Not upheld: Credit file / adverse marker disputes complaint against Marsh Finance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Miss B complained that Marsh Finance Limited refused to remove a late payment marker from her credit file as a gesture of goodwill. The marker was recorded in March 2025 following a returned direct debit. Although Miss B acknowledged the marker was accurate and noted she had maintained a perfect payment history otherwise, she requested its removal. The ombudsman found that lenders have an obligation to report accurate information to credit files and that removing the marker would constitute reporting inaccurate information. Therefore, the complaint was not upheld.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman reasoned that lenders have a legal obligation to report true and accurate information to credit files. Since Miss B accepted the late payment marker was accurate, Marsh did nothing wrong in reporting it. Removing the marker as a gesture of goodwill would require Marsh to report inaccurate information, which would breach their regulatory obligations. Therefore, Marsh's refusal to remove the marker was justified.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website