Experian - Be Warned

WD40

It just gets worse and worse, the more digging you do...

Experian have a record of trying to deceive people into signing up for 'free trials' and they are no strangers to class action lawsuits: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/experian_class_action.html

"Defendants heavily advertise to consumers on the Internet that they offer 'Free!' credit reports," the suit charges. To obtain the "free" credit report, consumers must enter their credit or debit card number and agree to a "free" 30-day trial membership in the CreditCheck Monitoring Service.
"The overall impresson of the www.ConsumerInfo.com website offer ... is that accepting the 'Free' credit report creates no duty or obligation on behalf of the consumer," the suit charges, noting that the credit reports are advertised as "Free! Free! Free! and claim repeatedly that there is "no obligation or commitment."

Read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/experian_class_action.html#ixzz0ND91DoQk

This proves they're been knowingly employing this tactic for many years.

There's no other way to describe the way they run the company than criminal. It's a shame our government is so kind to financial companies.

WD40

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Experian#Controversies

In January 2008 Experian announced that over 200 jobs would go at its Nottingham office as it would move development work to India in a cost cutting move,[17] causing concern amongst UK consumers over the security of personal data being moved overseas.

Which begs the question: what are they doing with your data? Would you trust such an unscrupulous company?

Finding dirt on this company is too easy. You could spend all year doing it. Scum.

savagej

The main gripe I have with them is when you question the information they hold you get the standard reply, "it does not belong to us we need the lenders permission to change it".

This is another falsehood, they know under the DPA they hold and process the data and publish it, so they can in effect do whatever they like with it pursuant to their registration.

I just wish they would tell the truth, but they even have their staff running this line off the top of their head as if they actually beleive it.

It should be made common knowledge so everyone can challenge it. The company has a duty under their DPA registration first and foremost, their customers the lenders should not be the primary concern in this case but following the law should be.

The ICO should force them to stop telling people the information belongs to a lender and look at another way of handling disputes, such as removing the article in question until its veracity or otherwise can be established.

savagej

They even repeat this over the phone as an automated message when you call to query somthing, "go to the lender, we cannot change it, going to the lender maybe quicker".

walesrob

WD40 wrote: »

It just gets worse and worse, the more digging you do...

Experian have a record of trying to deceive people into signing up for 'free trials' and they are no strangers to class action lawsuits: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/experian_class_action.html

This proves they're been knowingly employing this tactic for many years.

There's no other way to describe the way they run the company than criminal. It's a shame our government is so kind to financial companies.

I think most of us are getting tired of your constant bleating about Experian .

Also why are you mixing Experian USA and Experian UK? Same company maybe, but both run according to guidelines of relevant countries' financial regulations. Why the constant quoting of FTC, who have no jurisdiction over Experian UK?

walesrob

savagej wrote: »

The main gripe I have with them is when you question the information they hold you get the standard reply, "it does not belong to us we need the lenders permission to change it".

This is another falsehood, they know under the DPA they hold and process the data and publish it, so they can in effect do whatever they like with it pursuant to their registration.

No, its NOT a falsehood, and Experian are right to stick to their guns. CRA's only report the facts given to them. Its made very clear on all CRA's websites. If the likes of Experian were given the power to change data at will, this will lead to many many problems.

savagej

walesrob wrote: »

No, its NOT a falsehood, and Experian are right to stick to their guns. CRA's only report the facts given to them. Its made very clear on all CRA's websites. If the likes of Experian were given the power to change data at will, this will lead to many many problems.

mmm...

It is in the interest of the CRA's to say they cannot change the data, the lender owns it, both to them and to their commercial customers. It is a blatant falsehood.

I would personally suggest you look at Experian's and any other CRA for that matters full registration pursuant to The Data Protection Act 1998. I think you maybe surprised to find that I am right, the CRA are the data processor and publisher and are subject to the same laws of defamation as anyone else in this land.

No one in essence owns the data, it is only controlled or processed, and the person doing either of these is liable to ensure it is correct. This is one of the principle of the Act.

The DPA registration tells you exactly what Experian can and cannot hold and what they can and cannot do with it. Go on enlighten yourself, or come back and say I am wrong and I will send you enough reading material to keep you busy for a long time, which will hopefully ensure you understand the topic to which you speak in this case who has what power to process what data, under what circumstance, what they can publish and a copy of the UK defamations laws to boot.

Edit: I would be interest to note your comments on my suggestion for dealing with disputes and that is the article in question is removed until it can be proven as fact.

Another Edit: one last thing, please disclose any link you have with Experian whatsoever, either as a customer (commercial), a shareholder, or an employee as this is relevant to your posts. I have no link with the organisation whatsoever.

never-in-doubt

walesrob wrote: »

No, its NOT a falsehood, and Experian are right to stick to their guns. CRA's only report the facts given to them. Its made very clear on all CRA's websites. If the likes of Experian were given the power to change data at will, this will lead to many many problems.

Data Processor - This would be the CRA
Data Subject - This is you/me/the individual
Data Controller - This would be who owns the data, i.e. the lender

CRA's are actually the 'data processor' and as a result, as they make information readily available about the 'data subject' on behalf of the 'data controller' and so if the data subject reports to a data processor that their data is incorrect then it is upto the data processor and data controller to ensure the data is removed, investigated and corrected.

This becomes a joint issue by the processor and controller and if no satisfactorily outcome can be achieved then the case would be referred to, and decided upon, by the data commissioner (ICO).

So to summarise; as the processor is making data available that is incorrect they can be held for libel. As can the actual controller.

Hope this makes sense and clears up exactly what CRA's are and are not liable for, pretty much they are liable for everything that their systems say about us regardless of their claim to the contrary.

savagej

Cheers N-I-D, I like fact and common sense :-) I wondered if Walesrob perhaps worked for them and wished to keep up the fallacy.

WD40

walesrob wrote: »

I think most of us are getting tired of your constant bleating about Experian .

Also why are you mixing Experian USA and Experian UK? Same company maybe, but both run according to guidelines of relevant countries' financial regulations. Why the constant quoting of FTC, who have no jurisdiction over Experian UK?

Maybe you're prepared to bend over and let these firms do whatever they want to you (maybe you work for one of these firms?), but I'm not.

Funnily enough, the ASA took my side on this argument.

Experian Free Credit Check have a long record of obfuscating their charges that goes back many years, in the UK and USA. Next time they try it on, which they undoubtedly will, I will be there to complain to the relevant authority.

As the song goes, 'if you tolerate this, then your children will be next'. It amazes me that there are so many spineless individuals that don't care whether they're getting ripped off by Experian 'Free Credit Check', or other firms for that matter.