From 15 - 31 March 2014, Equifax is offering all visitors to the Money Advice Service website access to their statutory credit report online free of charge – normally available for £2. To view to your statutory credit report online please use the promotion code 4357 when registering on the Equifax website. When you reach the payment details section of the registration process, enter the promotion code and click on the ‘Apply Code’ button. No payment details need to be submitted. Once Equifax has confirmed your identity you will receive an email confirming that your account is live and you can access your statutory credit report online. If Equifax has difficulty verifying your identity you will be asked to contact them by phone. To make sure you get your free online statutory credit report offer please quote ‘Money Advice Service offer’ when you call https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/static/get-your-free-credit-report

Hi my loan was sold by Lloyds Banking group to Aktiv Kapital which im fine with, had the letters confirming the sale back in July last year. My only confusion is around how they are both reporting the same debt on my credit report, it has only been the last 3 months aktiv kapital have been reporting it. My simple question is are they right to both be reporting the same debt? thanks

For many years I have posted only on the Bailiff & High Court section of the site. This is the FIRST time ever that I have posted a personal question and I hope somebody can help. My son and daughter in law left the UK about 9 months ago and live and work in Kuwait. Before leaving my daughter in law applied for a Sainsburys Credit Card. She did this just in case there was any undue financial needs in the first few months. In fact, she never used the credit card and it has not even been activated. I should mention that they have a house over here that is rented out and a few weeks ago, the mortage broker suggested a much lower mortage rate by switching the account. Good advice. The broker made the application for them and it was refused. With great difficulty they managed to obtain an Experian credit check for my daughter in law and this revealed a default against her report by Sainsbury's Bank for £85. She spent a small fortune this week calling Sainsbury's Bank from Kuwait and they have admitted that the £85 fee should not have been applied and they have removed the charge from the account ( which she has never used and which has not even been activated). Sainsbury's Bank however have REFUSED to remove the default stating that once a default is registered there is nothing that they can do. Because my son and daughter in law live in Kuwait they will be giving authority for me to discuss her account with Sainsury's. This is unknown territory for me.....any advice on geting Sainsury's Bank to remove the default would be appreciated.

PIP Early Progress. National Audit Office Report Full Report Here in PDF format http://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Personal-Independence-Payment-early-progress.pdf

Hi All A new default has just appeared on my credit file for a loan from about 9 years ago, as far as we were aware this was a statute barred debt and it had already defaulted years ago. Is there anything we can do?

Hi, I recently had may my ATOS medical and suffering from severe depression and anxiety amongst other related issues the whole thing has made me feel rather ill. The worst bit being I felt the person that assessed me didn't seem particularly interested in anything I said and when I did say something they just kept twisting everything and kept asking the same things over and over again I think attempting to put words in my mouth or somehow make it look like I was lieing. I felt sick when I left and still feel ill now. I wanted to see what had been written about me as I fear it won't be the truth and worry what it might say. I saw in the ESA medical leaflet that you can call the office dealing with your claim and request a copy of your report so I summoned up the courage to do that but I just got this rather abrupt lady that said that I couldn't request it over the phone and that I had to write a letter to get it. She didn't say how long it would take to get it if I did write in for it. All I remember is the assessor told the person that went with me to my medical that the decison would take about a month and a half. I don't know how I could handle having this hanging over me for so long. Has anyone else managed to get a copy of their report or do you have to wait a month and a half for another dreaded brown envelope to drop through the letter box?

Hi all, another question I have regarding my CRA report, One of my creditors has stated a correct default date of 5 years ago yet the account status now shows Partial settlement and a recent date. How can this be , and will this account now be on CRA files for another 6 years. Any info welcome . Sleepingdog

Hi everyone, Have had loads of charges added to my loan account by HFC .Have not paid anything towards account for last 6 months so that they would take court action as I believe that a Judge would see that most of the charges have been wrongly applied. Now get a letter from their in house DCA (debt litigation and recovery services) stating Please note that the current amount to settle your acccount is £???? ,however we will waive £???.We have agreed to accept £??? at X amount in Dec, Jan and Feb in order to close your account. The Questions I have are that if I paid the amounts requested would that be the end of it or could HFC or a DCA come after the rest at a later date? and is the closing of the account only with DLRS or as they are acting on behalf of HFC it would close the account with HFC? For your info HFC have a enforceable CCA which contains within it a list of charges applicable for defaults and late payments that I signed. One other question ,if I accepted and paid amounts and HFC closed account would I still be able to complain to HFC, FSA and anyone else about the incorrect running of the account. sorry if post is too long. Sleepindog

Hi Needing advice here for a good mate. He has been subject to a breach of confidentiality by persons at his work and details of his medical condition and treatment have been leaked causing rumours and malicious talk. He is devastated but working on as there appears no option. He received a letter of apology and admission of the breach from the firm. In it, one of the employees named denied wrongdoing and named members of the public/relations of my friend as being the source. They have been named in several reports as having been the source of part of the breach, but were never contacted or informed to supply any facts. In order to keep his job, this employee pinned the blame on members of the public thinking they would never find out. The persons involved were shown the report by my friend and are furious as they have done nothing wrong but named as being the cause. This employee has caused so much damage and ill feeling and the firm appears to believe him and the lies. Where does my friend and his relative/friend stand here? He isnt interested in compensation, he just wants to ensure the truth is outed. The members of the public can trace the breach back to the employee. Is there anything that can be done to clear their names and get the truth out there? Cheers on behalf of my mate.

hi there ,im not sure if posting in right place im trying sort out a old debt with is on my credit report and keep getting marker each month as late payment and only thing on file stopping me getting credit ,I give u info what happen in 2006 I stupidly took hp car finance with welcome finanace at time I had no choice ,only insurance I took with it were mechanical breakdown and shortfall extra in 2009 I decided to termination my agreement and would owe nothing if I had paid over 4827 ,I had actually paid £6300 so thou great think they said car was taken to auction and didn't get much as they thought for it,and said I was liabiable for £2336 ? I refused pay as I gave car back and had already paid £6300 ,over years money been great for me but only thing is nitemare is they keep reporting missed payments on my credit report for the £2336 they say im liabiable for ? are the right and what can I do get get this off or sorted on my credit file thank u

I had the misfortune to get involved with HFC bank nearly 10 years ago, and following personal and financial problems that led to my defaulting on the loan I am still unable to resolve the problem and improve my credit rating (currently 447 with Experian). First of all, HFC quite correctly defaulted me around 2005/6. I arranged a repayment plan with the CCCS but HFC refused to accept it. I paid anyway. They referred me to their collection agency and issued the default. I agreed a repayment plan with the collection agency but then was informed after a few payments that HFC had 'taken back' the debt. What I did not know was that they had withdrawn the default notice because it had been issued incorrectly. I am now in limbo. HFC have refused my offers of payment (I offered to pay over 48 months) but otherwise do not contact me. They have had nothing for around 4 years because I cannot agree a payment schedule with them. My problem is that this debt sits on my credit file and will probably stay there forever because they will not default me. It is currently showing 20 months of late payments (number '6' on the monthly report) but before that (Experian lists up to 72 months) there is only a '?' against each month (the lender has provided no data). Can I challenge the entry as it is obviously incomplete? If HFC do not provide complete and accurate data do Experian have to remove the entry? For reasons known only to themselves HFC seem content to allow this to sit on my file forever without making any attempt to collect this or agree a repayment plan. It's been nearly 10 years now and I am desperate to get this removed from my credit file. Having the entry removed due to incomplete data would be great if that's possible. Any other suggestions would be very very welcome. Thanks everyone. Andy

Hi I'm currently on maternity leave and has to hand my phone into the office - this has meant someone else having my usual mobile phone for the last month! Today as recorded a text looking for me and threatening to report the goods stolen to police if I didn't call him by tomorrow morning. I have actually missed my direct debit this month which I know is my responsibility - payment comes out on 1st every month and this is the first month I have missed it (my last payment is July 2014 so I'm a fair way into my contract). I will probably not be in a position now to bring the payments up to date now until 20th (next Friday) and I have never been behind or missed a dd before with BAYV. I am disturbed however that they can contact the police to say I have stolen goods?!?! Another thing - I moved house a year ago. Was I supposed to inform Them as he mentioned this to my colleague too. Thanks for your help. Just want to get it resolved now but it's also got the added embarrassment of my work now being aware that I am in potential financial difficulties and have people chasing for money.

I wish I'd read this before. I've just gone through the online order for a £2 report from Equifax, only to be informed at the end that I had to phone them. Spent 5 minutes on a mobile phone talking to someone to whom I had to talk slowly and repeat things, only to be told at the end that they wanted me to send documentation including bank statement and ... At that point, I lost my temper (which is extraordinarily rare for me, usually the epitome of calmness) and refused, telling her there was nothing in the online application about this, that I'd just ordered a report from Experian without all this extra palaver, and to cancel the order. She was good enough to confirm that no money would be taken from my card. Jeez, they'd even checked past addresses back to 1999 online! What an expensive, time-consuming, frustrating and ultimately futile experience. To echo the OP, sort yourselves out, Equifax.

I need some help, I'm trying to get account information as I had a loan a Credit Card with Cooperative around circa 1999. I have a feeling I had PPI on both accounts but I have no account details. I sent a letter and £10 fee to their Data Controller but they have returned the cheque and the letter stating they have no record of my accounts and if I did, I must provide the account numbers as they are only obliged to hold information for 6 years. Ive tried both Experian and Noddle: both only have information on me for last 6 years. I there anywhere else I can go to get this information? I've googled that 'National Hunter' might be able to help.... Your help would be most appreciated.

Just logged onto Noddle at the Welcome finance Loan entry has vanished. Its been ' 6 payments late' for over 4 years and I've been paying £1 a month. Now its not there (was there last week) its also not on equifax but I think it never was on that one. What do I do?Keep paying? Obviously I will keep paying but its rather odd..... I think it was taken out August 2008 so it wouldn't have dropped off my file yet

Hi all I have now decided that it is time to drag my butt out from under the debt rug and sort it out ! I am now in work and want to get my credit report looking a lot nicer than it currently does ! I have a couple of questions though and wondered if you guys and gals could shed some light on them for me. Im not the smartest smartie when it comes to dealing with financial companies and the lower level so called companies... My credit report is Very Low ! no suprise to me, but I would like to get my act together now and sort it out or at least try The 2 main ones I have concerns over are 2 for Welcome Finance Ref 1 Account Type: Hire purchase/Conditional sale Started: 20/08/2004 Current Balance: £6,433 Payment Terms: £246 x 49 months No default date - states 6 payments late in the status column Last payment they have recorded is in the 59 month section ref 2 Account Type: Loan Started: 30/11/2005 Current Balance: £4,309 Payment Terms: £99 x 37 months Default Date 06/06/2008 Last payment they have recorded is in the 55th month section I have the paperwork for both these, somewhere ... What I want to know is. I havent had any contact with Welcome for at least 7 yrs. After reading a few threads on here I am supposed to be getting annual statements ? Yet I have had nothing from them since the accounts were defaulted I dont want to contact them and awaken the debt as if I am reading things right the 2nd loan will be removed from my credit report on 06/06/2014. I am assuming they are keeping the other one open and have no intention of defaulting it ? I also read that they are not in a good situation as a company, so how does that affect me with the outstanding debts to them ? So what do I do with these ? Sit tight on them ? I have a few other minor debts on my file which I intend to get information for and clear off. I have 1 that will be 6 yrs on the 13/09/2013 as its default date is 13/09/2007 i am assuming i should leave that be and concentrate on others that wont clear for a while. ? Hopefully that made sense to someone somewhere lol I am just trying to get my act together at long last and ahavent a clue where to start other than pay .. Any advice is much appreciated Thank you in advance

hi all.. i have defaulted on my halifax credit card . .they have been accepting 1.00 per mth for 3 mths.. they wouldnt freeze intrest or stop late payment fees. .im on benefits.. no assets in rented accomadation,no savings,absoulutly nothing,!! can i claim back the charges for intrest and late fees knowing they knew my situation ?? also im still paying 1.00 per mth ..when i hear from them again is it a good idea to ask for a CCA? cheers guys i love this site

Good afternoon, TSB have sold a disputed account to Lowell who have registered a duplicate default on my credit report. I am currently taking this up with TSB and Lowell and would like to ask; should Lowell be advising you of their intention to register a default albeit a duplicate one, as in the way a normal default notice should be served. Also, I was in the process of making a legal claim against TSB for in-excess of the value of the alleged debt, so if Lowell wish to assume responsibility for the alleged debt do I carry on with my claim against TSB, or do I claim against Lowell. Finally, if Lowell pursue you over 3 months for an alleged debt that they have to date not provided "proof of debt" what are my chances of making a legal claim against them for compensation for harassment and also having to constantly respond to them in defending myself against their unproven claim. I want to make a claim as I am scared they will default this alleged debt even though it is not mine. Thanks Migsy

Hi there, just looking for advice before I try to take on the delightful virgin media, I have heard they are tricky! Last week i checked my credit report with experian and equifax before I apply for a mortgage. I was surprised to see virgin media on there for my internet contract, I didn't realise they could record data with CRAs for your internet service but I suppose it makes some sense as I had 12month fixed contract. In any event, I was concerned they have recorded 3 late payments entries against me earlier this year and have now been told this will hinder my mortgage app as they are within the last 12months! What i am cross about is that virgin media failed twice to set up my direct debit properly which meant I fell behind with payments! The first time, they took the wrong amount out of my bank account on a direct debit, I had to file an indemnity claim with my bank and Virgin told me to cancel the direct debit and set it back up again! I went to set it back up again a couple of weeks later and this time they wrote down the wrong sort code so the direct debit was never set up correctly! What resulted was late payment fees galore, I had some of these refunded but it seems unbeknown to me they had still marked late payments with the CRAs! What makes me doubly cross is when I settled the account finally a few months later determined to leave them all together . . They talked me stupidly into moving the internet with them to my new address and taking out a new 12month agreement which we are now halfway through, paying on direct debit without drama! I feel so mad I want to ring to cancel the whole thing with them tomorrow! I tried to call them to discuss the whole thing when it materialised on Friday but was on the phone to not terribly helpful agents in India who accepted virgin had made mistakes but refused to remove the late payment markers. Eventually one mildly sensible American agent agreed it should be looked into and gave me an email address for consumer underwriting services... I sent an email that bounced back as a wrong address!! I have now written in to complaints team and raised dispute with experian and equifax . . Any similar experiences or further advice ?? Is there an ombudsman or regulator I can defer to if no satisfactory response?? Thanks S

I GET annoyed when a telephone box payphone is broken and unusable. so FYI here is where you report the fault to : http://www.payphones.bt.com/publicpayphones/reportafault.htm Freefone 0800 661 610, 8.30am-5.00pm, Monday to Friday

HFO Financial Services say I owe them £1700 after paying a total of £4000. I had been paying through CCCS along with two other smaller debts. Due to personal circumstance I've stopped using CCCS and intended to write directly to HFO to arrange a payment plan. However on Noodle this debt does not appear at all either on open or closed accounts. The debt must have been incurred somewhere around 2003/2004. Precisely what am I paying this for? Is it possible they have been taking payments on statue-barred debt and if so is there any way I would be able to reclaim monies paid in addition to ceasing future payments?

Learned Contributors, Firstly can I say what a fantastic forum I've found this to be after much trawling the net - the comments, advice and contributions of all concerned, priceless. I am new to the arena so please excuse my naiveity concerning my post (have tried to read up on related posts). I was hoping to carry out some form of credit reporting as to previous record of debts, last contact/payments being made in ~ 2002 however still being pursued until this year!! The various demands have finally petered down of late. My question is will I now again risk being chased by DCA's by even attempting to view my current file, what with the trace tools that CRA have in place, even after all these years (afraid to even enlist on the electoral register -however now have to in order qualify with estate agent). Alternatively, how can I even begin to address the situation without fear of further demanding letters and if so where might be a good place to start. Any advice would be sincerely welcome.

Hi all, I was hoping to get some guidance regarding an old default on my credit file. I got my credit report and saw this, its from an old capitol one card that was left to default due to redundancy. The balance was originally about £250, not £1,013! Also no one from Hillesden has contacted me over this. HILLESDEN SECURITIES LIMITED Account Type: Credit card / Store card Started: 24/05/2005 Current Balance: £1,013 Default Date: 16/01/2009 Default Balance: £1,013 Last updated: 04/12/2011 Should I contact them and make an offer or try and get the default removed? What is my best course of action? How best should I deal with this? Any help would be much appreciated.! -Al

Hi,straight to the point..i have found MKDP LLP on my credit report stating i have defaulted a loan in 2010,and that the loan was taken out in 2004.Heres what I DID!!I bought a car in 1999 using welcome finance and the loan was for 5 years.I payed for a year then defaulted,young and foolish.After 6 months or so i offered them £25 a week which they refused and took me to court.The court put an attatchment on my earnings of £20 a week...yes,i know...i cant be sure if i payed for 4 or 5 years or maybe even more.I then changed jobs and heard no more of it until,again foolishly,i tried to claim back £1500 i know i had paid for PPi(the car was £3800 and the total i had to pay back was £7500 because they put ppi in and charged me interest on it too!).Anyway i didnt get anywhere as after i paid for a statement of accounts,Welcome informed me they no longer had any records of the account.2 weeks later i get a letter from a DRA stating i owe Welcome £1500!I moved house a month or so after.I have just got my credit record and found the debt on it as a 2010 default,when i know the last penny i paid was from the job i left at the end of 2006!!I have been screwed over and over by Welcome,my own fault of course,but i know that this record is untrue and not fair!!PLEASE HELP!!

Hi all, I'm a new user here and I hope I can get some advice on how to act in my situation. Here's my story. On May 15, I bought two jackets from Lustdresses.com, apparently a UK based website. Since I was absolutely happy about my first purchase from them, I didn't think twice about the second one, although my account on this website has never worked. I would email them and they replied right away (of course, I was someone willing to pay!!). The jackets arrived on May 21 and the reality didn't have anything to do at all with the picture I had seen on Lustdresses.com. They looked like homemade clothes of extremely bad quality. On top of that, there wasn't a single tag or label on neither of the jackets, in fact there were marks of labels that I think had been removed. Furthermore, there was no documentation enclosed whatsoever!! So, I emailed the website stating my disappointment and returned the purchase. I even got from the courier company a delivery confirmation receipt signed on May 28. Obviously, I was within the 14-day period for returns required by Lustdresses.com. After that I waited another 14 days that they supposedly needed to process my refund. And then I started to pursue my money. I emailed them and messaged them on Facebook (which is how I had learnt about them in the first place). Finally, I got one short reply on FB saying that they were sorry and they would refund me on the next day (June 17)... ...It's been almost three months now and I've tried everything to get my money back but I haven't been lucky so far. I emailed them every day resending the same email several times. I messaged them on Facebook and posted comments on their FB profile after which they finally blocked me. I wrote to them through their website, Youtube and Twitter (they've got profiles everywhere). I've sent a request via Paypal and I've also tried calling the phone number I found on the Paypal transaction. I managed to find a phone number of their accountants but they told me Lustdresses.com didn't work with them anymore... I even tried to report them to the British police as fraudsters but I couldn't do it because I live in Spain. What else can I do? Even if I don't recover my money I still want some justice. I would greatly appreciate any help I can get. Thank you so much for your time.