Credit Reference Agencies - Who Really Uses Who?! UPDATE

savagej

"Callcredit and Equifax are just there for Identity checks mainly"

Maybe you could substantiate this as I used to work for a number of banks and I have also worked for a credit reference agency and I think you are grossly misinformed. Just because it is HBOS's favourite and some other banks too does not make it "the national credit reference agency", anyone would think you were their advertising manager.

dolally_2

heranaway wrote: »

Right people, Experian is the National Credit Agency! Every Bank reports to and uses Experian!

Callcredit and Equifax are just there for Identity checks mainly and that is why seaches hardly ever show up on those reports, If they and when they want to check your financial circumstances they will use experian. I have a friend who is an Underwriter for HBOS and has worked in the pass for other top banks and he told me that experian is mainly the first place they go to scrutanise your financial details.

If you want to improve your credit file, use and monitor Experian.

P.s Halifax use Experian for all their products, so do RBS (including Tesco Finance) Brittania BS, Barclaycard and all Barclay Products, Toyota finance, HFC Finance and HSBC.

Cheers

hmm, that's funny - I have accounts that only appear on equifax and some searches that only appear on equifax too.

Knowing which company uses which reference agency can provide vital help for those looking for credit of any kind. I know a lot of MSE users have found this thread very informative and helpful.

Having "a friend" who says....does not make you an expert.

System

clio wrote: »

anyone know who tesco credit card report too, is it ex & eq ??

AFAIK being issued by RBS it's reported to all three.

Regards
UNDERGROUND

System

heranaway wrote: »

Right people, Experian is the National Credit Agency! Every Bank reports to and uses Experian!

Callcredit and Equifax are just there for Identity checks mainly and that is why seaches hardly ever show up on those reports, If they and when they want to check your financial circumstances they will use experian. I have a friend who is an Underwriter for HBOS and has worked in the pass for other top banks and he told me that experian is mainly the first place they go to scrutanise your financial details.

If you want to improve your credit file, use and monitor Experian.

P.s Halifax use Experian for all their products, so do RBS (including Tesco Finance) Brittania BS, Barclaycard and all Barclay Products, Toyota finance, HFC Finance and HSBC.

Cheers

Hi

Whilst I do agree that Experian are the most widely used CRA, the other two (especially Equifax) are not to be dismissed.

Some companies exclusively search Equifax (ie. Barclaycard and Sygma Bank) and one (Monument) searches only Call Credit. This information is useful to people who may have a clean or less negative file with one agency than another.

It does seem as well that Call Credit are increasingly having accounts reported to them and in the future when they have a number of years of data behind them they may become widely used for credit searching / scoring. (This is my own opinion and purely speculative)

It does seem though that if you want a full current account it is essential that your Experian is clear, all the banks use them for full current account applications.

Hope people are continuing to find this thread useful.

Regards
UNDERGROUND

System

sscott5581 wrote: »

Next store card also reports to CC

and

Lloyds bank account also reports to CC

Regards
Steven

Thanks, updated

UNDERGROUND

heranaway

dolally wrote: »

hmm, that's funny - I have accounts that only appear on equifax and some searches that only appear on equifax too.

Knowing which company uses which reference agency can provide vital help for those looking for credit of any kind. I know a lot of MSE users have found this thread very informative and helpful.

Having "a friend" who says....does not make you an expert.

Ok Fair point, maybe your right. I hope my input has helped anyway...

Cheers

darcyvuqua

barclaycard dont even search experian!!!

snoppydog

hi,

Don't know if im right forum but have been told I can have a satisfied ccj removed from my experian credit report. Does anyone know how to do this, and sucessfuly done this themselves.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

System

snoppydog wrote: »

hi,

Don't know if im right forum but have been told I can have a satisfied ccj removed from my experian credit report. Does anyone know how to do this, and sucessfuly done this themselves.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

Hi snoppydog

You will have to rely on the goodwill of the company who placed the CCJ on your credit file to have it removed. They are under no obligation to remove it, and if they decline to do so it will remain on your credit file for six years.

It can't do any harm to write to them and ask them to remove it on the basis that you've settled your debt with them and they have nothing to gain by leaving it there - although you may get some spiel about responsible lending as a reason why they can't remove it.

Good luck

UNDERGROUND

snoppydog

Thanks. Problem is I don't remember who the company was that put it on my record as it was over two years ago. My experian report says Registry Trust but nothing else.