URGENT - Default of approx £75 effecting mortgage application

[Angryfrustrated]

I had been a long-standing customer of Vodafone and selected them to provide MIFI to a rental flat based on a 20/30 gig agreement. At no point was i informed this amount could be exceeds resulting in excessive charges. I was not the end user and so was unaware of any alert to say the cap had been exceeded because I thought it was exactly this - a cap and felt I had been very misold.

After receiving a bill summer 2017 for over £400 for what should cost approx £30 per month, I entered into dispute and stopped my direct debit. I stated I was happy to continue to pay for my phone contract but was advised this was impossible.

I was unhappy with the resolution and vowed to leave Vodafone as soon as my contract ended.

From that point on I was paying the invoices upon receiving notification.  When I finally managed to port to three, I received a final bill via text I believe. I tried to call but my number was no longer Vodafone and I was not a customer. I also went into 2 different stores and asked to pay the invoice. Neither store would accept payment!!

After much frustration, I gave up. 

I believe I paid once I received a letter allowing for payment over the phone by card (debt collection agency).

There is now a default on my ACCT and it is effecting my mortgage application. Please can you help as this is a ridiculous situation. How can a store not accept payment for a service the company provides?!

Please assist me in resolving this issue. I simply do not have the mental strength to go through your telephone customer services as I find the whole process utterly draining.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi @Angryfrustrated

Unfortunately if a person stops their Direct Debit even if they believe something is wrong and Vodafone cannot collect funds and believe they have exhausted all avenues to collect then this can lead to a default being placed on a persons Credit File and the debt being sold to a Debt Collection Company. 

Vodafone then no longer own the debt and can't help or help you pay off the debt unless the Debt Collection Company send it back to Vodafone. 

In that case contacting the debt collection company maybe beneficial. 

O add Vodafone are not obliged to let a person know they have actioned a default on their Credit File. 

Using allowances on a contract is an account holders responsibility ultimately to keep a check on even if its not them using the allowances. 

I note you say you entered into a "dispute" with Vodafone and was "unhappy at the resolution"

Really you should have taken a next step by asking Vodafone for and using a deadlock letter and used the Communications Ombudsman to arbitrate as the debt will not have gone away as your finding out now. 

It would have been a much easier route to get things sorted and possibly be given a refund if relevant for any wrong charges than try and get a default removed now.  

Now we do have a Vodafone Social Media Team here that reads all posts. 

Let them catch up with your thread and they'll get your details to their Credit File Specialist Teams for investigation. 

But From what I've read in your post however I'm sorry but the default looks to be correct and that will last 6 years when Vodafone investigate and if they find it warranted. 

So if they refuse to remove the default then Paying the owed money would however change the status of the default from Outstanding to Settled. 

Not all mortgage companies will decline an application because of one default but you may have to shop around for one that will accept the application. 

I wish you all the best with this. 

[Alex]

@Angryfrustrated As @BandOfBrothers has mentioned, we do have a Credit team who can investigate into your issue, but if it's found that the default is correct, then it wouldn't be removed. We'd strongly advise against cancelling a direct debit to prevent exactly what's happened in your scenario. 

So we're able to gather a full understanding of the events that led up to this situation, please get in touch using the link in my private message. If it's found that the default isn't valid, we'll be able to take the correctional steps to resolve this issue.