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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

63johnw
17: Community Champion
17: Community Champion
The team here will look into this for you, but if it is a genuine default it can only be marked as settled on your credit rating.

They will provide a link for you to contact them but it can take 24-48 hours for them to get to you.

donaldo25
2: Seeker
2: Seeker
Thanks for that. It has been marked as settled. I am thinking of getting legal advice as it is surely criminal what is happening here.

Sukhi
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

Hi donaldo25,

 

We'll take a look at this for you. Please get in touch here.

 

Thanks,

 

Sukhi

Hi I have the exact same thing. I have not been able to get credit without high rates for years and didn't know why? As I've always paid all my bills on time. Found out why yesterday, I had an account with Vodafone 27/10/2013, which I closed 07/07/2015 and went with another supplier. I did not receive any letters that I owed £19! And that has been put on my credit file since 07/07/2015? If I had of known I would have paid it off. I really need I taken off and only vodaphone can do it, as I've been looking into it.  Can anyone help me pls 😭

Tash
Moderator (Retired)
Moderator (Retired)

Please send our Credit File specialists a message on Twitter or Facebook and they'll be able to take a look into the account you had with us @Kaz66. If you include your Community username and a link to your post (by right-clicking on the subject line of your post), you won't need to repeat your query. Our team will then be in touch as soon as possible.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Kaz66 its a pain i have the same issue with my credit file even today if you want to talk about it feel free 

AliK
2: Seeker
2: Seeker

Hello All

 

I feel relieved but also saddened that there are other people in the same situation as me! Can’t believe this is such a common thing.

 

A similar story with me; 2.5 years ago I ended my contract, thought my final balance was £0 but final bills for £73.00 were sent to an incorrect email address (mistyped by someone when I signed up in the shop few years ago, could have been a mistake by either party but no-one recalls) and nothing was sent by post at all. I always received my bills and correspondence in paper form by post and so would not have even thought about anything arriving by email, let alone something this important.

 

I became aware of the outstanding amount 2 years ago when I was rejected for a credit card. I contacted Vodafone and then paid the £73.00 after querying why nothing was sent to me by post. I was a Vodafone customer for 6 years and I had a direct debit set up throughout that time so I never had any late or failed payments. Despite this a default was not removed off my credit file.

 

I tried to ask Customer Services about this and after explaining my situation they would tell me that the default would be removed in 48hours and they would contact me when it was done. I would then never hear from them again. This has happened at least 3 times so far and I tried again this week but the same thing again. I don’t know why they say it will be removed if it won’t be! There is no need to lie or give out false information.

 

I have recently been trying to obtain a mortgage for a first family home for my wife and I have been told by a mortgage broker that it will be unlikely that I will get a mortgage with this default against my name. If I do manage to get one it will be at a really bad rate and from the figures I could be paying up to an extra £400 per month!! For a misunderstanding/mistake and £73.00, which was paid immediately, the effects are completely disproportionate. Why would Vodafone want to make life so stressful and difficult for customers in these situations?? It feels like continuing harassment/punishment for something extremely minor. I understand the system probably has a use but it should be for legitimate situations of abuse or non-payment, not for good customers (of many years!) and one-off misunderstandings where some blame is arguably with Vodafone.

Phil
Community Manager (Retired)
Community Manager (Retired)

Hi AliK, 

 

If you'd like us to look into this for you, please contact us here.  

 

Thanks, 

 

Phil

Dear Phil

 

Thank you for your message. I have followed the instructions and hope to have some resolution to this awful, stressful situation soon. 

 

Kind regards

AliK

Dear Phil

 

I have spoken to one of you colleagues, Lee, who was very unhelpful. He did not allow any consideration for my side of the story. He simply said "NO" and hung up. I did explain to him that I was not residing at the address where presumably the letters were sent however I was told to keep quoting that address for any correspondence since I had two Vodafone accounts and Vodafone keep mixing them up when I quoted my other address. He said that Vodafone had sent me the final bill but I never received this, at any address.

 

I have also been told on a number of occasions that the default will be removed within 48 hours, by your revenue protection team and customer services. I have recordings of some as evidence. Of course it still has not been removed, why do they lie to customers!

 

Eventually I requested my information under the Data Protection Act in October 2014. I have received a CD from you. On it there is no copy of any final bill, Default notice or debt collectors letter. I never received any letter from Vodafone but they have always insisted that they have sent me two letters in Jan 2012, All of this for £73 that I did not owe. I have never known why I was asked by Vodafone to pay however I paid the amount they requested to avoid unnecessary hassle in my life.

 

Vodafone clearly did not appreciate this or act in the same spirit. I have being rejected for three mortgage applications and my mortgage broker thinks it is pointless trying to apply for others because of this default. It is absolutely appalling that Vodafone abuses its power and does not follow the Consumer Credit Regulations. The effects on individuals are absolutely disproportionate.

 

In the last letter from Vodafone I was told that is has now been passed on to the escalated complaint team. I called Vodafone last week and after spending 1 and half hours on the phone being passed from one department to another no one knew about an escalated complaint team and were unable to find Vodafone dealing with this issue at all. I was eventually told that I would receive a callback within 48 hours, which I never received.

 

I am left with no option but to issue proceedings for an injunction to remove the default. This would be time consuming and costly for Vodafone and myself. To this day I still do not understand why Vodafone takes such drastic action for such minor errors.

 

Kind regards

AliK