PRA added old debt to credit report

[Zesty]

Hi my husband has old debt with Barclaycard which had dropped off his credit report and had been sold on to at least 2 debt collectors. The most recent is PRA group. As the debt no longer showed on credit record we requested the CCA which PRA have confirmed they can’t provide and have put account on hold until they can find it. We’ve now found that PRA have added defaults to my husbands credit report from Dec 2023. My understanding was that the original default date with Barclaycard (over 6 years ago) should be the default date so PRA shouldn’t be able to add this historical debt back on to the credit reports? How do we go about finding out the original default date now it’s long dropped off the credit report and can we make PRA remove or backdate the default date so it comes off the credit report again? Thanks

[echat11]

Hi ZESTY

Welcome to LB

Send Barclaycard a SAR request, they have 30 days to provide all the information on the account at least the last 6 years.

If no payments or acknowledgement in writing in the last 6 years, then the debt is statute barred.

Once you (husband) get the facts, you would need to lodge a complaint with PRA, follow the complaints procedure on their website, do it in writing.

Then if your not happy and you've received a Deadlock / Final response lodge a complaint with the FOS and ICO. You maybe entitled to compensation as there may of been 'incorrect' information on your credit file.

https://legalbeagles.info/forums/for...ed-debt-letter

[Zesty]

Hi thanks for your advice do far. We have received the SAR data from Barclaycard and also checked all 3 credit reference agencies and found the debt is being reported on the other 2 credit ref agencies. The account is not statute barred as the last payment was made in March 2021.

The first default notice official letter in the report from Barclaycard is dated June 2021. However on Experian it is first marked with default status in the monthly summaries from May 2019 until August 2021 when it was marked as settled (when Barclaycard first sold on his debt).

Yet in the account summaries for Barclaycard on the credit ref agencies it states the default date and account close date as August 2021.

PRA then also have default date as August 2021 and says will be reported until August 2027. This would mean this debt would have been marked as defaulted on credit files for over 8 years by this point. It should I believe be removed from the credit file from May 2025.

So do we write to both PRA and Barclaycard showing them that the account was first marked as defaulted in May 2019 and they therefore both need to change the date they have reported to the credit reference agencies? And then how long do we have to give them to do this before taking it to the ICO? Thank you so much

[echat11]

Hi thanks for your advice do far. We have received the SAR data from Barclaycard and also checked all 3 credit reference agencies and found the debt is being reported on the other 2 credit ref agencies. The account is not statute barred as the last payment was made in March 2021.

The first default notice official letter in the report from Barclaycard is dated June 2021. However on Experian it is first marked with default status in the monthly summaries from May 2019 until August 2021 when it was marked as settled (when Barclaycard first sold on his debt).

Yet in the account summaries for Barclaycard on the credit ref agencies it states the default date and account close date as August 2021.

PRA then also have default date as August 2021 and says will be reported until August 2027. This would mean this debt would have been marked as defaulted on credit files for over 8 years by this point. It should I believe be removed from the credit file from May 2025.

So do we write to both PRA and Barclaycard showing them that the account was first marked as defaulted in May 2019 and they therefore both need to change the date they have reported to the credit reference agencies? And then how long do we have to give them to do this before taking it to the ICO? Thank you so much

Yes, write to them, it does take some time depending on the information / evidence you give them and what information / evidence they already have. Give them a month, they'll update you if they require more time.