topic Re: Horrified customer in Discussions & Feedback

Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 10:50:04 GMT

This morning I have opened 3 default notices from o2! That would be reasonable if I was a nightmare customer and dodged payments, but I have about 7 different contracts running and am rarely late making a payment. The three notices are regarding payments they tried to take on bank holidays (Christmas Day and 28th Dec - boxing bank holiday) when there was plenty of funds to recover payment in my account however my bank chose not to even show the direct debit on my internet banking. The default notices are dated 3rd January so o2 literally gave it a few working days, without alerting me to the issue, before they ruined my credit score! Thanks for that.. not! I'm trying to apply for a mortgage and this may have ruined it.
Just spoke to someone on the customer service number and I can't even call the right department, I have to email. I've made the payments but am stuck with 3 default notices through no fault of my own and have to waste my time detailing everything again in an email then again with my bank. Not a happy customer, seriously considering taking all my accounts elsewhere. Why could you not just text or send a letter stating my bank did not honour the direct debit before jumping to 3 default notices?!? I had the money to pay and always did! I don't think I ever missed a payment on any of my accounts through the whole of 2015

Re: Horrified customer

Curr946 — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 10:58:08 GMT

Lets be clear. Defaults aren't issued after a payment is 3 days late. So, you might want to check again.

Re: Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:07:17 GMT

Well that's what I thought too. Even the gentleman I spoke to on the phone agreed there'd been a mistake. He agreed the payments were due initially on 25th Dec and 28th December. 3 defaults were issued on 3rd of January! Excluding bank holidays that's not many working days they waited

Re: Horrified customer

Curr946 — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:14:33 GMT

I think you need to raise this as an official complaint, and quickly. Personally I would do this in writing, sent recorded delivery. I would also check my credit file and add a notice of correction. I would also register the accounts as in dispute with the three credit reference agencies. O2 should also do this, call back and make sure the dispute is recorded by the agent to speak with.

Re: Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:17:14 GMT

Another o2 mess, we have a member here @viridis who has similar issues

you can complain here

http://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain

Re: Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:32:16 GMT

I agree rather than email I shall write an official letter of complaint and send recorded. I'm unsure who the credit reference agencies are as the letter was from o2 informing me I'd been served default notices. Each of the three accounts were my standard monthly payment of roughly £30 so I paid them over the phone there and then so any letter I get from a collection agency I can easily sort by calling them and stating there's no debt. My main issue is the lasting affect to my credit score details. I'm unaware how to rectify this at the mo but will research and sort it. So annoyed though that I have to waste my time dealing with this issue just because of o2's incompetence. The fact Im tied to probably pay them roughly £250 a month after they've made this error annoys me further. So tempted to pay off the contracts and go elsewhere.

Re: Horrified customer

viridis — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:37:34 GMT

@Curr946 wrote:
Lets be clear. Defaults aren't issued after a payment is 3 days late. So, you might want to check again.

I have undeniable proof that you are very much wrong

Re: Horrified customer

Curr946 — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:37:47 GMT

They are call credit, Experian and Equifax. You really need to follow the advise I posted above. The default will stay on your file for 6 years. And you can forget the mortgage.

Re: Horrified customer

jonsie — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:41:29 GMT

Send details of the dispute, along with a copy of your credit report to :

CreditFileReferrals@o2.com

Credit File Referrals Team
Suite P
Arlington Business Centre
Leeds
LS11 0NE

Fax 0113 2025865

The three main U.K Credit Reference Agencies
Experian Ltd
Customer Help Service
PO BOX 8000
Nottingham
NG1 5GX
www.experian.co.uk
Equifax Plc
Credit File Advice Centre
PO Box 1140
Bradford
BD1 5US
www.equifax.co.uk

Callcredit:
Consumer Services,
PO Box 491,
Leeds,
LS3 1WZ.
www.callcredit.co.uk

Re: Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:44:43 GMT

I would agree if I didn't have the notices in front of me and gone through my details with o2 customer services. I don't know how/why they've done it and I'm sure it's not standard procedure but they have! I owed them nothing on 24th December on any of my contracts and I owe them nothing now but I have 3 defaults!

Re: Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:49:33 GMT

Thanks for the help/address's folks. I will follow it. They aren't going to forget me easily and I will be on it until everything is as it should be. 😤

Re: Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:54:42 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Thanks for the help/address's folks. I will follow it. They aren't going to forget me easily and I will be on it until everything is as it should be. 😤

@Anonymous Please listen & follow the expert advice & help by @viridis & @jonsie

Re: Horrified customer

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 11:55:45 GMT

@Curr946 wrote:
Lets be clear. Defaults aren't issued after a payment is 3 days late. So, you might want to check again.

You are incorrect, @viridis has faced this issue so I'd be inclined to believe him

Re: Horrified customer

Curr946 — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 12:17:18 GMT

Maybe so, but its not the correct process.

Re: Horrified customer

viridis — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 12:59:36 GMT

Businesses have the right to declare a payment as late, if it is late even by one day.
The problem arises when the late payment is due to the inability to actually make the payment due to the failing of the businesses payment system, in this case the default should be reported as per the address @jonsie gave along with evidence supporting the fact that indeed O2 were at fault and not the customer.
To clarify.
O2 have the legal right to put the default notice on the account, but also, the customer has the legal right to demand it's removal if the payment failure is due to O2's inadequate payment system and/or method of payment request.
In this case the op is not at fault and should write to credit referrals as @jonsie suggested, with supporting evidence and a covering letter.

Re: Horrified customer

Curr946 — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 13:45:40 GMT

I think you guys are mixing up late payments with a formal default notice. This should only be issued after several requests for payments have been ignored.

http://moneyaware.co.uk/2011/09/default-notices-what-are-they-and-what-do-they-mean/

Re: Horrified customer

viridis — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 16:17:55 GMT

Nope, loose area of law.
And I quote from link:
"A default notice is a formal letter which is usually sent after three to six missed payments. They can only be issued for debts that are regulated by the Consumer Credit Act."

Note the word "usually", it's a very variable and not defined time period, the general advice given is that the business should, in the first instance, inform you that your payment is overdue, O2 do this by means of text to the number associated with the account.
But they still can issue a default notice if the fact is, the payment is late.

Re: Horrified customer

jonsie — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 16:23:46 GMT

O2 was a default on the credit file after one missed payment. Easy to do....getting them to remove it is like the proverbial into the wind. The whole point is not that a default was filed but that it was filed incorrectly by error and legality is not the issue.

Re: Horrified customer

viridis — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 16:27:36 GMT

Agree as per said previously
O2's right to default are massively overruled by the fact they put the op in default by not providing or acting on the correct payment facility.

Re: Horrified customer

Cleoriff — Sat, 09 Jan 2016 16:56:59 GMT

Without using any legalese here...we have seen it happen to 3 customers who posted on here over the last week or so.... (this takes no account of those in the same situation who have not posted on the forum) Whether O2 are legally 'allowed' to do this or not, is totally irrelevant when we have proof that they are indeed issuing default notices because their payment system is not fit for purpose...