Is it possible to reomve a Default Notice on a credit file?

y2viks

y2viks

y2viks

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I had a contract with Vodafone which was going to expire in Feb, so I called them up to cancel it with 30 days notice. So it comes to the end of the contract period and I get a phonecall from Voda saying I still owe £22 for my final bill and they'd have to set up a direct debit to pay it off. No problems, I set the Direct Debit up for that one payment and I went and got another contract.

Two months later my mum was collecting some letters from our old house where she'd moved from a couple of moths back and there was a letter addressed to me (I've not lived in that house for over a year). I open it and it's a letter from Vodafones debt collectors dated from 3 weeks back, saying that if I don't pay up within a few days i'll have a default notice on my credit file.

I called Voda who said that the money wasn't taken because the account was technically closed and they can't take money for a closed account. I asked why the Debt collecting note went to my old address when all their bills come to the correct address. They said they weren't sure and couldn't explain that. On the account there is a note about me setting the direct debit to pay off the bill, and there is also a note from 11 months ago about me changing address. The lady on the end of the phone basically said that it's definitely their error but they can't take off the Default Notice on my file.

Is there anything I can do?

Thanks
 
Ask for a copy of your credit file from either Experian, Equifax or CallCredit (depending on who Vodafone use) to see if a default notice has even been applied. Although they said they would apply one, they may not have. A statutory report costs only £2.

In the first instance, I would advise writing to Vodafone and state your case. If you get a copy of your credit file, Vodafone's contact details will be somewhere in the report (usually the back).

If writing to Vodafone doesn't achieve anything, you can raise a concern with the Credit Reference Agency and they will look in to the problem on your behalf, but this can take a while. But this course of action still depends on Voda agreeing for the default to be removed.

If that doesn't work, raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office and they will look in to it for you. But as before, this can take a while.

If the ICO thinks you are in the right, they will order Vodafone to remove the default notice.
 
Of course Vodafone can remove the notice. If you want to expedite things look up their directors and cc then all an email giving the 24 hours to address the situation. Then 24 hours later send the same people a load of abuse for not replying and you will get a call from the chairman's PA within 2 hours checking that some one else has already sorted the problem and they will have :) I know that method works as of two weeks ago :)
 
Couple of things for you that will work.

Firstly - the fact that letters are going to the wrong address - straightforward breach of the Data Protection Act - all information on all their systems should be accurate.

Secondly - default notices are easy to get removed - just contact their collections departement and explain what has happened.

Thirdly - technical restrictions on their systems are not your issue - they have to resolve them, not you.

A simple letter to their CO/CEO will get the matter resolved within 5 days - usually resolved within 24 hours of the letter being received.
 
Hi y2viks

I work for the Vodafone eForum Team and we are dedicated to resolving customers queries online.

I'm very disappointed to hear about the difficulties you have had. I would love the chance to resolve this for you.

If you send us an email from the Contact Us page of our website with a link to this thread and FIT165 in the body of the text (so you get routed straight to us) then we can investigate this for you.

Speak to you soon!

:cool:

Kirsty_Vodafone
Vodafone Customer Services
eForum Team
 
email sent - here's hoping :)

Kirsty_Vodafone said:
Hi y2viks

I work for the Vodafone eForum Team and we are dedicated to resolving customers queries online.

I'm very disappointed to hear about the difficulties you have had. I would love the chance to resolve this for you.

If you send us an email from the Contact Us page of our website with a link to this thread and FIT165 in the body of the text (so you get routed straight to us) then we can investigate this for you.

Speak to you soon!

:cool:

Kirsty_Vodafone
Vodafone Customer Services
eForum Team
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