Help, undeserved bad credit rating.

[twinkly46]

Hi. I bought a suite from DFS on one of these buy now pay later thngs. Did all the paperwork, got letter from them stating all my bank details etc and how much they would take monthly starting on such date and ending on such date. I need do nothing more it said.
In the meantime I reverted to my maiden name and moved house, but bank details remained the same and I had my mail redirected. The next thing I knew, I had this letter from a company who had taken on my 'bad debt' and they wanted extra money too! I have managed to get them to put this on hold while I try and sort it out. I know I should have realised the payments should have started and hadn't (only 2 months) but having had to move house, find a new job and have my Mum die in a short space of time left my brain elswhere. I have written to the first finance Co. three times and had no reply at all. I understand it is only them that can remove the blemish on my credit record which seems to have appeared through no fault of my own. I'm a single parent with two teenage boys who will more than likey need credit in some form in the future. I can't aford to keep this blemish for 6 years when really its not deserved. The repayment by the way was never in question. I only did this pay later thing cos they offered free insurance if I spilled anything on the sofa etc. Can anyone please help me in how I can rectify this. Well done for reading to the end of this ;0)

[dzug]

It's not clear from your post WHY the finance company didn't start taking the payments.

My guess is that your bank details didn't stay the same - OK sort code and account number may have but if your name changed then there would have been a mismatch when it came to taking the payment. The bank's computer would have decided that the details were wrong and bounced the DD.

Other than persist with the finance company and plead mitigating circumstances I'm not sure what you can do -if my guess is right then in their eyes you failed to notify them of a change.

[antiguru]

If you�re feeling bullish, try this line with them:

Sirs

I write to you for the fourth time as an exasperated customer and to make a formal complaint. Because of errors with your credit processing system you failed to apply to start taking payments or to keep me informed of the progress of my application. The details you had for me were correct and I trusted you to execute our agreement while I was focussing on personal issues. I was pressured into taking the credit option in return for the insurance you offered and now regret purchasing a sofa from you at all.

I am very disappointed and hope this issue can be simply resolved. If it is not, regrettably I will have to refer this matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service. I look forward to hearing from you by return.

Send the letter by recorded delivery. http://www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk/default. htm for more info and how to make a complaint.

Good luck.

[jennyp]

I am sure that I have seen a something similar to your problem on http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk but can't find it. There are certainly people on there who have had blemishes removed from their credit record.

[Oneeyedvic]

antguru, I am curious how "I only did this pay later thing cos they offered free insurance if I spilled anything on the sofa etc."

gets turned into: "I was pressured into taking the credit option in return for the insurance you offered"

[antiguru]

It�s not a complicated link, oneeyedvic. She was not looking for credit, but only considered it when offered it as the most cost effective way to secure insurance, which was the product she did want. Therefore it could be argued that this is about the misselling of insurance rather than just a mistake with credit.

The ombudsman does not yet cover credit issues as this starts in April next year, but they do cover misselling of insurance and many successful cases have been bought. If twinkly is to rattle these people in action, she is going to need to press the right buttons.

Like I said in my answer, it�s a bullish option but twinkly sounded desperate.

[indie1978]

got to say i agree! only way to deal with these companys is a strongly worded letter threating legal action ,reason being most of the time they wont want to go to the trouble of going in to a costly legal battle to recover small amounts of debt. Has for having a ccj not so much stigma attached these days there are plenty of consumer credit organisation that will lend people with ccj's they just charge an extortionate interest rate.