O2 - Placed an account in default without any notice

[andyford2000]

Hi everyone,

 

please bear with me on this one, I will try explain what is going on as best I can.

 

I recently attempted to buy my daughter a new phone on contract, I was rejected because of something on my credit file.

 

On futher investigation and sihning up to creditexpert and viewing my credit file, it would appear O2 logged a default against me in September for the sum of £10.21.

 

Now, I cancel my phone contract with them in March of this year and moved over to pay as go, settling my bill for around £78 in the process, i was given a PAC number and away I went.

 

I spoke to customer services last week with regards this default, explaining I wasnt made aware of any addition charges that might be levied against my account, nor have O2 over the last 7 months made any effort to contact me via phone, email or letter. The representative looked into my account and said he couldnt see anything stating that I would have to make a further payment, and subsequently credit my account for the outstanding amount and apologised for the misunderstanding. He said I should email their credit refferals team and explain all this and ask them to remove any information from my credit files.

 

I have had email back this evening from them; please see below

 

Dear Andrew

Thanks for your email.

I’m sorry we’ve added a default to your credit file for a bill you were unaware of. I appreciate how frustrating this is.

There has been a credit of £10.21 added to make the final bill a zero balance. The £10.21 was a charge for your line rental until your number was moved to pay as you go on 11 March 2011.

Due to the time that’s passed since your number moved I’m not able to listen to the cancellation call however the notes do show that your final bill was explained to you. Around 14 days after your account is closed there is a final bill generated. This final bill is due to be paid 14 days after that. Since this payment wasn’t made within this time this is the reason a default is added to your credit file.

I can’t change your credit file because this has to show an accurate account of the payment history on your account. I understand the advisor said o2 had made an error however this isn’t the case. All of your o2 bills are shown online for you to check.

If you’ve got any questions, please let me know.

Kind regards

Telefónica UK Limited

Complaint Review Service - Glasgow

I would like some help and advice please on how to get this resolved asap, as this is having a serious detremental effect on my credit history / file.

Surely I am right in thinking they have a duty and obligation in trying to get some kind of remedy before filing a default, otherwise, how am I supposed to pay a final bill if I am not aware of.

your thoughts and help would be most welcome

Andy

[andyford2000]

help anyone, please

[silverfox1961]

Hi

Sorry you were missed.

 

This is totally ridiculous. A default for such a petty amount and then they say they have to show an accurate record. How many times have they got it wrong (rhetorical question)

 

As they have now refused to remove the default, you have the right of complaint and if they reject your compaint to take it further.

 

Why not try the boss instead?

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

I would contact the Information Commissioner to get a bit more advice although they are a bit slow at replying by email.

[andyford2000]

This is my reply to response; peoples thoughts would be welcome please

 

Dear Laura,

Many thanks for your reply to my email.

Please may I point out that I was never in fact told that there would be a further charge added to my account. If I had been aware of this, then it would have been paid in full. This was the reason my account was credit for the sum of £10.21p.

If I had indeed still owed this final payment, then why hasn’t O2 been in contact via email, phone or letter making me aware of this fact. There has been no attempt from O2 to recover this so called outstanding debt. Which in effect hasn’t given me the right full opportunity to settle this bill accordingly.

I would like to see copies of all correspondence sent by O2 in relationship to this final bill, if this cannot be provided then I expect the removal of the default from my credit files logged at the relevant agencies.

Please be advised that if I reserve the right to follow this up with the legal action where necessary and also make a formal complaint to the information commissioner’s office and seek compensation.

Yours faithfully

Andrew Ford

[lindsb]

Good luck Andrew, I hope this gets sorted for you. I too am in a similar situation to you. I cancelled my contract with Vodaphone back in April and moved house a couple of weeks later. I had my mail redirected for 1 month and received no correspondence at all from Vodafone.

 

I happened to join Experian last month and saw that I had missed payments to vodafone. I phoned them and was told I owed £13.05 which I immediately paid. Yet one week later they still issued a default against me!! Im absolutely furious.

 

All the staff ive spoken to at vodafone have all said it must be an error, it shouldnt be there etc yet their quality assurance team which conveniently I cannot directly access, point blank refuse to remove it!! And suprise, suprise apparently they are the only ones with the power to do so!!

 

Ive now emailed a complaint and am awaiting their response.

 

Its ridiculous how these companies can issue defaults for such tiny amounts!!! Its perfectly obvious that we didnt know we owed the money because why on earth would we risk getting a default for these petty amounts??

 

Like you vodafone has made no attempt to contact me, in fact because I hadnt paid within 28 days they immediately referred the matter to a debt collection agency!! Yet I paid the final bill to vodaphone themselves so I have no idea whats going on really.

 

Keep us updated and good luck

[andyford2000]

this is the reply I got back from them, this doing my head in now. As far as I was concerned, my account was closed so why would i then check my online account details. Am i now right in thinking that they should at least follow some kind of protocol in trying to get a debt settled, not just leaving it and then placing a default on my credit file arhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

 

 

Dear Andrew

Thanks for your reply.

All of your bills are online for you to check. Bill notifications were sent to your o2 online account on 17 March and 25 March. It’s the responsibility of each customer to check these details.

We aren’t regulated by the Consumer Credit Act so we don’t have to issue you with a default notice. Details of what happens if your payments aren’t made are covered within your terms and conditions. I’ve included a link below.

www.o2.co.uk/termsandconditions

All bills are due to be paid 14 days after they are generated.

I don’t have details of the notifications that were sent to you. We only keep the dates that these were sent. I can send you a copy of the bills that have been generated, please let me know if you want me to do this.

We can’t make any changes to your credit file for this issue.

Kind regards

Laura Todd | Telefónica UK Limited

[silverfox1961]

Hi

I would now go to the Information Commissioner with this. You can do it online

[Lee Vodafone Company Rep]

Good luck Andrew, I hope this gets sorted for you. I too am in a similar situation to you. I cancelled my contract with Vodaphone back in April and moved house a couple of weeks later. I had my mail redirected for 1 month and received no correspondence at all from Vodafone.

 

I happened to join Experian last month and saw that I had missed payments to vodafone. I phoned them and was told I owed £13.05 which I immediately paid. Yet one week later they still issued a default against me!! Im absolutely furious.

 

All the staff ive spoken to at vodafone have all said it must be an error, it shouldnt be there etc yet their quality assurance team which conveniently I cannot directly access, point blank refuse to remove it!! And suprise, suprise apparently they are the only ones with the power to do so!!

 

Ive now emailed a complaint and am awaiting their response.

 

Its ridiculous how these companies can issue defaults for such tiny amounts!!! Its perfectly obvious that we didnt know we owed the money because why on earth would we risk getting a default for these petty amounts??

 

Like you vodafone has made no attempt to contact me, in fact because I hadnt paid within 28 days they immediately referred the matter to a debt collection agency!! Yet I paid the final bill to vodaphone themselves so I have no idea whats going on really.

 

Keep us updated and good luck

 

Hi all,

 

It's just a quick update to this thread to confirm that lindsb's query has been resolved here.

 

Thanks,

 

Lee

 

Web Relations Team

 

Vodafone UK

[andyford2000]

I just wish o2 were as good at settling these problems like vodafone do for there customers

 

pfffffff

[andyford2000]

please can someone tell me how to delete a thread

[locutus]

You can't, you would need to email [email protected], or maybe when silverfox visits he'll sort it (as he's subscribed to this thread) however I understand he's very busy at the moment.

 

Has this been concluded then? and is that to your satisfaction? If not I'm sure there are other avenues you can follow....

[andyford2000]

Hi Locutus,

 

its not been sorted at all, I have read other threads where clearly O2 have been reading, and it would seem that the defend this kind of thing all the way.

 

I am clearly very p****d off that I have been put in this situation by them, this has totally affected my ability to remortgage and lower my outgoings. I am stuck on a high interest rate that was fixed for 5 years. This whole episode is going to have a significant effect on me and my family now for the next 6 years.

 

I really am totally dismayed as how easy they can do this without even contacting to ask to clear an outstanding payment that I was aware off pfffffffffff

[andyford2000]

surely there is some kind of legislation stating that they have to follow some kind of procedure

[timog]

same happened to me with 02 cancelled contract and paid in full after requesting final amount in writing. 2 years later £10 default appeared on my file with experian. i battled with experian who were downright rude. After complaining to the chief exec in writing they deemed to put a correction notice on my file, which is no use as the default still appears. luckily this will fall off my file next year. Sadly big business just dont care.

[locutus]

Follow o2's complaints procedure found here

http://service.o2.co.uk/IQ/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=Companion,question=ref(User):str(Mobile),CASE=13668

 

Follow that to it's conclusion.

 

Also contact the information commisioners office, see if they can offer any advice.

[hoover612]

Hi to all. I'm a new member to the discussion forum.

[Somebody Told Me]

Andy, send them a SAR so you can see what action they took to recover this final balance before recording the default.

Whilst they have no obligation to issue one the least I'd expect is a reminder asking for payment with 7/14 days or the account goes to a DCA and you'll have a default on your credit file.

Also, are you still able to account your bills online at all?