Northumbrian water added Default to my credit file !

[DarrenTeesside]

Hi each and all, I have just checked my Credit File on Experian, it is squeeky clean APART FROM a default from Northumbrian Water, now granted I have never paid water, nor have I ever communicated with them regarding my bill(s) they even started sending letters addressed to the present occupier, I have signed nothing, agreed to nothing, never spoke with them, nothing, yet they have placed monthly defaults dating from the 8th month 2014, i have cicles with "8" inside which states:

 

" The account is in 'default'. You failed to keep to your credit agreement and have not responded satisfactorily to requests to bring your payments up to date, so the credit agreement has ended."

 

How the hell can a company I have never had any dealings with, and not signed any credit agreement forms do this? is there any way round this as it has completely obliterated my Credit File, they claim I owe them £1709, this is like not paying your garage bill or paper bill and them placing a default on your credit file? is there any way round this joke or am I done for?

 

Kind regards, Darren...

[BankFodder]

I'm afraid that if they supply you water then you are deemed to have a contract with you. If they have sent you bills and you haven't paid them then you are probably bang to rights. You may say that you haven't signed contract but if you have been using the water - then that is effectively the same as accepting an agreement to supply

[Conniff]

Water companies do court as they don't have the power to disconnect like gas and electricity.

[DarrenTeesside]

Can I just run this one past you peeps, speaking hypathitically of course, lets assume that my flat was rented out to mr smith, mr smith never informed the water company they ere living there, mr smith has now left, I take up occupancy of my property, sign up to a water Direct Debit, then low and behold realise that mr Smith never paid nor regestered with the water, the electricity and gas are prepaiment so are not an issue, now mr smith has informed me I am fine in telling the water company he is responsible for the outstanding debt ( although I am prepaired to pay the debt ) but the default on my credit file belongs to someone else not me and would they kindly remove it? what do you think?

 

AND I DO KNOW A MR SMITH WHO HAS CONFIRMED THE ABOVE, if you get my drift.

[Conniff]

You send them a copy of your council tax bill which will prove the date you took up your tenancy and ask them to remove the marker.

 

 

But that's not how you laid out your original post. In that you said you were using water but not paying and had no intention of paying.

 

 

Hi each and all, I have just checked my Credit File on Experian, it is squeeky clean APART FROM a default from Northumbrian Water, now granted I have never paid water, nor have I ever communicated with them regarding my bill(s) they even started sending letters addressed to the present occupier, I have signed nothing, agreed to nothing, never spoke with them, nothing, yet they have placed monthly defaults dating from the 8th month 2014, i have cicles with "8" inside which states:

 

" The account is in 'default'. You failed to keep to your credit agreement and have not responded satisfactorily to requests to bring your payments up to date, so the credit agreement has ended."

 

How the hell can a company I have never had any dealings with, and not signed any credit agreement forms do this? is there any way round this as it has completely obliterated my Credit File, they claim I owe them £1709, this is like not paying your garage bill or paper bill and them placing a default on your credit file? is there any way round this joke or am I done for?

 

Kind regards, Darren...

[CrappoMan]

Totally agree with you Conniff, but he raises the question 'Is a deemed contract compliant with the CCA 1974 ?'

 

The deemed contract may well be enough to instigate proceedings in the county court, but is it enough to satisfy the demands of the CCA ? If it is, why are more companies not using a 'deemed contract' as a way around the specific requirements of the CCA ?

[Conniff]

I'm not aware of any service industries that are not.

 

 

There was a court case a few years ago when an agreement was disputed as there was no signed agreement, the judge then said that as you have been paying then there must have been an agreement.

 

 

Not on the exact same level, but usage of a service is deemed to be acceptance of their terms and conditions and an implied agreement is made.

[CrappoMan]

Not on the exact same level, but usage of a service is deemed to be acceptance of their terms and conditions and an implied agreement is made.

 

This is my point, if usage of the service, e.g; water supply, on a deemed contract is enough to enable reporting to a CREDIT reference agency, why can't my local paper shop do the same ?

 

If the T&C's are in the window, usage of their service to deliver your paper could be said to be acceptance of those T&C's, even though no credit agreement has been officially entered into.