Not upheld: Credit file / adverse marker disputes complaint against Vanquis Bank Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Miss R complained that Vanquis Bank applied a default to her credit card account without sending required notification, claiming that had she received proper notice she would have taken action to prevent it. Miss R had set up a six-month payment plan of £15 per month starting in April 2024 after contacting Vanquis about unemployment. When the plan ended in September 2024, Miss R claimed she received no notification that contractual payments were now required and subsequently missed three months of payments. Vanquis issued a notice of default on 15 January 2025, and the account defaulted on 13 February 2025. The ombudsman found that Vanquis had sent all required letters to the correct address, including notification of the plan ending, overdue payment notices, and the default notice, and therefore did not uphold the complaint.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman accepted Vanquis's evidence that all required notices were sent to the correct address, including the September 2024 letter explaining the payment plan had ended and contractual payments were now due. Although Miss R claimed she did not receive these letters, the ombudsman found sufficient evidence that they were sent and contained the necessary information. The ombudsman found that three months of payments had been missed before the default notice was issued, which was in line with regulations. The ombudsman acknowledged Miss R's vulnerable status but found that Vanquis had provided a payment plan when requested and the letters offered support options, so Vanquis did not treat her unfairly.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website