Marbles card and AP markers

[The Debt Star]

Any idea how to get an Arrangement to Pay indicator removed from one's credit files? I came off one of my APs in 2008 and its still marked as started on X date and as ended on x date on my credit files. Seems unfair and unreasonable to have this 'penalty' kept on my files for as long as the account is live.

 

has anyone successfully had an AP removed and, if so, how?

[dx100uk]

are you saying the status of the debt is currently AP

when that ended sev years ago?

 

if so. then i think only the co you made the agreement with can change the status of the debt.

 

dx

[MARTIN3030]

Yes it may be worth asking them,the CRA will just tell you to contact them,and that everything is above board providing the entry is factually correct.

They will prob suggest adding a notice of correction,which by all accounts does not really have much impact in decision making unless you state that its being disputed.

 

It has come up before;

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?165620

[The Debt Star]

Hi, I was pointed in the direction of this thread by a fellow Cagger and I'm hoping you guys are stilla round and viewing?

 

Right, couple of things.

 

First thing. Marbles put an AP marker on my credit files for 2 months a couple of years back. Now, as i understand it, that marker will remain on my credit files forever (until I pay the card off and then wait 6 years for it to drop off). This seems bang out of order as I had the opportunity to stop paying them altogether in 2006 b4 I went on a CCCS DMP and I could have defaulted rather than do 'the right thing' and try and pay what I could afford. The other point is that that the AP actually ran from 2006 thru 2009 but the bank have only recorded 2 months' worth of AP, so the data is inaccurate anyway.

 

Is there anyway to get the AP removed or is it fait accompli?

 

Second thing. When I did my DMP in 2006 Barclayloan didn't record a Default despite sending me a DN. I was paying about 1/4 of the scheduled. What they DID do was record an AP, which of course will be on 'forever' instead. I have managed to get them to retrospectively record a Default which should be wiped off next year ie to remove the AP and replace it with a Default that is already 5 years old. Various means used - ICO, FOS, formal complaint to the CRA, the bank etc.

 

I just need a way to tackle the "first thing" AP above.

Edited March 28, 2011 by The Debt Star

[The Debt Star]

No, the status of the debt is normal contractual payments.

it WAS on an AP but hasn't been for a couple of  years.

The AP marker is still filed and looks as if it will just sit there for as long as the account is active, and for 6 years thereafter.

[The Debt Star]

It has come up before;

 

http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?165620

 

Thx. I've just posted on that thread and am hoping the posters there are still active here.

[mahharg]

Hi Debt Star

You are right on one thing this AP seems a disgrace. What I did with Barclaycard was when I knew I was paying the correct contracted monthly amount I requested to go back to a normal plan. What this meant was that the AP remained on my file but every month I make a normal payment a normal uptodate mark is put on my file. I am making the minimum payment so what happens after a while is that the AP's will fall off because the CRA's show the most recent activity I think it's 3 years with Equifax and 2/4 years with Experian and Call Credit.

 

If I were to settle my account however it will be closed down and all my markers on there at the time will remain for 6 years. I don't know if I did the right thing or not but at least I know in around 3 years time there will be now more AP markers.

 

You mention that the 2 AP markers were put on around 2 years ago. If this is the case and you have been making normal payments then these AP's will fall off in 2 years max providing the account is still active. If it is already closed then I'm afraid it will stay for 6 years from closure.

 

Again it is wrong that someone who makes an attempt to pay what he/she owes seems to end up worse off than someone who makes no attempt to pay at all, waits for a default to be issued then pays off what he/she owes after say 5 years only has to wait a further year for the default to drop off hence no bad marks.

 

hope this helps you and let me know what happens.

 

I hope this helps

[The Debt Star]

Hello. I know on Equifax an AP marker drops off after 48 months (although there is talk of them extending that to 6 years, for all 'late payment' and APs etc).

 

But with Experian there is just a statement, along the lines of: Special Instruction Indicator Start Date.... Special Instruction End Date.... which to my mind reads as if they keep them on forever. I recall getting an email from Experian confirming just this a while back. Its hidden too deep in my in tray to locate (!) but if I find it I will post it up.

 

Oh and just like you I've been'forced' to keep the account open and to make 'normal' payments o/w, yes, the account history gets frozen in time. That happened to me with a car finance loan I had in 2003 and settled (in full) in 2007. Despite being a good boy and paying the beggars what was due them, I get 8 late payment markers on my file for 6 years as a reward.

[The Debt Star]

I received this response by email from Experian in December:

 

"If an arrangement flag is recorded on your account, this is usually retained until the account has been removed.

 

"We keep defaulted accounts on your report for six years from the date of default. This is true whether or not the debt has been fully repaid.

 

"We keep settled accounts on your credit report for six years from the date of settlement."

 

So yes, sadly, I was right in thinking that an AP stays on one's EXPERIAN credit file for as long as an account is either active or for a period of 6 years after it was settled. This does not appear to be the case with EQUIFAX, as AP markers are monthly markers that drop off after 48 months (going up to 72 months shortly).

Therefore in theory an AP can stay on one's Experian credit file indefinitely. Whereas a Default is auto removed after 6 years.

 

It seems this is the credit industry's way of saying a special thank you to conscientious borrowers who try their damndest to keep paying.

 

Looks like a full-blown Default is the way to go and I wish I had done that when I went into meltdown in 2006.

[The Debt Star]

I wish this thread would spring back to life.

 

Equifax and Experian have very different ways of handling APs and, as stated above, Experian's approach is to record an AP indefinitely in the preamble infornation, and an old AP staus on file beyond the 6 years. Whereas Equifax will allow the AP red-spots to drop off eventually.

 

Most lenders users Experian.

 

What i would like to know is how successful people have been in getting old APs removed from tjeir Experian cred files.

[The Debt Star]

which they don't seem to be.

 

not a very active forum this part of CAG, is it?

 

which surprises me because the CRAs and lenders are so crafty they add new and potentially adverse data on an almost daily basis to many peoples' credit files.

 

My o'h has a squeakly clean credit record. However, cabot have added themselves a sa "useful address" link and the CRAs have also allowed creditors doing seraches to record about 30+ aliases on her report. How the heck we get that lot removed I don't know, neiher do I know why they need 30+ alias erntries stating the same information.

 

Affects us all. Consumers need to focus their efforts more on reforming the credit reference agency system.

[mines a pint]

 

Consumers need to focus their efforts more on reforming the credit reference agency system.

 

Agree completely.

 

Got my own issues with CRA's, OC's & DCA's filing incorrect data i.e CRa allowing both OC & DCA to record two DN's for the same accounts.

 

MaP

[The Debt Star]

James Maperson, hoping you can come in on this one. IOs it true that "AP" markers can stay on a credit file indefinitely? Or are they removed 6 years from the end of the AP?

[dx100uk]

all markers are removed on their 6th birthday.

 

or sooner if the a/c itself drops off

 

dx

[The Debt Star]

sorry, how "sooner if the account drops off"? aint it 6 years after its settled it drops of?

 

Totally confused about how CRAs manage these APs, as per an EXPERIAN email to me which I'll post up here; effectively they told me an AP stays on forever unless and until a creditor says otherwise, even if the AP itself is no longer in use.

 

Right, here it is, the email from EXPERIAN regarding APs:

 

 

If an arrangement flag is recorded on your account, this is usually retained until the account has been removed.

 

We keep defaulted accounts on your report for six years from the date of default. This is true whether or not the debt has been fully repaid.

 

We keep settled accounts on your credit report for six years from the date of settlement.

 

By account removal I took that to mean "settled", but am I wrong?

[The Debt Star]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask (?) but does anyone know the name and address for the Halifax data compliance manager?