Default on my credit score out of the blue

[Tiredofitallagain]

I've been with Three since 2016 and never had any issues.

Today I checked my credit score and its bad. Apparently a default payment has been logged from September 2024 its around £239! I never received anything about it and it doesn't appear on my three account?

Apparently I was paying into it from August 2023 and stopped in December?

What can I do? How amenable will Three be to removing it from my credit score? I don't want to pay but will that be the quickest way of resolving it? I'm due a remortgage soon and I'm terrified.

Surely you can raise a dispute on whatever site you use to check your score and they will provide more information?

You have to approach the credit rating company and ask about it.

If it’s not yours they will remove it, but you have to do some digging. Sounds like someone’s taken an account out in your name.

Need to add that this seems to be a separate contract. My direct debit goes out every month for my usual contract.

Two different accounts/records on your credit file is common with contract mobiles.

One record is for your phone bill, the other for the 'loan' for the handset itself. The way mobile providers report this and advise you is often confusing.

To me, this says that payments towards a handset have ceased and therefore defaulted - could it be that?

And I disagree with reporting/querying it with the CRA (at this stage). Unless necessary, going through a third party can be a longer and less than helpful process.

You know it's with Three, in your name. Just contact Three directly and ask, they should be able to give you all the information.

First question is this about an actual contract of yours as it doesn't sound like it.

If it could be a mistake or fraud, you need to contact Three about this to sort it out.

Or have you done something like a contract upgrade or new phone that you've accidentally not paid for?

Thanks all. I'll call Three first thing tomorrow and move from there.

How likely is a £239 default going to ruin my chances at a decent remortgage? I've had a top credit score before this! Never borrowed!

Just jumping in to say that I don't know whether it's everyone's experience but it seems to me that Three has the worst IT/financial tracking/app/website combination I've ever seen. Different balances looked at different ways, recurring payments coming out twice, then cancelling one caused both to stop - total chaos. I've concluded that I'm not willing to have a recurring payment with them any more, never mind a phone on a contract - strictly PAYG and manual topups as needed only. So it wouldn't surprise me at all if this is their error. Obviously check everything you have and be prepared to be apologetic if it is you, but hopefully if you go to them with "this doesn't make any sense how can we fix it" you can get to a human who has seen it all before and can help.

How amenable will Three be to removing it from my credit score?

Just on this op - the answer is 'not at all' if they think it was accurate.

The main thing is DON'T ask them to remove it to help you. Don't plead. Don't say it's unfair for a small amount or that it will ruin your mortgage chances or credit. Nothing will make them more resolved than this ^, it's all totally irrelevant and they won't agree anyway.

Deal with facts. Find out exactly what it's for. Get statements of what payments you made, and by what method. Ask them when and how they made you aware of the missed payments. What date was the default notice sent to you? To which address? Get a copy.

If you meet any resistance, if they're shifty or unclear on the details, raise a Data Subject Access Request - be specific that you want a copy of all of the information they hold about you, copies of all correspondence, any internal notes or emails that concern you. Then you can go from there.

The only chance you have of default removal is if you can prove they made an error - they won't do it as a gesture of goodwill.