Back in 2001, I had a credit card. I was very good back then, and paid it off, and called the company - who shall remain nameless - to close the account. Four months later, I moved house.
Flash forward four years to July 2005. Out of curiosity, I decided to order my credit report. It told me my credit status was very poor, because I defaulted on the account with aforementioned credit card company to the amount of little over £200 arrears. I called the company, demanding to know what was going on. They told me that the account was never closed down, that they have no record of me calling to close it. The default payment was accrued when an annual charge of £12 for owning the credit card was applied in August 2002. This gathered interest and late payment charges until the sum reached £200+. They had been sending reminder letters and statements to the address I no longer lived at. I had no idea. I hadn’t given the company a forwarding address because I’d asked that the account be closed. I had strong words with the company, and told them that the card had been cut up and, if they looked at their records, they would see that the card had not been used since the date I asked for the account to be used. After a lot of hassle, they agreed to scrap the outstanding balance, close the account, and inform the credit agencies that the default and late payment notices had been in error.
Six months later, January 2006, a credit check. The credit card account is still a problem. The outstanding balance is cleared, the account is shown as closed, but the default flag is still there. I call them again. They promise to sort it out.
Six months later, July 2006, a credit check. The outstanding balance is cleared, the default flag is gone, but the account is shown as open, with 6 months or more late payments. I call them again, and shout down the phone at Dan, a very nice guy who doesn’t deserve my wrath, but gets an earful anyway because the company he works for have pissed me off for over a year. He promises to sort it out, and I demand a letter as proof that it’s been sorted. Two weeks later, no letter has arrived. I phone the company and speak wearily to Paul, and spend 20 minutes explaining the situation for the fifth time in a year. He says that Dan has sorted it out, and agrees to send a second letter in confirmation. A day later, I get the original letter that Dan sent telling me the credit agencies have been informed.
Today, I got another letter from them. It reads:
Thank you for your recent call.
I confirm that your account was settled on 20 August 2007.
I read the date three times, and call the credit card company. Sorry, they tell me. We have no record of the second letter being sent out, only the first. The account is closed though, Alistair tells me helpfully.
I remain dubious and unconvinced, which is a polite phrase that in no way sums up exactly how I feel about the company. The proof will be with the credit agencies, of course.
