Dialaphone & unauthorised credit checking!!

louise1234_2

Hi, sorry about long post & typos, please forgive!

I recently applied for an Orange contract through dialaphone as they had a good offer & was told my credit check was declined..... This surprised me as I have never missed a payment, and had recently had a mortgage taken out, I am also on electoral role, but after checking credit files they have not updated this yet, so probably the reason. Anyway, applying to Orange directly I was accepted, no problems.

The next day, dialaphone call to say although I was declined by Orange, Three have accepted me!! I am furious at this as I have waited 12 month to get out of my 3 contract - they are the worst ever... I never authorised this credit check (& passing my details to three), and nowhere in their terms and conditions does it say they will pass my details to another provider & run another credit check on me!!

Complaing to dialaphone is useless. After their staff telling me equifax declined me & I should ask them why!! and other such things that most people should know is incorrect. They seem to believe they were doing me a favour & refused to remove search & delete any of my information they have passed on. I am still waiting the letter they are sending me which will state why they legally can pass my infomation on & credit check me without my consent. Doubting it will ever arrive.

I have notified equifax it was an unauthorised search, but have had no response as yet.

Who can I complain to?? Do Ofcom deal with issues like this??

Has this happened to anyone else??

I think it is completely out of order to pass on my details & credit check me without authorisation!!

millie

Yes this happened to me with Dialaphone in August, I wanted a BT Mobile from them the day after I ordered it they phoned me and said I had failed the credit check. I told them that it must be a mistake because I do not have any credit deals and never have had. Even the mortgage has been paid off for some years, we do not owe a penny to anyone, even the credit card is paid in full each month by Direct Debit. They said it was BT Mobile and were happy to offer me a phone on another network. I phoned Bt Mobile who did not know anything about it and offered to sell me the same deal, but at an increased price, which I declined. I then phoned Dialaphone again who just kept telling me it was not them but Equifax,and I would nedd to contact them. I eventually paid £12.50 to get my credit record, and the only thing that I could see that could be a problem was that I had 3 credit searches made in the last 6 months. One was because I was guarantor for my student sons rent. Another was because i had opened a Tessa Only Isa with intellegent Finance and there is a £200 overdraft facility on it which I did not ask for. The other was because I had ordered something from Littlewoods Online, and they had done a search for some reason, the thing I ordered was only £5.99 and it was returned straight away. So I was pretty annoyed to say the least, of course there was also the Dialaphone check as well. I did not bother to order another phone because I was concerned it would lead to even more checks that would go against me. I was not told that Dialaphone was doing a check, but would have not been worried if I had known, but I avoid them at all costs now and am to scared to order anything else

wickedwitch_2

It's not the checks that are going against you. Believe it or not it's because you have NO credit or loans. Yep, the more you owe the happier they are to lend you more. I think it is because, without existing credit, they can't tell whether you would repay the money. Credit records show every payment you have made and whether they were on time - or not.

Dialaphone are correct when they say that you have to contact Equifax for the reason why you have been declined. Frustrating but true. It does mean though that if you did have financial problems that every sales assistant wouldn't be privy to it. I'm sure none of us would want that.

As for the illegal search, try the Data Protection Commissioner. Data must only be used for the reason it was taken in the first place. It's one of the 8 key principles of the Data Protection Act!

louise1234_2

Thanks for reading & replying - the reason they appear have declined was due to electrol role info not being updated yet. Checking my files they did an identification check, not even a credit check so this must be the reason. This is not what is concerning me.

I am really annoyed about the way they passed on my details without my consent & credit checked me again withouty my consent.

I need to find the correctbody to report them to - will investigate information commisiomner. Cheers!

k_sta

Equifax have a service that allows you to view all records with them.

Its free for 30 days tehn u pay but you can cancel within 30 days.

So check your own record.

K

louise1234_2

Just to say Equifax have now removed the unauthorised search.

I am awaiting a reply from Information Commmsioner regarding dialaphone's breach of data protection act.

jay78

The exact same thing has happened to me. Turned down for vodaphone but accepted by 3 with an equifax credit search. Apparently dial-a-phone do their own 'internal check' to see which company is likely to accept you. That's why when you contact the companies directly they have no idea what your talking about. It's out of order really.

seanparkin

This one is easy to figure out that its just painfully obvious.

These goons get paid a fair bit more comission for selling a phone on 3 than the other networks. So, they've just 'failed' your (pretend) credit check and are more than happy to let you know 3 will accept you.