O2 defaults discovered on Credit Report

[Motirrep]

Hi,

I have recently discovered that I have 8 defaults on my credit report relating to a unknown £5.88 bill with O2 for an old contract in which I had cancelled in October 2021 and was of the understanding at that point I had paid the final due amount.

I did not receive any postal notification from O2 to state that an amount of £5.88 was still outstanding and that the account would default at any stage. Given that it was such a nominal amount I would have been more than happy to settle what was owed if I knew it was owed....

This has subsequently destroyed my credit rating and I will struggle to obtain any type of credit for the upcoming 6 years until this is cleared. 

I have today settled the £5.88 (first opportunity to do so since discovering it last night!) but have also been advised that my unpaid amount has been passed onto a debt collection agency.

I find that this practise from O2 has been hugely unfair and unjust considering that if they had notified me that an amount was outstanding since the contract was cancelled I would have just paid what was owed rather than do anything to the detriment to my credit score.

Has anyone experienced the same or have been able to have the "defaults" removed from their credit history? Are there any steps I can take to get in touch with someone at O2 to have these removed?

Thanks

PF

[jonsie]

Need to contact the Credit Referals team on this

 The email address is creditfilereferrals@telefonica.com

 Or you can write them at

Credit File Referrals Team
Suite P
Arlington Business Centre
Leeds
LS11 0NE

[Motirrep]

Thanks Jonsie,

From experience is this likely to work? I have seen from a number of threads O2 are poor at getting back to people in regards to this.

Thanks

[jonsie]

It can take weeks for them to get back to you unfortunately

The likelyhood is though that O2 will not remove the default if it has been correctly reported to the credit agencies no matter how unfairly it has been applied and no matter how trivial the amount

In the meantime all you can do is put a notice of correction on your credit file that the debt has now been paid

Your other choice of action, for a quicker response, is to make a complaint to O2 using the Resolver option in this link

https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

https://www.resolver.co.uk/companies/o2-complaints?territory_id=5

[Motirrep]

Even though the first I heard of the outstanding amount was 2 days ago via a credit report? No emails, no letters, no phone calls asking for the money for 13 months? Then to find out the £5.88 debt is now sitting with a debt collection agency?

Sounds like the ombudsman or media need to get involved.....

[jonsie]

We know for a fact that this has happened to so many customers just by the posts on this forum

As you say, no emails or texts even though O2 will claim they have sent them and tried to get in touch

This has happened to the majority of people who have paid what they thought was the final bill and cancelled the direct debit only to find piffling amounts still owed for the days after the last invoice has been produced or when something has been returned within 14 days and there is a couple of days usage to pay for

I truly sympathise and wish you all the luck in the world with this.

[AlexanderMTTH]

My advise would be to raise a dispute w/ the Credit References directly as well. 
This will aid your case with the Ombudsman. Raise a complaint and wait for the final response letter. If unsatisfactory, take it to the ombudsman. There are 2 stages there as well - escalate it further, and do not accept the initial resolution if it doesn't make sense. And it happens, so keep options open. 

When raising a complaint, I would address it to the CEO, not because it will mean he'll read it, but because it will redirect to an alleged Executive Complaints Team. It must be addressed directly to the CEO, by name and spoken to home directly. He is called Mark Evans. 

If you do this, the chances are lowered for your complaint to be dealt with by some quota hire, whose power is limited to a half-script. I would put it in writing as well, and keep a copy for the Ombudsman and OfCom. 

Now all this being said, it looks like you didn't pay your bill, which you were contracted to. No letter to inform you of the debt might not be sufficient to prove your case. I do hope this goes your way, but regardless of the amount, the CRA is independent of O2 and has to collect and report accurate data, submitted by O2. When you plead your case, please be mindful that being a nominal amount is not a reason not to report missed payments and broken financial agreements, which sounds like you did. If all their comms went out correctly, there wouldn't be much you could do, more if you had digital statements. Any change of email or postal address is under your contractual obligation to inform O2 of, hence that will also not be a good reason. Nor is 02 liable for the missed post, which according to Stadia 1 in 1000 is misplaced or lost by Royal Mail. 

Don't let this put you off though. As errors happen and it might be one of those in your case. 
Good luck. 

[Motirrep]

Thanks Both,

Pending a response still, so once I receive some communication I'll update the thread for any other future customers who have this issue.

[AndyH1]

I’m in a similar situation, no letters or messages of a missed payment of £5.16 back in August and now a default on my credit file, did you get it resolved?