Does confused.com do a credit search?

Robflh

I did my insurance comparisons through Money Supermarket.com

Today I was notified by Credit Expert, run by Experian, that searches had been done on my credit file. One by AGP and three by RSA

The following is written at the top of my Previous Searches page. The last paragraph is the important one.

Previous searches show the names of organisations that have seen some or all of the information recorded on your credit report within the past 12 months.

Searches of your credit report should all have been made with your consent. Most will relate to credit applications you have made but some may be routine checks by your lenders on accounts you already have.

Unrecorded Enquiries, quotations, identify verification checks and credit report applications are shown for you on your copy of your report but are not seen by lenders.

I am fully aware that you have to tick certain boxes and I make a conscious effect to tick or untick all of them but I still had searches done on my credit file.

PS. I am so glad I found this thread when I Googled "ADMIRAL BELL DIAMOND ELEPHANT" It has put my mind at rest. I thought someone had stolen my identity.

David_A_5

Well, I had this same experience, and had not even used confused.com ! I found this sort by googling on Admiral...etc and was very pleased to find this thread, and the answers given. Thanks to those who have investigated it and reported here.

I still dont like RSA and Admiral...etc going on to my credit report without giving me the chance to opt out or letting me know they were going to; a point to take uyp with Experian, I think.

David

salerbil

To cancel call 080065690000

kieranfox

David, just for info - it's not Experian's fault that the company carried out a search of your credit report. Experian purely collate the information, and can't stop individual companies who have the right to check your report, from doing so.

grassit

I know this is an old thread but I have just checked my experian report and have two entries from using confused.com.

However, my two entries are classed as "Insurance Quotation" and not "Unrecorded Enquiry" as previous posters.

The dates tally with a check on house insurance. I received a quote but haven't taken up any of the deals yet.

Is there a change in status (ie affects my score) between the two classification?

Moneymatta

I used Moneywise magazine's site get a car insurance quote. I did not take up the quote but nevertheless AGP turned up on my Experian report.
I saw no opt out option. Have sent complaint to Moneywise (wise?). No reaction.
As an aside check your credit report - I had to get quite a few corrections done on mine.

Update:
Moneywise came back and said they were investigating. Appeared not to know about A B D E or much else on the subject.
They must still be investigating as I have heard nothing since.

KVet

grassit wrote: »

I know this is an old thread but I have just checked my experian report and have two entries from using confused.com.

However, my two entries are classed as "Insurance Quotation" and not "Unrecorded Enquiry" as previous posters.

The dates tally with a check on house insurance. I received a quote but haven't taken up any of the deals yet.

Is there a change in status (ie affects my score) between the two classification?

Heya, I have had the same thing as well, one must have been when I was looking to renew my car insurance and one showed up as "insurance Quotation" and the other as "unrecorded enquiry"

I checked again yesterdauy and 2 MORE have come up on the 12/14th August but they were not made by me as the quoted DOB on the record for these is NOT mine and this worries me! Both again are firstly the Insurance Quotation and then Unrecorded enquiry.

Help, is someone using my credit or something? Or just a simple mistake as in the previous tennant here forgetting to change their address before doing a credit search? If so WHY would it show up on MY credit report? Halep, im all worried as I want to apply for a new credit card soon and dont want all this rubbish clogging up my lovely credit history :S

nosey26

As if we don't have enough to do in our busy lives other than chase these companies who try to get away with oblitorating our credit files.

I went onto confused.com only out of interest to see how much others would charge for my insurance, as we do.

I rang my next directory account to see why i had received a letter to have my credit limit decreased, they told me that when they had applied for a periodic credit score it came back low. When i went to do my credit score on credit expert to see why it was low, it told me factors affecting my score was 7 credit searches in the last 3 months. Went to look and there where 4 searches from AGP ADMIRAL BELL and one from RBSs, insurance quotations.
Also just to add i had previously applied for car finance and specifically said to the girl when applying, if i get refused the first application then DO NOT search my file again as I had previously had bad experience with motor finance companies adding umpteen searches to my credit file without my knowledge, but she did anyway regardless, and when i phoned to complain, she basically called me a liar and said she cannot have them taken off.

So confused.com i am, because if they do not affect your credit score, why has mine plummeted? and why does it state that factors affecting your credit score are 7 searches in the last three months (when five of the seven are from the insurance quotes as apart from the two motor finance ones, there is no others).

This is such a mind field, I have been trying so hard for years to build up my credit score, I have a few accounts, all paid on time every month, all green green green, I do not normally have a lot of credit searches on my file, yet i am in the very poor catagory!!!!!!!! so if anyone can help me as i am now more confused.com than i was before i went anywhere near the stupid site.

Proc

If you don't want insurance companies running these checks, then don't agree to their terms and conditions. I'm guessing that people complaining about it just ticked the "I have agreed to the Terms & Conditions" box without actually reading them.

Yet another problem in the insurance industry that could be solved by people reading before doing.

However, I do feel that the companies shouldn't run these checks until the customer has placed some kind of interest in actually purchasing the product. There's really no need to deduce whether or not someone is real, can pay direct debit, etc etc until they have actually clicked on the "Purchase" button.

tldr: Read T&Cs. Your own fault.

galba

Proc wrote: »

However, I do feel that the companies shouldn't run these checks until the customer has placed some kind of interest in actually purchasing the product. There's really no need to deduce whether or not someone is real, can pay direct debit, etc etc until they have actually clicked on the "Purchase" button.

tldr: Read T&Cs. Your own fault.

I feel people shouldn't need to worry about T&Cs unless they accept an insurance quote and even then there should be no need for credit checks unless the buyer opts for monthly DD payment. A purchase with full settlement via credit card or debit card is not an application for credit.

The practice of checking credit-worthiness against a request for just a quotation smacks to me of phishing.

Perhaps something that MSE should look into.as it could seriously affect an actual credit application.

I noticed too that confused.com require telephone number and mother's maiden name as a condition of membership. Quite unnecessary data mining in my view.