Experian

wimblewomble_2

Whats the difference between the £5 a month experian offer, and the £2 a shot credit report?

Why would anyway pay £5 a month, when you could get a £2 once every 3 months or so?

Is the £2 report less detailed?

Robert_Sterling_3

They have, by law, to do one for £2.
That is the one I get about once a year.
If they can "upsell you" to £5 a shot and more frequent shots that is business for you.

anotherpaul_2

wimblewomble wrote: »

Why would anyway pay £5 a month, when you could get a £2 once every 3 months or so?

That is exactly the question Experian are hoping you won't ask. There's is very little additional benefit from the subscription (in my opinion). You get to see the report more quickly and as often as you like with the subscription and they email you with a monthly status update tracking activity on your record. Arguably, the subscription version is slightly easier to interpret, but I think the notes that come with the £2 option are excellent.

As far as I'm concerned, anything more than a £2 report is a waste of money. Absolutely don't bother with a credit rating from them.

Doshamento

anotherpaul wrote: »

There's is very little additional benefit from the subscription (in my opinion).
As far as I'm concerned, anything more than a £2 report is a waste of money.

A £2 report is a 'one off screenshot' of your credit report on the date that you ordered it.
Ok for the price and for an infrequent user of their credit file.

But it does not keep you up to date with your credit file like an online subscription.



A £2 report doesn't inform you quickly if your file has been searched subsequently - with or without your permission.


A £2 report doesn't alert you whether a new credit agreement has been added to your file -whether correct or not.


A £2 report doesn't inform you whether an existing credit limit has been suddenly reduced before the lender's letter has reached you.


A £2 report doesn't alert you if CIFAS flag has been entered onto your file.

MrsTinks

I think it's a matter of picking what suits you I have the subscription because I'm a selfconfessed control freak I like checking my bank account daily (sometimes couple of times a day) and my credit file once a week I like the SMS messages if changes have taken place on my account (especially ones I didn't know about! found a few un-authorised searches that way and had them hammered immediately off my record as they didn't hold my permission to search my file!). I also like keeping an eye on the various CC companies and banks to make sure they have updated my files correctly and are showing the right balance and limit

It's a question of comfort - I am more comfortable paying the subscription than I am not having that level of visability

anotherpaul_2

Well, as I said, in my opinion. :-)

Personally, I don't think those are worth the extra cost. I can't see myself every needing to check my report more than once a month, at most, and I don't rate the various alerts as worthwhile.

I'm not disagreeing with your post though - I'm sure some people would consider it worth the cost.

wimblewomble_2

thanks for replies.
I can understand the immediacy with a subscription, but on balance, a £2 report every 2-3 months is enough.
I also think there are experian, and one other credit report company to consider.

is it worth getting one each from experian and equifax, or just experian?

anotherpaul_2

There's Experian, Equifax and Callcredit.

Experian seems to be checked by the majority of lenders, so you definitely want that one if your getting at least one.

The Equifax one by fewer lenders, but you might want to consider that one too.

The Callcredit one... I've never checked mine. I understand that very few lenders use them. (Also you seem to have to apply by post for the Callcredit £2 report, rather than online for the other two, which is one of the reasons I didn't get around to it.)

anotherpaul_2

MrsTine wrote: »

I like checking my bank account daily (sometimes couple of times a day) and my credit file once a week

It's an addition I can understand. I check my current account and credit cards daily (at least). I've managed to resist the credit file.

gogsboy

MrsTine wrote: »

I like the SMS messages if changes have taken place on my account (especially ones I didn't know about! found a few un-authorised searches that way and had them hammered immediately off my record as they didn't hold my permission to search my file!).

How do you hammer stuff off your record that is false?

gogsboy

Do they all do this one off payment of £2 deal, I can't seem to see this on equifax and that's the one want to use