Getting something removed from my credit report

[AvrilApril]

I took out Virgin Media internet is 2014 when I lived with my parents, I’d moved back in with them at the end of a relationship, they didn’t have internet so I took it out, paid on time, no issues. Moved out in 2016, my mum continued to pay the bill until she moved to a new provider in 2019. Virgin asked for the router back (as per their policy), she forgot to send it at first so they wrote to me at my parents address, I sent it back and that was it.

i recently applied for a mortgage and was rejected even though I earn enough, have a deposit etc. On getting a copy of my credit report I have seen there is a £53 default for virgin media which if my memory serves me correctly was the cost of the router. This was sent back. I cannot recall receiving any further correspondence about the router and haven’t lived at the address since 2016 (although it was still my name on the Virgin account, I never gave it a second thought to change it to be honest).

this is now stopping me from getting a mortgage which of course I am shocked about, especially as it’s just £53! I have had a look and feel I can appeal the default as a) my mum was paying the bill from her account (have bank statements to prove this), b) I moved from the address in 2016 (although totally accept I should have changed the name on the Internet) and c) the router was sent back. I have got the address to write to but was wondering if anyone else has had any experience of getting something removed? I just feel gutted as have never missed a bill in my life and such a small amount has now had a massive knock on affect on my life!

thanks

Hopeful bump!

I've no experience of getting things removed from credit report but when you contact Virgin about it I suggest you don't bother with points a & b, neither are relevant to the issue. The router was your responsibility even if your mum was paying the bill. Concentrate on the fact that you sent it back.

If a credit agreement is in your name, you are responsible for it.
If the router was sent back, and Virgin Media confirmed this, then concentrate on that. You will need to confirm what the default is for, if it is for the router then it should be removed.

I had similar recently when I tried to buy a mobile phone. Apple used Experian & I signed up to them to discover Vodafone had reported I wasn't paying something monthly for last 14-15 months. It was an error on their part I spoke to Vodafone as they had messed my bill up & they got in touch with Experian and it was removed. So you may have to go back to virgin media.

I'm surprised that's been given as a solr reason for declining a mortgage. Has that been explicitly stated?

As others have said , the credit account was in your name and therefore any personal arrangement you made for your mum to take it over doesn't really have a bearing on the situation. I'd check that the router was returned within the agreed time frame too and whether any t&c's dictate that a charge is made based on that, and that you complied.

Confirm with Virgin that they did receive the router and and ask them to remove the charge from file. We got a proof of postage when we sent ours back and I kept it until the account was closed, as I recall they contacted me to acknowledge that they'd received it