Overview
A default can be damaging and still be accurate. The useful starting point for a dispute is the information recorded: whose account it is, what happened, and whether the dates and balance reflect that history.
If something is wrong, make the correction you want explicit. A request to fix a payment recorded as unpaid is easier to investigate than a request to improve your credit score.
Quick Answer (Read This First)
Raise the disputed entry with the credit reference agency and the organisation that supplied it. Identify the account, explain the precise error and attach relevant evidence. The supplier may need to correct its records before the change reaches your credit reports. ICO guidance on inaccurate credit files.
Paying a correctly recorded default does not normally remove it. Experian explains that it stays for six years from the original default date, with its status updated when paid. Experian's default guide.
Identify the Error Before Writing
Read the account entry itself, including its last update date. A score notification provides less useful evidence than the payment history underneath it.
| What you have found | What to ask the supplier to investigate |
|---|---|
| An account you never opened | Whether the account belongs to you or involves identity fraud |
| A payment marked unpaid despite evidence of receipt | The payment allocation and the affected month's reporting |
| An incorrect default date | The account timeline and basis for the date used |
| A paid default still showing an outstanding balance | The balance and settlement status |
| Two entries after a debt sale | Whether they clearly represent the same debt without duplicate outstanding liability |
Two names on a report do not automatically mean two separate defaults. A sold account can have an original-creditor record and a purchaser record. Experian says the records should make clear that they relate to the same debt, with the original default date preserved.
Build a Short Evidence Pack
Save the relevant report page and note which agency supplied it. Then gather the documents that address the error: statements, payment confirmations, cancellation correspondence or a previous complaint decision.
For example, suppose your report shows a £240 balance, but the creditor confirmed receiving a £240 final payment two months earlier. The useful evidence is the dated confirmation, payment reference and affected account. A screenshot of your overall score adds little to that question.
Arrange events in date order. Keep originals and send copies through the organisation's official complaint or dispute channel. If other accounts appear on a statement, ask what evidence the investigator needs before supplying unrelated information.
Ask for a Specific Outcome
Your complaint should identify the entry, state why it is inaccurate and explain the correction sought. Ask the supplier to confirm which agencies received the information and how any correction will be communicated to them.
A concise request might say: “The report shows this payment as missed. The attached statement and your receipt show it reached the account on the due date. Please investigate the reporting for that month and correct any inaccurate information supplied to credit reference agencies.”
That wording is an illustration, not a substitute for the facts of your case. If you dispute liability for the whole account, say that clearly rather than writing as though you accept the balance.
Keep the Different Complaint Timetables Separate
A data rectification request and a complaint about a lender's conduct are related but distinct. The ICO says organisations must respond to a rectification request without undue delay and normally within one month; extensions can apply in specified circumstances. ICO: right to rectification.
For most complaints within the Financial Ombudsman Service's remit, the business has up to eight weeks to provide its response. You can usually refer the complaint after that period or after a final response, and normally have six months from the final response to do so. Financial Ombudsman complaint process.
A mobile airtime complaint may instead belong with the provider's telecom dispute scheme. Choose the route for the underlying business and issue; the presence of a credit-file entry does not make every complaint a financial-ombudsman case.
Check the Result, Not Just the Reply
If the supplier agrees to amend the entry, retain that decision and ask when the change should appear. Check each affected report afterwards. If one remains wrong, return with the decision and the specific outstanding discrepancy.
If the entry is accurate but the borrowing was unaffordable or the firm treated you unfairly, explain that separate complaint. Do not assume dissatisfaction with a service makes a record of unpaid bills inaccurate.
For access routes, see our free statutory credit report guide. A legal default notice is a different document from the entry displayed on your report.
Frequently Asked Questions
Browse our credit score guides for the wider reporting process. This guide provides general information, with sources checked on 9 September 2026.
