Silly amount of default on credit record

[junk0r]

Hi,

 

I just checked my credit record. The biggest blemish is from a Student Barclaycard that I last used about 5 years ago, with a limit of £350. I became unable to work in 2003 and got in touch with barclaycard about it; they've lodged a default for £630!

 

What should I do? The account was opened in Sept 2000, a bit out of the 6-year data retrieval limit (or is it?)

 

Thanks for any help!

[Michael Browne]

The account was opened in Sept 2000, a bit out of the 6-year data retrieval limit (or is it?)

 

No the 6 years will start from when you last acknowledged the debt or made a payment, presumably when you last used it 5 years ago. so it still has a year till it is statute barred. When was the default registered?

[junk0r]

The default was registered 30th Jan 2004, so there's ~22 months to go.

[Michael Browne]

That's for the default to drop off your credit record. Statute barring is 6 years from your last acknowledge/payment. If default was registered Jan 2004, the date you actually defaulted would have been 3 months before or possibly even earlier.

[junk0r]

Thanks. The last correspondence I received from them was a bill around June 2003, after which I wrote to them, and then nothing since. What are my options? As it's not an enormous bill (and at a pinch I could pay off the debt owed minus charges), I'd rather clear it off my record sooner than wait until Feb 2010 (that's the other option, isn't it?)

[Michael Browne]

The default will stay regardless for 6 years, but would be marked as satisfied if paid in full.

[junk0r]

How should I go about determining a more sane number for "in full"?

[Michael Browne]

You could send a Data Protection Act S.A.R - (Subject Access Request) to find out what charges they have made (assuming you no longer have your statements) and then issue a claim.

 

1. It will reduce the amount owed

2. It will put the a/c in dispute during which time they cannot pursue debt collection. Not that that will stop them trying

[junk0r]

Thanks. SAR sent 13/03/2008.