Talking about defaults, apparently a company called "Fairmile Partnership LLP" has recently been adding them to credit files.
Only a few problems, of course....
1) The defaults are added to what Fairmile believes to be the debtor's latest address, not where they were incurred. That is, defaults dated "2002" have been added in "2007" as if they were accounts at the debtor's latest address. Posting a default on the supposed most "current" address of a debtor is highly questionable, as is the fact that the default got registered some 5 years after an account supposedly defaulted.
2) The Fairmile incarnation that registered the defaults was not a registered company until 2005. In addition, it turns out there are at least 7 (seven) different Fairmile companies, with very strange data:
1 - incorporated 07/01/2005, paperwork appears to be filed on time
2 - incorporated 07/01/2005, return due at companies house 04/02/2007 (overdue)
3 - incorporatd 07/01/2005, on 14/11/2005 changed its name to RIDGEWORTH FAIRMILE RECOVERIES LLP
4 - incorporated 27/10/2005, return due 24/11/2006 (overdue)
5 - incorporated 27/10/2005, filed account as DORMANT company (no activity) on 31/05/2006
6 - incorporated 30/05/2006, too new, no accounts filed, on 15/05/2007 chaged its name to FAIRMILE RECOVERIES LLP
7 - incorporated 14/06/2006, too new, no accounts filed
8 - incorporated 14/06/2006, too new, no accounts filed
Companies house data freely available also indicates:
Nature of Business (SIC(03)):None Supplied
The company did not directly disclose to companies house that it was in the business of debt recovery. Apart from other considerations, the fact that two companies clearly related have failed to file paperwork with companies house could surely be a good enough reason for the Office of Fair Trading to investigate. If the "DORMANT" company has ever sent a letter, then presumably that would be enough reason to shut all Fairmiles down ("DORMANT" companies are those that did not trade or did any business during their accounting year).
3) The debt for which the default was registered is clearly BARRED. Not simply statute barred, but completely DEAD under the PRESCRIPTION AND LIMITATION ACT (SCOTLAND). It does not exist, and Fairmile has acknowledged that by putting a default date of over five years ago on the credit file. Unfortunately, information can technically be retained in credit reference agencies for six years from the date of the default, even if a debt in Scotland expires in five
The problem is, even if Fairmile is taken to court, there will not be much compensation for their victims (who pay off debts legally dead) and would take too long. And they are not the only company pursuing barred debts.