Credit Score Impacted! Outraged!

[Sweetmole321]

Hello,

I’ve just discovered that my credit score which I have worked on so hard now shows I missed a payment. I’m completely dumbfounded as to how on Earth this happened. I cancelled my package (already out of contract), gave due notice, was told what last payment would be and that it would be taken by direct debit. I returned my equipment and I never cancelled my direct debit. Virgin Media did not make clear when final payment would be taken and instead have not taken any payment and has already logged missed payment. My credit score has gone down dramatically and all my work towards a future house purchase has been obliterated for an £88 final bill. This is outrageous does anyone know how I can get my score fixed as I never missed a payment. Is this the treatment a customer gets for leaving Virgin Media? Any feedback much appreciated as this is wrong playing with people’s lives and future dreams. 

[Andrew-G]

It's a requirement in law (Consumer Credit Act 1974, as amended, section 87) that a company can't hold you in default of a credit agreement without issuing you a default notice.  If you've not had that, then VM are in breach, and you can ask them to cancel the alleged outstanding debt, and to remove the credit history notifications of a default.  There's some things you need to do:

First contact Citizens Advice, ask them what your rights are here.  That's free but depending on resourcing it might be slow, and whilst often excellent, occasionally the advice isn't as clear and consumer oriented as you might like.  If you can afford it, a one year subscription to Which? Legal for around a hundred quid will give you more tailored and more readily accessible advice on this and all manner of personal legal matters.  Or you could consult a lawyer, which I'd be a little hesitant to recommend as costs can soon mount up, and the quality of consumer advice tends to be patchy from high street generalists.

After that, and subject to the advice you get, make a formal complaint to VM in writing, demanding they cancel the alleged debt, make good the credit history, and pay you compensation for the distress and nuisance caused by their failure to properly terminate the account.

If the facts are as I guess (no default notice, no enforceable debt) then you should make a summary complaint to the ICO that VM have been processing inaccurate personal data.  The ICO won't address the specifics of your complaint, but the purpose of this complaint is to make the data regulator aware that VM are yet again playing fast and loose with personal data.

Maybe the complaint will be properly handled, often they are absymally handled.  If you're not happy with the outcome, then you reject the resolution asking for a deadlock letter and escalate the matter to the relevant complaints adjudicator.  In this situation, I suspect the Financial Ombudsman would be the most appropriate as they have a better grasp of the technicalities around credit agreements (which is what we're talking about for a VM contract).  You can also use CISAS for adjudication, but they're perhaps better for telecoms specific complaints.  In terms of the compensation that you might request, both FO and CISAS publish guidance that suggests you'd reasonably expect a settlement in the £200-300 range if my understanding and interpretation is correct.

These days, the VM forum staff are pleasingly proactive about resolving many problems, and will likely offer to get this resolved in the next day or two.  If they do, this will be your quickest and easiest route, but that's no reason to accept an inadequate settlement (especially as settling with you directly saves the company hundreds of pounds in adjudication fees).  If the company dispute that they're in the wrong, or won't offer a reasonable financial settlement as well as correcting your credit history, then the formal route that I've outlined is your way forward. 

[Sweetmole321]

Hi thank you so much I really appreciate it. I am just so upset having spent years building my credit score to find that it’s plummeted and I have idea why. I just called billing department, they could not explain why they did not take their Sept 22 payment but that I have a final bill which is yet to be collected. They said my direct debit is still active and not to worry that my score won’t be affected. I said it had already been affected. This is just unacceptable and I will warn anyone on social media about this ! Virgin Media are culpable and I have the arduous task of trying to get this mistake sorted. 

[Andrew-G]

If the DD has not been cancelled then there's no excuse.  It's all VM's fault (and not the first time, either).  Re-read my previous advice if seems complicated, see what the forum staff can offer by way of settlement, and if they can't offer excellent terms, then go down the formal route.

Whilst it won't result in direct action on your complaint, you can also blow off steam to the regulator Ofcom.  

[Megan_L]

Hi Sweetmole321, 

Thanks for using the forums to get this issue with your credit file looked into, I am sorry if this has been a shock for you. I would be more than happy to look into this. 

I have checked your services on my side, however I'm afraid what you've stated doesn't correlate with what we've got on our side. 

I'm going to send you a PM now so I can explain what I mean and also ask you a few more questions about your credit file. 

Speak soon.

Thanks,

Megan_L

[Sweetmole321]

Hi Megan,

Thank you for getting in touch. I have seen your message and I hope we can resolve things swiftly and correct the error. I have sent screenshots of my credit file and current credit score

[tomcepinnock]

Hi Sweemole,

Did you get this resolved?

I've just had EXACTLY the same experience! VM are telling me that "our system doesn't show that", despite the fact that my credit score has been significantly affected. This is all to do with the fact that they incorrectly calculated a bill which went outside of the services period and then then had to produce a new one, they failed to take the direct debit on that bill, flagged it as missed (but not to me) and then generated a new final bill with a credit for the bill they raised incorrectly and a charge, which I paid manually because that's what it said to do, but then they handily remembered that I had a direct debit (funny that) and now owe me a refund. 

Their complaints process is a complete waste of time, and the man I spoke to was spouting nothing but gibberish.

[Sweetmole321]

Hi 

I did get my issue resolved and my credit score reinstated as before. 

someone from Virgin Media on this forum read my complaint and was very helpful. Have you started a new thread about your issue? 

I had to ask Experian to investigate as well. It’s really stressful going through this. I hope you get it fixed 🙏🏼

[cpoynton86]

Hi Virgin Media, after numerous attempts at trying to call and get through to someone I have been unsuccessful. I am reaching out to you in utter desperation, like many others in this thread, as I held an account with yourselves back in 2013 - 2016 I believe. I paid all my bills and then moved out of the property and cancelled my subscription. Fast forward many years later and I am finally in the position to get a mortgage (deposit in hand) for me, my wife and my 2 young children. The only thing that is now stopping me is that Virgin Media have been reporting default / missed payments on my account for the last 7 years! I have received no letters or correspondence advising me that anything was owed - if this was the case, I would happily pay. Please can you report urgently to the 3 credit reference agencies that in fact my account is clear and remove all negative marks from my account since 2016! This is ruining my life at the moment as we face being homeless being kicked out of our rental property and simply not being able to be approved for a mortgage solely based on these incorrect markers from Virgin Media. I look forward to your reply. Thanks