Hello Everyone again,

As my issue with O2 has now been resolved I'd like to say a big thanks to everyone on this forum especially Rob Barnes for getting the story released in the Guardian.

My advice to anyone with this problem with O2 is to be persistent. They said to me that under no circumstances would they remove the default from my credit file but they quickly changed their mind. Now that this issue is being publicised more it is definitely worth pushing.

 I have scanned the Guardian Article which I featured in and have uploaded it to our website. You can see the article on the following URL:

www.pyranet.co.uk /downloads /guardiano2article.pdf (remove spaces)

Best of luck with all of your cases. I do keep looking at this post every time somebody adds to it so I think we should still be putting new cases on as it's the first thing I saw when searching for "O2 Default Credit" in Google.

 Laura, how are you getting on with your case?

Joe Burns

It's really good to read that I am a part of a community that actually achieves real-life victories.  Quite inspiring.

Cat

I had a similar problem with 02 (see my O2 / Equifax nightmare topic). It took 2 months to fix and endless phone calls to Equifax and 02 before they finally decided to remove it. In the end, I had to send the details through to BBCs watchdog programme and threaten legal action before they actually amended it.

Happy to help to be honest Joe, mutual thanks to you for raising the issue and agreeing to appear in the newspaper. It shows that we can achieve significant successes against the networks if we show unity and raise the issues of unfair treatment.

Here's to more success in the future!

We just need to resolve all the cashback payment issues and the whole mobile market will have been cleaned up - onto world peace after that!!

It's also probably worth mentioning for those of you who don't know:

Both Experian and Equifax offer free trials on their websites to access your credit file unlimited times during the 30 day free trial period. This is definitely worth doing if you haven't looked at your credit file. Also don't be sucked into paying high fees for these online reports in the future if you don't mind waiting to see what's on your file. You can pay any credit reference agency £2 to receive your statutory report via post.

Experian's Online Credit Report site can be found at:

www.creditexpert.co.uk

Joe Burns

Also Rob,

Any chance of getting my URL for the PDF as a link? I've corrected the URL it was wrong earlier?

Cheers

Hi Everybody,

I have got the exact same problem with O2 placing 2 defaults on my credit
file for accounts that I have cancelled. As it seems to be the case with other
people on this forum I received no form of communication from O2 regarding any
outstanding balance or anything about a default being placed on my account. I
printed ff a copy of my credit file today and sent it to O2 along with a letter
requesting a copy of the default notice adding that if they can’t provide a
copy I expect them to remove the default within 28 days.

Fingers crossed I can get it removed as otherwise it stays on for 6 years :-(

Just to prepare you for O2's response as it seems to be fairly standard.

They will reply stating something along the lines of:

"With regards to providing notification of a potential default, O2 aren't obliged to do so as our customer agreement doesn't fall within the Consumer Credit Act (1974)."

I have checked with solicitors and that is true. Because they're not offering credit as such they don't fall under the Consumer Credit Act. I feel your strongest argument will be to ask why nothing was sent to you in writing regarding the outstanding balance. Ask for copies of such letters if they tell you they've sent them and if they fail to provide these which I expect they will I would then push for them to remove it on those grounds.

Also check your credit file online with equifax (free trial as discussed above) because equifax give dates of when payments were late or when the default was put on. Then ask O2 (record telephone conversation) for dates of the last payment received, how many months were missed before they cut service, what date was the default put on etc. This is how I managed to get mine removed.

Best of luck with it. It's really frustrating when it's on your credit file especially when you rely on having good credit. I lost plenty of sleep over it.

Joe Burns

Also, don't be afraid to use email. If you can get through to complaints at O2 somebody will be assigned to your case and you can get an email address. email is far quicker obviously than post and it is legally enforceable also. Just make sure you ask them to reply in person to acknowledge receipt of your email.

 From start to finish my case was resolved within 2 weeks because I used modern forms of communication. Telephone calls are obviously another way to get answers and information quickly but I'd advise recording all conversations (make sure you make them aware at the beginning of the conversation that you are doing this).

Regards,

Joe Burns

Hi Joe,

Many thanks for the pointers. I did speak to someone at O2 yesterday was on the phone for about 30mins or so and the lady couldn’t even find my account. She eventually put me through to another department and they found it but they said my account is all clear and I don't owe anything. So it seems strange that they would issue a default against me.. I did ask her to please confirm that in writing she then went away for a good 10 mins or so and said please send a copy of your credit file to the Credit Management department. I sent that yesterday via Royal mail special delivery..

So fingers crossed I can get it removed very quickly, and I know what you mean about losing sleep. 6 years is an awful long time and having a good credit rating is very important in this day and age.

I've only briefly scanned this thread so apologies if I'm repeating anything previously posted. Clearly something needs to be done about credit scores in general and defaults in particular. Consumers should be able to comment on individual points in their credit reports in a meaningful way. More importantly companies offering credit should be more interactive with potential customers' reports rather than lazily rejecting the consumer based on a simple 'end score'. Half the trouble is that with the rise in computer use, systems have become more automated without the involvement of a human brain - O2 clearly don't actually employ anyone to sift through individual cases and appraise them - until they are confronted with potentially damaging publicity (all important in the comptetitive mobile phone market). As Mateen says, your score is important if you need credit of any kind.

Alright folks, just found this thread so maybe i've missed the boat !

To cut a long story short, I too had a Genie online fone account which I cancelled by mail. However in my case I got a letter back telling me they couldn't accept written notice of cancellation and I had to phone a number, stupidly I ignored it because I didn't want to give them any more money through premium rate lines and knew I was just going to get a spiel about other offers and I assumed written notice of intention to cancel a contract was good enough anyway (has been for every other contract i've cancelled), guess not !

A wee while later I got a letter through from a debt collection agency telling me I had 5 days to pay something like 68 quid or legal proceedings would be taken, I paid that straight away and thought no more about it until checking my credit report a while back and discovering a default on it from o2. Never ever received any default notice from o2 themselves. Anything I can do or do I just have to take this one on the chin ?
 

Complain to O2. And if you still have that letter from O2 it would make an excellent case as you should be able to cancel the contract in writing. In fact I'm sure that's how they expect you to. Otherwise they don't cancel it anyway.

Don't take it on the chin they shouldn't be getting away with it.

HI just read the following posts with interest my problem is with vodafone but quite similar. heres the story

In February 2006 I took out a mobile phone contact with Vodafone via the internet. The phone was advertised as having the latest services such as mobile tv, video calling, faster downloads speeds etc by using the latest 3g technology.

Unfortunately when I received the phone I was not able to access these services as 3g was not available in my local area, even though I had checked the 3g coverage on the Vodafone website prior to purchasing the phone.

After contacting Vodafone I was assured that 3g would be up and running within the new two weeks. A couple of months went by and still no 3g I was again told that 3g would be coming soon.

After nine  frustrated months I decided to cancel the contract and offered to hand the phone back because without 3g I believed I was paying a premium price for a run of the mill phone. I received no reply from Vodafone apart from invoices. However to my astonishment when I checked my credit file recently I found that I had a default placed against this account.

I contacted Vodafone and they stated I am liable for the remaining rental charges of £149  , however they failed to recognise that I was unhappy with the service.

I really do not know what to do now, because even if I pay these charges (which I do not believe I owe) I am still going to be in default which I know can affect my ability to obtain credit

Hi

May be worth trying to come back from the legal position here, and if you get to speak to the right person, it may work.

Taking the default notice off will not actually cost O2 anything - they only have some kind of pride to lose.  just explain that you are trying to resolve the issue, you genuinely did not know about the debt and that for £8 it is causing you a disproportionate amount of hassle.  I would offer a reasonable settle for them to remove it, say £50.

If the above does not work, then hit them hard legally.  You have tried to resolve the issue with a, more than fair, offer, so should it get to any court, they would look extrememly bad in the eyes of the court.

Good luck