Someone around here hopefully has more of a clue than me:
I was with a mobile network until December last year, I then switched. I thought I had cancelled it, I obtained a PAC code but ultimately didn’t transfer my number in the end. I thought the contract was cancelled.
In January the usual direct debit came out - I should have thought more clearly but wasn’t well in January and had an unwell relative, I went into the network shop and blocked the direct debit. That was a mistake I now realise.
So I had a debt letter over the weekend. Turns out I had had emails from them (they went to junk / I missed them). For 4 months worth unpaid bills. I rung the network, nothing on their system for cancelling contract, I swallowed my pride and just decided to pay and made sure it was well and truly cancelled there and then (I now have an email confirmation of the contract cancellation) I paid all the outstanding money over the phone.
This morning I have a text from the debt agency the network works with, saying to call them as a matter of urgency. They said it’s still on their system as unpaid and wanted to warn me that they pass it back to the network tomorrow and it will go higher. I said I have paid the network directly, it’s on my online banking as having left my account yesterday. They said in that case, don’t worry, it takes a couple of days for companies to contact them to clear but for peace of mind maybe call the network.
I’ve never had debt in my life so I’m having a minor panic attack by this point.
I call the network. Lady is lovely. She confirms it can take a while for debt company and network to communicate. She calls the network credit team who say it can take a while to clear and I may get a mark against my credit. Ok - not ideal but it’s not a huge amount in the grand scheme of things (not do I want to go back to this network)
She has confirmed my balance owed to the network is now £0. But I was getting confused, she said it could take up to 60 days to clear, so therefore could leave black mark against me. My big concern though was the company passing this higher. She said “unlikely”. Not no, she “doubts it”. I said, nice and clear, am I doing to get more debt letters, people at my door? She said any unpaid debt that’s passed back gets passed higher, but as my balance has now come up on their system as paid I “should be fine”
So please, because I’m feeling quite sick:
I owe the network nothing now. Surely this means they won’t pass anything to another debt agency?
Am I going to get bailiffs at my door?
Am I going to get a mark against my name and what will this mean?
I already have a mortgage, can’t drive, no credit card, never missed mortgage/council tax payments, never missed another bill (apart from being a couple of days late with my Nexy account once)
If she confirmed the balance is now zero, will the network go further?