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Defaulted Vodafone account on my credit file

marekk
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

Hi,

 

I have recently applied for a mortgage and to my surprise the application was declined. Reason - credit check fail. The thing is that I have never missed a payment on anything and so my financial adviser told me to get my credit report from experian and find out what is causing the issue. What I discovered is that Vodafone recorded a default on my account that I believed has been closed in November 2012 (the default is for huge £14). The contract has run out at that time and so I contacted Vodafone and told them to close the account and that I'll be moving my number to O2 and so I did. As far as I was concerned my Vodafone account was settled. Vodafone never contacted my about the £14. If they did I would have paid it. Even if the payment was to be one month late it would not damage my credit profile. Is it even legal to default my account without some sort of communication to let me know? 

Straight after I got my credit report I called Vodafone and paid the £14 over the phone. (the account will soon show as settled but the default will stay) I asked them if I can get the default removed from my credit file and they couldn't tell me so they asked me to wait and that they will be in touch within 5 days. Yeah right... I called them again after 5 days and asked them to remove the default. I was told that it cannot be done because I did not pay my bill for 10 months. I was furious after the phone call. How can I pay for a bill that I dont know even existed?

 

I would really appriciate some help with this matter. I know that some people have been successful with getting the default removed.

 

 

459 REPLIES 459

Gemma
Community Manager
Community Manager

@Mariabradley - I’m sorry for the delay and to hear the experience you’re having.

One of the credit specialists in my team can help with this.

Please send us your details by following the instructions in this private message.

 

@AdeId - We can help and look into this for you.  So we can access your account, please follow the steps in this private message

Hi @Gemma,

I had a Vodafone contract that expired in November 201. I requested and got a Pack code from Vodafone on the 27th of January which I passed on to my new provider(Virgin straight away)

 

To my biggest surprise when I checked my credit profile on the 6th of September 2017 I found out I've got an arrears of £52. I called vodafone straightaway and the customer advisor I spoke to told me he couldn't find full information on the account as im no longer a customer and he was going to call me back the following day but he never did.

I even logged on to my vodafone account online to see if I could make the payment but there was no option for me to do so since im no longer a customer.

 

The sad part of this is that Vodafone has now added default to my credit profile and I only found out today. 

I think this is very unfair as I've got no way of knowing I've got any outstanding bills to be paid. Vodafone did not send me any letter to indicate I owe them money and I only found out by chance when I had a look at my credit profile.

 

Any help to get the default removed from my credit profile will be much appreciated.

 

Thanks

Gemma
Community Manager
Community Manager

@bode7uk - We can help to find your account and look into this further for you.

I’m sorry that you’ve had to contact us. Please send us your details by following the instructions in this private message.

@Gemma,

 

Thanks for your response. I've filled and submitted the form as requested.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks..

 

Hi,

I got an email response from vodafone today claiming a text message and letter was sent to me on the 18th of may 2017 even though I recieved no such letters or text message. 

 

This also contradicts what I was told over the phone by vodafone customer service on the 29th of September that vodafone doesnt send out any paper bills and here they are now claiming they've sent me a letter notifying me of the arrears. 

 

Anyways I got on the phone and spoke to the billing department straight after reading the email today (02 October 2017) and I was told the credit team are very adamant they sent me a text message (NOT A LETTER) about the bill and are 100% sure I got it even though there is no 100% gaurantee the message was actually delivered to my phone or I got to see it.

 

I've worked as a software engineer for over a decade and I know for a fact that network achknowledgment of a message doesnt necessary mean the message was delivered or persisted to the target device successfully.

 

Furthermore, I've used other telemcoms company in the past they always send a final bill within a month of using your PAC Code and vodafone hasnt done this.

 

As I've mentioned in my previous post, I got to know about the arears by chance on the 6th of September 2017 after checking my credit report on clearscore and I immediately on the same day attempted to find out why i had an arears of 52 and also to make a payment but vodafone customer service advisor could not find my details on their system and promised to call me back but never did.

 

I also tried making payment using the My Vodafone account on the same day 6th of september but there was no option for me to make the payment online.

 

I finally managed to pay off the arears today after been placed on hold a number of times by vodafone customer service as they struggle to find my account but it's already too late as the credit department is adamant they sent me a text message and it's in their words "Black and White" I saw the text message about the account being in arrears.

 

The decision vodafone has taken will have an adverse effect on me and my young family and we may never get the chance to get on a property ladder as age is not on my side.  This also means no credit applications for the next 6 years all because of a 52 pounds arears that i knew nothing about,  an inaccurate assumption from vodafone that I received a text message and an incompetent customer service.

 

It's very sad a telecoms company is allowed to behave in this way in 2017, I will now be pursing this with the onbudsman. Any help or suggestion from the community will be appreciated.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

John
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

@bode7uk If you require further assistance, please respond to the latest email you've received.

Hi @John,

I responded to the email I got from Lee yesterday and there's no response yet.

Im happy to forward my response to you if you provide me with an email address or I could post my response in the forum if you want.

 

I was eventually able to make a payment over the phone yesterday and the only assistance I need right now is for this to be resolved and the default to be removed from my credit profile. 

 

Thanks.

Tash
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

@bode7uk I can see that the dedicated Credit File team have received your latest email.

They'll be in touch as soon as possible to discuss this further with you.

Hi,

 

i am having this issue - this account in my mind was closed years ago - having a mortgage advisor tell me it’s open? and a default????? 

 

this is wrong! how can VF do this!??

Please can someone help me????

Rachel

TJ
Community Manager (Retired)
Community Manager (Retired)

Hey @rachelowens, one of the Credit File Specialists  in our team will be more than happy to take a look into this default for you. Please contact us via Facebook at Vodafone UK, or get in touch on Twitter using the handle @VodafoneUK

Please also provide a link to this thread, along with your username; this will save time and we’ll be able to help you quicker.