Not upheld: default registration and credit file reporting complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited
Financial Ombudsman decision DRN-5979438 of 2026-04-08T00:00:00+00:00. default registration and credit file reporting complaint against American Express Services Europe Limited. Outcome: Not upheld.
Decision detail
| Reference | DRN-5979438 |
|---|---|
| Decision date | 2026-04-08T00:00:00+00:00 |
| Firm | American Express Services Europe Limited |
| Product | Credit card |
| Claim type | default registration and credit file reporting |
| Outcome | Not upheld |
| Remedy | No remedy ordered. The ombudsman advised that if Mr A has concerns about additional information recorded on his credit file after June 2025, he must raise this with AmEx in the first instance before referring to the FOS. The ombudsman noted that default status typically remains on a credit file for six years but should be updated with further information such as settlement. |
Summary
Mr A complained that AmEx incorrectly defaulted two of his credit card accounts after he missed payments under an agreed repayment arrangement. Mr A's accounts had fallen into arrears in late 2024 due to financial difficulties, and in January 2025 he agreed to a Regain programme with repayment plans of £242 and £430 per month. Payments were largely maintained until May 2025 when both payments failed, resulting in default registration in June 2025. Mr A argued he was unaware of the consequences and that the default was preventing him from obtaining a mortgage. The ombudsman found that AmEx had provided sufficient notice of the default consequences and that the defaults were correctly applied in accordance with the agreed terms and ICO debt guidelines.
The Ombudsman's reasoning
The ombudsman found that AmEx provided Mr A with fair notice that his accounts were in default and that he needed to maintain the agreed repayment arrangement. AmEx explicitly communicated in January 2025 that defaults would be registered if payments were not made in accordance with the arrangement. The ombudsman noted that Mr A had an obligation to ensure sufficient funds were available for the agreed payments and that AmEx was not responsible for chasing payments. Since payments failed in May 2025 and Mr A did not make payments until June 2025, AmEx was entitled to register the defaults in line with the information provided and ICO debt guidelines. The ombudsman concluded that the default registration accurately reflected the true conduct of the accounts.
How this compares
| Group | Decisions | Uphold rate |
|---|---|---|
| American Express Services Europe Limited, all decisions | 1,312 | 22% |
| Credit card, all decisions | 25,211 | 22% |
Source
Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website