Trying to build a decent credit rating

[Seminole]

You can get to the stage of acknowledging the claim but the judgment really does need to be in default for you to have any real prospect of setting aside.

 

Just to be clear- did he argue and are you arguing that the issue you weren't aware of at the time of the judgment was that bank charges may be unlawful?

[Guest Lueeze]

so could i argue a ccj even if it has been a few years?

 

my arguement is that i was not living at the address they sent it to. I only just got my credit reports and found a ccj on my account.

[Seminole]

Yes, that's a very reasonable ground for a set aside as I understand it but you are taking a bit of a risk.

 

Set aside becomes more difficult as the judgment gets older. Also you run the risk of failing to get the set aside and the creditor seeking to enforce the judgment. However, it's likely that they will find you at some point and try to do so anyway.

[dolly]

Just wanted to say what a fantastic thread this is...am reading with interest about CCJ's being set aside.

 

All I can say is that I have learnt so much on this board, I wish I knew 4 years ago what I know now and I can't thank you all enough.

[Guest Lueeze]

well i just checked his report and the CCJ was oct 2000 so I guess 6 years will be up soon so not much point cos after that it becomes unenforceable in anycase yes?

 

The only thing is if it came from unlawful charges which we couldnt find out anyway as the account is so old!

[Seminole]

Just wanted to say what a fantastic thread this is...am reading with interest about CCJ's being set aside.

 

All I can say is that I have learnt so much on this board, I wish I knew 4 years ago what I know now and I can't thank you all enough.

 

Please be cautions about this. It is is an almost untried area and needs to be approached carefully. Judges have demonstrated their disapproval of some of the banks tactics. They will be equally disapproving of pointless attempts to set aside judgments.

[Seminole]

well i just checked his report and the CCJ was oct 2000 so I guess 6 years will be up soon so not much point cos after that it becomes unenforceable in anycase yes?

 

The only thing is if it came from unlawful charges which we couldnt find out anyway as the account is so old!

 

NOOOOOOO!!!!!! A CCJ never dies until it's been paid off. After 6 years, the creditor would have to explain to a judge why it had not been enforced if they make an application to do so but that's it.

[chrismc]

You can get to the stage of acknowledging the claim but the judgment really does need to be in default for you to have any real prospect of setting aside.

Agreed

 

Just to be clear- did he argue and are you arguing that the issue you weren't aware of at the time of the judgment was that bank charges may be unlawful?

Yes exactly because it is the truth and therefore can be proven. I am not relying on anything that may cause doubt in the eyes of the court/judge etc.

 

I am going for it anyway, if I fail, it affects nothing in may case, if I win it makes a huge difference to my credit file and gives me more ammo against Barclays and their bank charges.

[chrismc]

Just wanted to say what a fantastic thread this is...am reading with interest about CCJ's being set aside.

 

All I can say is that I have learnt so much on this board, I wish I knew 4 years ago what I know now and I can't thank you all enough.

 

Thanks Dolly......I think we all wish we knew years ago what we know now, life would be so much simpler

 

Chris

[pjdudley69]

Defaults - removed 6 years from the date of issue

 

Credit Rating - Well, there are discussions based on things like mobile phone contracts for instance. Having a credit (debt) card will possibly help, and the Cap One card is certainly a possibility - hell, they even gave ME one, and my middle name is default!!

 

Having more credit accounts open than you use is considered a bad thing, so if you have 'dormant' credit accounts with catalogues or banks, close them. It just suggests that you could possibly tap into more credit (debt) at any time.

 

The very best thing you can do now is not to be late making any payments on anything that you are contracted to. Things will get slightly better as time goes by, but the default will always be a big stumbling block, I'm afraid.

 

Thanks for clarifying the default issue for me. I don't think that I have unnecessary accounts open anywhere anymore, and I haven't missed any payments on anything in the last 3 years, including a mobile phone contract, so I may just apply for one of those Cap One cards to see if it helps - I'm just a little worried about them turning me down and there being another search on my file. You say they even gave you one, hope I'm not being too personal, but did you have a bad credit record at the time you applied for the card?

[jonni2bad]

.... did you have a bad credit record at the time you applied for the card?

I'm not sure if 'bad' is ample enough a description of my rating at the time.

 

Whilst I had not missed any agreed payments in the preceeding couple of years, I had 6 existing defaults notices. One was due to end within a couple of months of applying, but I think that's pretty bad!!

 

I was given a £300 limit initially, more than enough... I don't allow any debt to build on the card and usually pay off instantly via online banking - it's really just used to make life easier for online payments and general shopping since I don't have a Switch card.

[pjdudley69]

Seeing as I've only got 2 defaults, compared to the 6 you had, I think I'll give it a go. If it fails, the extra search on my record can't make me any worse off. £300 is more than enough - as I said in an earlier post, I only want it to make purchases that I can pay off immediately. And it's definately going in my b/fs wallet, cos I have a habit of buying clothes that I don't really have the money for! lol

[Movingon]

The person I know only had ONE default. They gave them a credit limit of £200... odd isn't it how different people get different treatment?

[Guest Zooman]

I have taken many customers to court over damages and non payment.

 

In the past I have have signed consent forms saying that I (the claimant) and the defendant, have consented for the case to be set aside and action disconitued in full and finale settlement.

 

The only reason I have done this is that the judgement has been settled and all I really wanted was my money and do not care if they have the CCJ set aside. If they still owed me money I would (without a doubt) file a witness statement and use my right not to be present in court (or if the court was near home go on the day).

 

I have a few consent orders in my draw at work if someone with a fax and can scan (I do not have a scanner) it and will put it on line I will blank out names and just leave the wording and fax it over.

[westable]

Can anyone let me know if you can have defaults removed a little quicker than stated six years. thank you

 

Neill West

[caro]

The short answer is no I believe, but of course if it is to do with unlawful charges then you can ask for them to be removed as part of your claim. I will bow to others superior knowledge though.

[jonni2bad]

Can anyone let me know if you can have defaults removed a little quicker than stated six years. thank you

 

Neill West

 

I will hopefully be able to answer that one personally within the next couple of weeks.

 

I believe another moderator on our boards had a default removed as part of his claim some time ago, so it is possible under the right circumstances.

[closey]

Going back to the original question in this thread look at www.moneysavingexpert.co.uk. Martin has loads of good advise about credit cards.

[thewifeandI]

I bet Jesus had a good credit rating*

 

* Religious satire on a Sunday? What am I thinking of...

He ought to - it says outside the church that 'Jesus Saves'! I've never seen it mentioned that he borrowed, though.

[fivelaws]

it says outside the church that 'Jesus Saves'!

As a kid, whenever we drove past a church with that sign (they were very popular) my dad would always say "but Georgie Best scores on the rebound!".

 

I'd forgotten that until your post - thanks for the reminder!

[powerful_rogue]

Can anyone let me know if you can have defaults removed a little quicker than stated six years. thank you

 

Neill West

 

Have a look at the topic in my signature.

 

Quick Question.

 

You an account and miss three payments back in April 2003. On your credit record this shows at '3' '3' on your previous history. Information like this drops off normaly after three years on an opened account.

 

If you close the account in June 2006, this information then wont drop off for six years.

 

So this negative history on your account will be on there for a total of 9 years!!

 

Wheres the justice in that? People get out of prison quicker for robbery/burglary etc

[jonni2bad]

From the debt advice bureaux........

 

Six Top Credit Score Killers

 

Being declined for a loan, overdraft, credit card or mobile phone can be frustrating, particularly when all the lender will tell you is that you have failed their credit score and nothing else.

Whilst each lender will ultimately score applications based on the services they offer and their own criteria, there are a number of factors which will impact your credit score and could lead to your application being accepted or declined. Knowing what those criteria are can help you improve your ability to get the credit you want.

These are the Six Top Credit Score Killers . . .

 

Not on the Electoral Roll

If you are not on the electoral roll at the address on the application there is a high probability of rejection.

 

Bad Credit History

Past credit history usually counts for 35% of your credit score. It is not just having County Court Judgements (CCJs) or defaults on your credit report that has a negative impact. Missed and late payments will also dent your score. But whilst negative entries will stay on your credit file for 6 years, the impact of missed and late payments diminishes over time. If you have been making payments on time for at least the last 12 months those negative entries will begin to influence your score less.

 

At Current Address Less Than 3 Years

Lenders like continuity. A score will be higher if you have been at the same address for 3 years or more. There may be some impact if you have had two addresses in the last 3 years, but probably less if you are a homeowner.

Multiple addresses in the last 3 years will have the greatest impact. Likewise, your credit score may be effected if you have been at your current address for less than 6 months. This means that tenants are most likely to fall foul of this scoring criterion.

 

New Job

As with residency, when it comes to employment continuity is also paramount. Ideally, lenders are looking for someone who has had the same job for a number of years. Such applicants will benefit from the maximum score for this.

Having had two employers in 3 years need not be that detrimental. Changing jobs so as to get more pay will usually not cause any problems, though you really want to have been in your new job for a few months before applying for new credit. Remember, lenders often ask to see the last couple of months pay slips when applying for a loan.

Since continuous employment is what they like to see, having 3 or more jobs in the last 3 years will adversely effect your credit score. As will having had bouts of unemployment between jobs.

 

No or New Bank Account

Lenders will award maximum points if you have been with your bank for a number of years. Having only recently opened your current account will reduce the score. Not having a bank or current account will be most detrimental to your credit score.

 

Too Many Credit Applications

Every time you apply for credit a search is made and will be recorded on your credit file. Multiple credit applications in a short space of time will negatively impact your credit score. Such applications may be perceived as indicative of someone desperately trying to obtain credit.

It is commonly accepted that making one credit application every month or two should not have too much impact on your credit file.

However, if you have recently made a number of applications and been declined, it is advisable not to make any new applications for six months so as to give a good breathing space before applying again. It also gives you time to review your credit file and determine if there is anything on there which shouldn’t be.

[powerful_rogue]

I have three defaults. Was unable to get a credit card or mobile phone contract with orange, but was able to get a mortgage and a phone contract with three.

 

Even passed the mortgage credit check first time getting the interest rate I wanted.

 

Very confusing how the system works!

[pjdudley69]

I'm not sure if 'bad' is ample enough a description of my rating at the time.

 

Whilst I had not missed any agreed payments in the preceeding couple of years, I had 6 existing defaults notices. One was due to end within a couple of months of applying, but I think that's pretty bad!!

 

I was given a £300 limit initially, more than enough... I don't allow any debt to build on the card and usually pay off instantly via online banking - it's really just used to make life easier for online payments and general shopping since I don't have a Switch card.

 

After getting your input last week, I applied online for the Cap1 card, just on the off chance, and I got a letter on Friday approving me. Just had to sign on the dotted line. Its 29.9%apr, but like I said, I'm only going use it for things I can pay immediately to see if it will help build my rating - my bf will also use it and pay it, to help see if it works with my credit rating. Not sure what my limit is at the moment, it just says limit up to £2500 with regular reviews for increase, but I'll find out when I get the card.

[jonni2bad]

Nice one - they also have a good online service to check transactions etc. Just the same as any other "big boy's card" but worth mentioning anyway.