Default on Credit File

[Davek2010]

Hi, I rang Vodafone to cancel my contract. I was told this would be done. I have now recieved a letter fromZinc group asking for me to pay £138. This has been done immediately however Vodafone did not cancel the contract on time, and I have not received any letters regarding the issue. This is now going to affect my credit score and I will no longer be able to gain credit for a fault that is not my own. When speaking to a Vodafone representative today I was told the call handler had not logged this. This is unfair, I would not leave my contract unpaid, as I know what this does. Is there anyway this default can be removed from my credit file? 

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @Davek2010

I apprecaite how damaging a default can be.

May I ask were you at the very end of your contract term ?

Or was you at the early upgrade date stage  ?

When a person just cancels and is not wanting to keep their number then they have to give 30 days notice. 

Alternatively if a person wants to keep their number to take to another network then they ask for a Pac and use that within 30 days by giving it to their new network. As using the Pac automatically closes the Vodafone UK Network Contract (30 days notice closing the account this way is not applicable),  its advised to use that as near to the end of your contract term as possible. 

It's also advised to leave the Direct Debit live so Vodafone can take the final payment which is in usually around 2 weeks after the contract closure, and to apply any relevant refunds. 

What we encounter sometimes is that people have closed their Direct Debit too fast. 

If Vodafone cannot collect payment then they can and will pass this onto Debt Collection Companies and in the extreme apply a Default on a persons Credit File that lasts 6 years even if you then pay it off. It's status changes from Outstanding to Settled but remains on the Credit File. 

Vodafone are not duty bound to forwarn a person they are applying a Default.

Please let the Social Media Team here who read all posts catch up with your post and they'll help you with this situation if they can, and after investigation if it is found that the Default is not warranted then they'll arrange with the Credit Houses to have it removed which if authorised takes around 30 days to remove it. 

Here is some further info > Default-on-your-Credit-File-And-How-to-add-a-Notice-of-Correction.

[Davek2010]

It was at the very end of my contract. I could leave so I assumed I did. I rang up and I was told it was done. No one mentioned another payment.  The debt was paid off immediately. 

[BandOfBrothers]

Ok. 

So as I mentioned above if you were just leaving and not retaining the number then you would have had to give 30 days notice as per How-do-I-cancel-my-Pay-monthly-contract.

I apprecaite you paid the amount but that wouldnt remove the default off your Credit File. It would however change its status. 

[Davek2010]

I understand what you are saying, but I rang up to cancel the contract, they then took money off me the month after I rang. That to me was the account closed. They then have now billed me for another month and sent it to collectors without any sort of letters or anything to say I owed any money. When I rang up twp days ago to see what was going on they then said the account wasn’t closed after me ringing and doing and more money being taken out of my account. It’s an error on Vodafone’s part, not mine.

[John]

@Davek2010 We'd like to investigate what's happened with your account in more depth. So we can take a closer look into your account and your credit file, I've sent you a private message with details on how to get in touch with our Credit specialists.