hi Sara
Thank you. I phoned Barclays as the Resolve Loan was in place on an original loan as I had missed payments on the original loan and phoned them to discuss options. I thought they had defaulted the original loan before i contacted them but apparently not. Thank you for your advice.
Lisa says
Hi Sara
Your reply has made me question the Link Financial default as this was for an old Credit Card also. How can I be sure whether the original debt was defaulted? Can a collection agency default a debt they take over even if it was defaulted by the original lender? I have no idea if the ones now owned by MDR were defaulted years ago or not. Confused!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
i don’t think you need to worry about this. If a credit card debt isn’t on your credit record it is massively more likely that it was defaulted and dropped off than it was never added at all. The Resolve loan was just strange,
lisa says
Thank you. i will let you know how it goes.
lisa says
I have two accounts with MDL, one they cannot produce any agreement for and the other they have just sent me a copy of the agreement. It looks like a scanned document but just has my name typed with a date on 2006, must be an online application so will continue to pay that one.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
read the How can you tell if it is right? section in https://debtcamel.co.uk/ask-cca-agreement-for-debt/.
Lisa says
Hi
I read the link thank you. The CCA does not have my address on it so I went on to live chat with National Debt Line and they have advicednot to stop paying:
“If they have not supplied an agreement in line with the requirements of the Consumer Credit Act, it would not be enforceable in the court until they did, but it can be risky to rely on this as a defence to any court claim as they could attend a hearing with a copy agreement that is correct and meets the requirements of the Consumer Credit Act and you would have immediately lost that defence.”
“I would not recommend you stop payments now Carole as if you do this and they take court action, you will either had to admit to owing the debt with an offer of payment and this means you will have a county court judgment (CCJ) or if you defend the claim on the basis that no proper agreement has been sent under the Consumer Credit Act, but they produce an agreement which the district judge is happy with, you have lost your defence and the court may award costs against you, so the amount will go up.”
Jim says
Hi Sara,
Thanks for your advice. I had a very helpful conversation with National Debtline last week. They advised me to send a statute-barred letter based on a template they emailed to me straight after the call.
I received an email response from NatWest’s solicitors yesterday referring me to their earlier letter dated 19 March, which included a statement showing that I made a payment of £435.36 on 23/11/2018, thereby restarting the six-year period preventing the loan from being statute-barred.
I managed to locate a letter and attached (arrears) statements I received from NatWest dated 23/11/2018 in which the bank apologised for not sending me a Notice of Sums in Areas (NOSIA) after my loan fell behind. The acknowledged (according to CCA 1974) that they were not entitled to charge interest during the period in which they failed to meet this obligation and confirmed an immediate refund of all interest charged during the period of non-compliance (24/1/13 – 5/12/18).
The total interest refund was £1,299.87, reflected on the statement in two disbursements – £435.26 on 23/11/2018 (the disputed sum above) and £864.61 on 05/12/2018. Also enclosed was a pile of backdated notices and statements to cover the period of arrears to date. Hopefully, this means the loan is statute-barred at this point. I’d be grateful for your thoughts on how to proceed.
Regards,
Jim.
P/S: I listened to your interview on the radio last week. Thank you once again for all you do.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you reply to NatWest that you did not make that payment, that they did because of a NOSIA refund. Say it would not be treating your fairly to count that as a payment from you and so the debt should be treated as statute barred.
See what they reply.
Jim says
Hi Sara,
Thanks for your response. Are you suggesting that I should respond directly to NatWest about this or respond to their solicitors (Cc to NatWest) as I have been doing?
Jim
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Thinking about this, I suggest you respond to the solicitors, cc it to NatWest. But at the same time send NatWest a formal written complaint see https://personal.natwest.com/personal/support-centre/how-to-complain.html.
Jim says
Hi Sara,
Thank you for this. Just one thing before I write. It may seem obvious but what do you suggest should be the basis of my complaint to NatWest?
Regards,
Jim.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
That their solicitors are trying to mislead you by saying that a debt is not statute barred, when the only payment to the account in the last 6 years was a NOSIA refund, ie it was not made by you and did not constitute acknowledging the debt.
Jim says
Excellent!!
Thank you Sara. I’ll get onto this straight away.
Best,
Jim.
Jim says
Hi Sarah,
I took your advice and wrote a formal complaint to NatWest via the link you sent me. I received a letter of apology today upholding my complaint that the bank’s solicitors had indeed misled regarding the payment into the account on the 23rd of November. However, the letter went on to say …
“…Even though the Bank has not received any payments in regards to the Loan, for a debt to be statute barred there has to be no payments or contact within the last 6 years. I can see that there has been no payments by you but we have received contact on the 22 October 2014 about the loan account and coming to an arrangement. There was also a discussions about a reduced settlement on the loan, therefore, the debt is not statute barred.”
I very much doubt this. I cannot remember making any contact with the bank about a settlement and I have certainly not written to them about anything to do with the loan! Am I correct in saying that any such contact should have been in writing? Would a recording telephone conversation count as “contact”? The letter said to come back to them if I feel there is anything they may have overlooked and also provided details for the Ombudsman in the event that I decide to take this further (although they hope it does not have to go that far!).
What do you think I should do now? Thanks again for your help.
Jim.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You have to acknowledge the debt in writing.
I suggest you reply that you have no recollection of contacting them about the loan in October 2014 and can they please supply further details.
Tracy says
I have 9 defaults on my account the latest in March 2020 but I am clearing my debts by the end of the months it’s about 5k.
Will I be able to get a mortgage after if not when should I start applying. Oldest default was put on in 2017
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Hi Tracy, this article looks at your situation: https://debtcamel.co.uk/mortgage-recent-defaults/
Clare says
Hi. I have just received a default notice from Barclaycard. I wrote to them providing financial outgoings/credits etc. They decided i couldn’t afford it and said i had 60 days to settle. I think i panicked re financial situation and in being proactive have made the situation a whole lot worse. I’ve had the card for 3yrs, few late payments but overall I’ve been OK. I phoned Barclaycard today and despite me offering to pay the balance of £1350 in full they state there is nothing they can do and that default notice will be on my credit file for 6 yrs. A manager is calling me tomorrow but I don’t hold out much hope. Is there anything I can do to prevent the notice? Kind regards. Clare
Sara (Debt Camel) says
So is this the sequence:
you wrote them about your situation – did you offer lower payments?
But they said you couldn’t afford what you offered and stopped taking anything?
Now they have added a default to your credit record?
How can you settle the bill in full if you were struggling – is this by borrowing more money?
Clare says
Hi Sara. Thanks for replying.
I wrote to them advising them I was struggling. I was looking to take their guidance, they didn’t offer lower payments, said I had 60 days to pay balance. Very little correspondence from them. I get paid 4 weekly and get paid twice in June…13 pays in the year and I have recently been given a payrise. They will accept my payment in full but say they can’t do anything about the default. Thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
How long ago did you say you were struggling?
Clare says
2 -3 months
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then in your call with a manager tomorrow, I suggest you explain that you are upset that you tried to do the right thing and contact BC, but you were offered no help at all, just a demand for complete payment. Say you think this is unfair and you should have been offered forbearance and an affordable payment arrangement. And that now your situation has imporved with a pay riase it is unfair that you have a default on the account. Point out that if you hadn’t contacted them but just not paid, you would only have had 1 or 2 months missed payments, not a default. Ask for the default to be deleted.
Clare Louise Gallagher says
Thank you so much for the advice 🙏
Mike says
Hi Sarah,
Great thread and great advice! I received an Experian credit report and Virgin Media are listed as a default. I have called them to query this. Prior to leaving the country for a few months I called Virgin media to settle my bill and close the account, but upon return to the UK I discovered that £27 was left over (which bothered me as I had had multiple calls prior to leaving and as assured the a/c was clear). I cleared this as soon as I returned.
After receiving my credit report I called Virgin Media to query and they informed me that there was no default on my account. Where do I go from here?
Any help would be great!
Mike
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Put in a written complaint to Virgin Media attaching a copy of your credit report showing the default. Ask them to remove it.
Also check your Equifax credit report (use Clearscore) and TransUnion credit report (use Credit Karma) to see if they too need correcting.
Margy says
Hi Sara,
I completed a DRO Feb 2nd 2019. On my credit report it shows 2 of my creditors have closed my account yet one creditor still has my account listed as open and each month it appears I am defaulting on my payments to them. They were also included in the DRO so this debt is legally cleared but how do I get it removed from my credit file?
For a few years prior to the DRO I was paying this creditor via a debt management plan so my file shows DM as monthly payments also. Is it correct these will disappear from file 6 years from the original start date and if so will that have more of a negative impact on my credit rating than if the company was to remove the debt due to the DRO completion?
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
This https://debtcamel.co.uk/repair-credit-record-dro/ looks at how to repair your credit record after a DRO.
The debts in your DRO will NOT be removed from your credit record but as that link explains they should be marked as satisfied with zero owing and with a default date on or before the date your DRO started.
“Is it correct these [DMP debts] will disappear from file 6 years from the original start date”
No, they will stay on until 6 years after the settlement date unless a default is added, when they will drop off 6 years after the default date.
Margy says
Hi Sara,
Thank you so much for the information provided. I will contact them using the template provided in your link asking for the account information to be altered.
frogman says
Hi Sara,
If you don’t mind please, I have some questions regarding my credit file. Early 2018, I lost it completely as a result of gambling addiction and damaged my credit file badly. I have checked with Experian, Equifax and Callcredit and I have a total of 11 defaults. 10 of them were registered in Nov/December 2018 (roughly about the same time I went on DMP ) and 1 which was recorded by Hoist Portfolio in January 2020 (I plan to fight that as I was already on a DMP and believe that if at all, it should have been put by the actual lender a long time ago and not the debt collector who was on my DMP) . There’s been a few missed payments since then but no other default. I am now at a stage where I want to start cleaning up the mess. Below are my questions
1 I know the entries last six years, in regard to loans that have defaulted, and I am still paying through my DMP, what happens to my credit file in 2024 when the defaults start coming off? (They would have been paid off by then) What would a prospective lender see?
2 For a few of the debt that shows repayment though DMP, will the six years only start after I have paid them off for them to go away, if for example, I pay them off today, will they only go away today+ 6yrs?
3 The wrongly recorded default in Jan 2020, is there a chance to get this removed or is it permanent?
4 Is there any chance of a mortgage at all before 2014, say 2022/2023 with the number of defaults?
Thanks very much
Sara (Debt Camel) says
1 I know the entries last six years, in regard to loans that have defaulted, and I am still paying through my DMP, what happens to my credit file in 2024 when the defaults start coming off? (They would have been paid off by then) What would a prospective lender see?
They wouldn’t see the debts that have dropped off on your credit record. They will still see the ones you are paying if they look at your bank statements – which all mortgage lenders do. My guess is that in a few years a lot more lenders will “look at your bank statements” through open Banking – if you aren’t prepared to give them access, no loan.
2 For a few of the debt that shows repayment though DMP, will the six years only start after I have paid them off for them to go away, if for example, I pay them off today, will they only go away today+ 6yrs?
yes. Unless you can get a lender to add a default earlier.
3 The wrongly recorded default in Jan 2020, is there a chance to get this removed or is it permanent?
You probably don’t want it removed. With a big debt problem you want defaults so your credit record will clean up sooner. Probably best to ask the original lender to add a default earlier.
4 Is there any chance of a mortgage at all before 2014, say 2022/2023 with the number of defaults?
I assume you mean 2024… As a rule of thumb at the moment you can get a mortgage with many high street lenders if all your defaults have been repaid over a year ago and if the defaults are over 3 years old. What the mortgage market will be like in a couple of years I have no idea.
frogman says
Hi Sara,
I can’t thank you enough for this piece of advice, it’s all making sense to me now, the defaults, missed payment etc.
I’ll try my luck with the earlier defaults..the periods I started missing the payments, even if it’s on the condition that I pay off the outstanding.
frogman says
I need some help please Sara,
I have just got off the phone with Hoist Portfolio (Debt collector that Marbles transferred my £289 credit card debt to in Sept 2018).
I thought a default would have been entered by Marbles before transferring the debt in 2018 but apparently not, Hoist have just registered the default January this year, they said this was as a result of a number of missed payments I had after entering DMP ( I did miss a few DMP payments but not consecutively). They said that their arrangement with Marbles was such that they wouldn’t register a default straightaway and they would wait to see if the borrow kept to their words. I really need the default moved back to 2018 or removed. All of my other debts defaulted in 2018 except for this one. I want that period to be the start of my six years. I have the money to pay off this credit card now. One of the options I am looking at is putting an irresponsible lending complaint to marbles (I had taken out so many loans in 2/3 months before I got the credit card and started missing payments as well). ?the cond option is to try and talk to Hoist to move the date back if I clear the balance. I floated this idea to the agent I spoke to and I could sense this would be very very hard to achieve.
What’s your take?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Debt collectors don’t usually respond well to people trying to bargain about default dates. I suggest an affordability complaint may be a more promising route. You could also ask Marbles to add a default – then Hoist would have to use that.
RAVI says
I have query about my debt
I have given more than £12,000 credit by one credit card company without asking. I thought it was too much for me so i requested to reduce to £9000.However ,due to my immigration status ,my financial circumstances changed. I Could not pay their minimum amount. I kept them writing and informing about difficulties, they slightly acknowledged, but after 6 month of miss payment ,they registered as default in 2018. There is £8000 i have to pay.I read that default account will be deleted after 6 years despite of payment/non payment or part payment.My question is ,Can my lender go court in 5 years 11 months time and get CCJ ,which will last another 6 years?Is £8k enough to knock the door of court for lenders?I checked my credit report they have not gone yet in court.Will they remain like this until another 4 years ?Thank you
Sara (Debt Camel) says
My question is, can my lender go court in 5 years 11 months time and get CCJ ,which will last another 6 years?
yes.
Or more likely they will sell the debt to a debt collector that may do this.
Is £8k enough to knock the door of court for lenders?
Debt collectors will take people to court for less than a thousand pounds…
What is your current financial situation? Do you have other debts as well
Ravi says
I dont have other debts. My financial situation has not changed significantly but slight improvement there.
I can pay them tiny amount every month.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I suggest you talk to National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 about your options and what you can afford to pay them.
Charlie says
Hi Sara, Just a question about defaults and credit files. I have 4 defaults on my file (1 of which shouldn’t be there from 2018, I am disputing with the lender) The other 3 defaulted in 2016 after getting myself into a payday loan loop leaving me completely skint at the grand age of 19. My credit score is showing as very poor on Experian. Will the 4 year old defaults be the cause of this? I have a credit card but I use it monthly and pay the whole balance. So the only negative thing on there are these defaults? I’m looking for car finance this year and a mortgage within the next 2 years so I am panicking about my score.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Will the 4 year old defaults be the cause of this?
very probably.
Have you repaid these debts?
Have you looked at making payday loan affordability complaints? If you win one you may get some money back and the default would be removed. BUT if you only had one or two loans from each lender you aren’t likely to win these complaints.
Charlie says
Everything is paid yes. The payday loans were continuous due to borrowing to get through the month then again and again due to having to pay them back.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then send in affordability complaint to the three lenders who defaulted you. You may get some money back – always good! – but more importantly, the default may be deleted.
You can’t just ask for the default to be deleted, that is not more likely to work, just make a standard complaint asking for a refund. Template letter and more about how these complaints work here: https://debtcamel.co.uk/payday-loan-refunds/
frogman says
Hi Sara,
Please do you know what happens to DMP entries on credit file when the lender goes into administration? I borrowed £500 from 247Moneybox in May 2018. I have only managed to pay £70 through DMP. They went into administration Nov last year. When I looked on Equifax, it says ‘arrangement to pay’. on credit karma, it says no data but still showing account as open. I am trying to clean my credit file. They are yet to record a default.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
There are no set rules, it depends on your situation and how the administration goes.
In some administrations the loans are sold onto a debt collector. That often happens quite fast and in the current Covid-19 times it may be more difficult.
The Wonga administrators decided it was impossible to sell the book. Towards the end of the administation – after over a year – they offered people the chance to settle for 20% of the balance and have the loan removed from their credit record.
Was that your only loan from 247?
frogman says
Thanks very much, my worry is a default entry. I hope this doesn’t happen during administration or at the end of it.
No, I had 3 loans prior to that but smaller amounts. One is early January 2017 for £150 that I repaid, another £100 on 15/03/2018 and then another £100 in 28/03/2018. The last £500 was taken out 04/05/2018
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Then it’s worth making an affordability complaint to the administrators. The first loan was too small followed by a long gap, but then you borrowed 100,100,500 in less than 2 months – they should have looked carefully at that last 500 loan.
Jay says
Hi,
Does anyone know if a payday loan company (Lending Stream) are allowed to register multiple defaults for what I would consider to be top up loans? I believe they refer to them as separate loans.
Many thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
if they are separate loans, yes they can.
Have you been given too many loans by them at the same time so they are unaffordable? Read https://debtcamel.co.uk/payday-loan-refunds/ and think about making an affordability complaint. If you win this, then any defaults on unaffordable loans have to be deleted – and a LOT of Lending Stream complaints are being won at the Financial Ombudsman.
Jay says
Thank you for your reply. I did win a case last year about lending stream loans yet for some reason these ones weren’t considered unaffordable (yet all 4 were taken out within a month.) They have wiped 3 defaults that they’d given me but these 4 that are remaining are the ones the ombudsman didnt find to be unfair. Do you think there’s anything I can do?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
I assume you accepted the Ombudsman’s decision? In that case there is nothing you can do.
D101245 says
Just found your site and wanted to ask you advice about getting a default removed from my credit file. The default was added in 2013 for a payday loan I thought had been paid off when I was dealing with a debt management company. I moved a few times and in 2017 got a letter saying I owed them money which I immediately paid off as soon as I found out about it. It’s causing a slight problem for me. I have totally turned my life around since those days and now run a successful business in Film and TV but the other day I tried to upgrade my business account to a full business banking one with Natwest and got refused. After reading more about defaults it appears that it will stay on my file for 6 years and I am just starting (or started before Covid) to look at mortgages to buy a house. My question is if there is anyway I can get this removed by way of sayingthe payday loan company (which has now changed its name) gave me the loan without proper due diligence and also did not follow correct procedures for re payment after default?
Any advice greatly received.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Is there a default date on your credit record for this debt? Did you make any payments to this after 2013, apart from the settlement in 2017?
D101245 says
Looks like the date of default is August 2014. No payments were made other than when I made the payment in November 2017. I can’t recall but I think it was collected through a debt collection company but I may well have contacted them directly. I have asked for more info from them.
Sara (Debt Camel) says
then the default will drop off your record in August this year.
Read https://debtcamel.co.uk/payday-loan-refunds/ – if you win an affordabilty complaint you will get a refund of some of the interest you paid and the default would be removed. I don’t know if you think the loan was unaffordable – there normally have to be a few payday loans with that lenders first – it is the later loans people usually win these cases on.
Up to you if you want to try it. Sometimes it works and works quickly, sometimes it takes ages. In which case the default will already have dropped off.
If the rest of your credit record is fine, this may not be a problem anyway if you go through a mortgage broker and have an OK deposit. You may be able to get a mortgage at an OK rate with a high street lender as the default is old and has been paid off years ago. But don’t just apply to a bank, you MUST go through a broker.
D101245 says
Many thanks Sara
Declan says
Hi Sara,
When I was younger and more foolish I took out about 20 loans from various payday loan companies in the space of three years, two of these have become defaults on my account, reading your post on affordability I most definitely shouldn’t have been able to take them out, I was taking loan out to pay another out etc, im in a much better situation now, have credit cards but a 0 balance on them, but these two defaults are a huge issue going forward with my life, would it advisable to contact them about removing the defaults off my credit score due to the affordibility? at this stage I could even afford to pay the defaults, but would be nice to have them removed from my score.
Thanks
Declan
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Send the lenders a standard affordability complaint asking for a refund of interest paid. If you ein, the default will be removed. It is NOT easier just to ask for the defaults to be deleted.
Declan says
Thanks so much Sara,
I have sent the first of two out to sunny, however im struggling to find out who I need to contact for the other one, on my credit score its listed as “PROVIDENT FINANCIAL” I used your helpful list, but when searching them it mentions doorstep loans, I had only ever and still have only ever applied for finance products online, so im not sure who to contact now, I have tried googling and I find the complaints form on provident personal credit, but that asks for an account number I don’t have, or I find provident financial group, but have no contact details that I can see to email.
Thanks so much for all your help! you are amazing!
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Could it have been a loan from Satsuma?
Declan says
THANK YOU!! yep it most definitely could have been!
Emma says
Hi Sara,
I have a question about two defaults on my credit history I like advice on.
In April 2013 I had a phone bill with 3 go into default which was sold to Lowell and then again in December 2014 another phone bill with vodaphone go into default and sold to Lowell.
Each month Lowell are renewing both defaults on my account making it impossible to improve my score.
With them both 6 years ago will they not disappear? I cancelled both my phone contracts as I came out of work but they kept increasing the amount owed for final payment. One of the bills are for £927 for a £40 phone bill which is ridcioulous.
What would you advise
Sara (Debt Camel) says
what is the exact default date that is on your credit record for each of these debts? If you can’t see it, what report are you looking at?
Kim says
I have two defaults on my record, one with a default date of March 15, and the other Nov 14…….will these drop off this Nov 20 and March 21?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
Yes.
frogman says
Hi Sara,
I won my affordability claim with Sunny. They agree to wipe off outstanding balance and amend credit file. When I looked on Equifax today, they had settled the account but the Default that was registered in April 2019 is still showing. Is this normal? I thought this is usually removed if the loan was deemed unaffordable?
Sara (Debt Camel) says
It should have been removed. Go back to Sunny and ask them to do it.
Mehdi says
Dear Sara,
I had a sim only contract with three company in 2015. A year later I decided to leave them without informing them. I canceled my direct debit and than they passed me to Lowell debt collector after few months. I made a deal with debt collector and made all payments but Lowell put my credit file on default with the start date in 2016. but I can not see any record from three company in my credit file. Can I ask the Lowell to delete the default from my credit file as the original company had not recorded anything in my credit file?
Many thanks
Sara (Debt Camel) says
No. The default will go in 2022.
Kate says
Hi Sara,
I need help please
At 21 I had 1 bank loan, 6 credit cards and a payday loan addict. (As soon as I could I took out credit to help my mum with debt and ended up getting myself in trouble)
4 of my credit cards defaulted and are still on my file since 2017.
I have read so many of your forums and have complained to my pay day loan company’s and been accepted and paid out (Wonga haven’t removed anything yet though)
Can I complain to anyone about an affordability complaint or do I need to do it separately to each company?
I had 1 nationwide credit card
2 capital one
1 Tesco bank
1 aqua
1 Vanquis
1 nationwide bank loan
Wonga & quick quid pay day loans to get through the month.
Is there anything I can do or speak to about these defaults.
Thanks in advance
Sara (Debt Camel) says
You can’t just ask to have the defaults removed, you have to win an affordability complaint. See https://debtcamel.co.uk/refunds-catalogue-credit-card/ for how to complain about a credit card. These are harder to win than payday Ian complaints as the monthly payments are lower, and yiu have to argue the monthly payments were unaffordable. Best chance us if a card increased your credit limit several times.