catalogue account and credit score.... just at a complete loss :(

[DesperateForHelp]

Hi,

 

I desperately need help in regards to some catalogue account problems that are really affecting my credit score.

 

I will start with saying that I have recently (end of Feb) been diagnosed as suffering from bipolar disorder and this is the reason for my current problems.

 

I had bad credit from 4 years ago that I had dealt with and had repayment plans for and had never missed a payment since these were set up .

 

Back in November of 2012 I opened accounts with both Freemans and Fashion World

and made all payments on time and had no problems up until October of 2013.

 

My account spiralled out of control with them and I was unaware that I was suffering from bipolar disorder

and so excessive spending on anything and everything when I was high and not even considering repayments etc.

 

Due to the bipolar I had pushed all of my family and friends away and was very isolated

so had no one to help me with my problems and I lost my job due to my erratic behaviour.

 

This lead to the problem of not being able to pay the 2 catalogue accounts,

when I was really low I couldn't even face the thought of my getting out of bed

so dealing with the debt at that time was almost impossible.

 

I did make the odd phone call to Fashion World trying to explain my situation

but they kept asking me to make massive payments of over £200 etc as I was in arrears

and despite explaining that I had lost my job and was bipolar they really didn't care.

 

Had I been in the right frame of mind things wouldn't have gotten so bad

but due the problems I was facing I found it so difficult to contact them and try to sort things out.

 

I did get more help from Freemans but only after chasing up a couple of times

and it was hard as being high or really low meant that I was unable to focus

and complete tasks like this so it was only certain times when my mind was in the right place that I was able to contact them,

but they offered me a much smaller payment which I made but I now have listed 3 missed payments to them.

 

I started receiving help from my doctors after I reached out just before Christmas of last year,

but I wasn't officially diagnosed as bipolar until the end of Feb.

 

I am now in a much better place, on medication and receiving regular counselling and cbt sessions

and am back on good terms with many family members as I am now obviously much more stable and able to realise what I was doing before.

 

I want to move to be closer to my mother as she is the key person in helping me at the moment

and I live too far away from her (I have lost my driving licence for the next 3 months because of the bipolar diagnosis so being close to her is really needed).

 

I have found the perfect house and is one of the very few I am able to afford around her area

but the letting agents require a credit score from equifax of 200 or over.

 

I spoke to the agents today and she was very helpful and told me what they needed,

and I have checked and only have a score of 179 with the default from Fashion World

and the late missed from Freemans on there.

 

I don't know what to do,

 

I tried to keep in contact with them both as best I could and explain the situation

but neither was particularly helpful and Fashion World just kept demanding ridiculous lump sum payments from me.

 

I have recently sent a letter to Fashion World explaining the whole situation and that fact I lost my job due to it,

and sent them an income and expenditure report (my social worker has really helped me with all of this)

showing that I have more going out than coming in but

 

I can offer them a goodwill gesture of £2 a month to show I am committed to paying t

he debt off but they have refused and want a minimum of £14 a month.

 

 

I just feel so desperate and everything is hopeless,

 

I need to be closer to my mum because of the support she provides me

but with such a low credit score now I won't be able to pass the letting checks and I don't know what to do.

 

Is there any way I can quickly improve my score?

 

Can I fight the default from Fashion World?

 

Is there anything at all I can do?

 

I just feel so helpless, I didn't set out to defraud them of money or [problem] them

[dx100uk]

I would write both companies

BRIEFLY outlining you health issue

and the need to move quickly.

 

explaining that if they were to remove the bad info from your credit file

 

you would. in the fullness of time

look toward resolving the issues

 

however this cannot be done whilst the defaults exist.

 

dx

[fkofilee]

Something makes me think that they won't remove the Defaults etc because they will start quoting about law etc (Consumer Credit Act blah blah blah)

 

If they ask for more information on your health or ask to see something then refuse.

 

Collections or a DCA don't have the right time to see that information.

 

Follow DXs advice on this one, it can't harm to attempt this.