More than two million Spaniards share the dubious honour of being on a defaulters� register. Some missed some mortgage repayments, others emptied their accounts when the banks started closing in, and thousands are still up to their eyes in unpaid bills. As in most unpleasant situations in life, getting onto the list is easy, but getting off is quite another matter. It takes more than mere money to make the problem go away: there�s a mountain of paperwork and then a six year wait before you get off the list, even after the debt has been paid off!

You only need to miss one payment (of more than 50,000 pesetas) to get on this troublesome list. Unfortunately for hundreds of people, errors abound in this type of register � at least that�s what those on the list will tell you, almost as a defence reflex. Mix ups are most common among those people with very common names and surnames, such as Garc�a, Fern�ndez, Rodr�guez or L�pez.

It can happen that someone who has always fulfilled their financial commitments comes up against closed doors when they ask for a bank loan. Financial institutions, for their part, shelter behind this type of lists as a defence against undesirable customers.

Once set in motion the process moves with frightening speed. After waiting in vain for three months the bank notifies the alleged defaulter of the non-payment of the bill or instalment. Thirty days later, the credit institution notifies the person involved by post that they have been put on the file. The worst thing is that a simple banking error or an oversight when it was time to make the payment, due to a cash flow problem for example, is enough for the bank to label you as a bad risk. One of the most feared lists is the infamous RAI but there is another: the National Association of Financial Institutions (ASNEF-Equifax).

How to get off the list?
The first thing to do is to prove that you�re on the list due to an error. But you need to prove it to the company which owns the register, which involves applying to them, in writing, to be taken off the list, and supporting your application with documents demonstrating your innocence and solvency.

Once you�ve submitted documentary proof that your debts have been cleared you have to wait a month. At the end of this period, the new data should appear on the register alongside the previous documentation. There they will languish for six long years until the smear on your financial honour is finally erased for ever.
There are companies which will handle all the paperwork for people wanting to get off the defaulters� blacklist.

There have been cases where, in spite of having supplied documentation proving their innocence, people have six years later found themselves still on the wretched blacklist. In these cases it�s necessary to make an official complaint to the Data Protection Agency.