HELP ME! Default from 3G on my CRA

[djlennon]

Hi all, Okay this is my first time on here and I'm looking for a bit of guidance.
I have obtained a copy of my credit report and there is a default on there for £325 from 3G which I knew nothing about. This I think stems back from November 2005, when I lost my phone. At the time I spoke with 3G and they would not replace the handset, as a result I told them I want to cancel my contract as I was not going to pay for something I did not have (Think I had about 6months left of contract). Anyway they said I could not do this, so I cancelled the direct debit, they sent me a couple of letters and after that I heard no more.

Basically, is there any way I can get this removed? if so, does anyone have a drafts of letters I should use etc.

Please help!

[buzby]

By 3G do you mean 3UK, the mobile operator? The rewality is you were due to complete the contract either with or without the handset, so you are due to pay them for the line rental (or claim on insurance, if you had it). You cannot walk away from a commitment simply because you don;t feel you want to continue. As for getting the default removed, as it appears to be correctly recorded, the answer has to be no. Sorry.

[djlennon]

Thanks for the reply. I did not choose just to walk away, anyone who has been with 3 will know how difficult it is to have any decent conversation with anyone as all there call centres are in India.
3 were very unhelpful with me at the time and I asked if I could be released from my contract, I offered to pay the remaining balance of £92. They said I could not do this and I must honour the contract (Bear in mind I have not signed anything etc).
Although I was not completely in the right, surely there must be a way to resolve this and have the default removed.

[buzby]

Oh I agree about three, and I continue to have ongoing frustrations with their Indian call centre, but the problem is not this, it is your legal obligation to comply with the original agreement. Paying off what you owed at the time wasn't an option or a bargaining point, it had to be done, and then you could pay off the remaining months othe contract and sell the handset on eBay.

No network will voluntarily release customers for the contract, especially if the phone was supplied at less than its true retail price, due the contract period factoring in the cost required for the phone to be paid off in full. A s/h phone isn;t worth anything to the network, so sending the phone back and hoping to walk away wouldn't be an option.

As for 'not signing anything', you don't have to. having used the service and made a payment, that is all that is required to confirm the contract, no signature is required.

The networks use these defaults to stop customers playing fast and loose with their investment, and if toy no not meet the terms of the contract, you've given them the right to disclose this data to CRA's, so it does make sense to know what you're getting into. It is possible once the account is clear for them to mark it satisfied, but the default will still show for 6 years, only if there is an inaccuracy that caused the default will they agree to removing it, but simply paying it off will not achieve this.

[djlennon]

Is there not anything I can do?

[buzby]

You could always ask them to re-instate the contract so you could complete it as originally agreed, tihs way you'll get back any includive minutes value you would otherwise have lost, but anything else would have to be negotiated.

[djlennon]

You could always ask them to re-instate the contract so you could complete it as originally agreed, tihs way you'll get back any includive minutes value you would otherwise have lost, but anything else would have to be negotiated.

Do you think this will honestly work? Do you know of anyone who has done this and will they then remove the default?

[buzby]

It is all part of the negotiating process. There is no 'policy' on what they will do, it all depends on who you speak to and whether they are empowered to act and provide this leeway. As for will the default will be removed, I would doubt it, but at least it would be modified from being outstanding to satisfied, if the service is completed per the original agreement.