Complaint Against Experian (CreditExpert)

coldoasis

Hi

Keep it nice and short

Basically Experian or CreditExpert have been messing me around with my credit report

Wrong details, wrong addresses and basically just making a mess of my credit report because their software cannot handle the fact i live in a flat.

Who are they regulated by and who would i need to contact to make a complaint against them?

Thanks

izools

Are you sure it is experian and not the creditors?

I recently moved into a flat and found I had great problems getting my creditors to report my accounts as being held at the address in the same format it is recorded on the electoral role.

Are you on the electoral role? Check the format your address appears as on the electoral role, it is this format that your creditors need to use and you should use if you apply for any thing.

For example, if the Electoral Role omits your flat number, so should the accounts and future applications.

If the ER records you as "Second Floor Flat, 94 Peoples Street" then you should tell your creditors to remove the flat number from the first line of the address and replace it with "Second Floor Flat", etc.


In answer to your question, Experian are not regulated as such but are bound by the Data Protection Act and any breaches of the DPA that they carry out can be reported to the Information Commissioners Office for their input

coldoasis

Hi Izools

In short i'm on the electoral roll my address is

no **
****House
Road Name
Area
County
Post code

but they can only show house name in the road name box

it may change on 1/12 when my ERO release the new electoral details but its not a giveme

When i moved Experian couldn't get my address to fit naturally into their boxes so the address had to be manipulated (house name in street name box to get it to work) not such a problem

But everytime they amend it my previous address for six years where i was also on the electoral list drops off and takes all my good credit accounts away along with my bankruptcy and a CCJ which are due to disappear in Jan 2010. I'd rather have all the green dots with the BR/CCJ until January at least its accurate that way

Ive recently been accepted for Vanquis and Jacamo so don't think the creditors are having much trouble

But its annoying paying £6 a month for something which is wrong

They have even admitted that i cannot see all the info they hold

if they input the correct details then it shows in the summary page that im not on the electoral list when i am

not sure how important the summary page is (the one before you actualy enter your report)

Two CreditExpert reps have now said they will deal with it and when thay cant they stop contacting me

andymc29

I live in a flat and my experian report's fine.
Not sure what to suggest, sorry

izools

How is your address formatted?

One of my last addresses was

Flat n
<Building Name>
<Street Name>

My current address is simpler:

Flat n
nn Peoples Road
Cityville

But causes more grief because the address isn't listed on the postcode database as separate flats, wheras it is with the local council. I've liaised with Royal Mail about this but they refuse to list the address as separate flats, as the flats don't have separate letterboxes (communal).

This means I am unable to apply for credit with those that comply strictly with the postcode database, Three Mobile are a case in point, who reject me at the very first stage before even performing a credit check, because their "One Check" £1 authorization to my credit card is declined due to an address mismatch. So my argument is with Royal Mail... and it's a damn annoying one which I can't be bothered to re-visit until next year because of all the grief it's causing me!

Back to your case If Experian omit the first line of the address (Flat n) I still see all of the credit accounts recorded at my address, and my Bankruptcy order recorded at three addresses prior as it fits nicely into the previous address fields their system has.

I can't help but think that the people you have spoken to about this at Experian are grossly incompetent? It might be best to put your problems down on paper being as descriptive as you can requesting that one of the most senior Data Controllers investigates in full and writes back to you with their findings / proposed solution to prevent your escalating the problem to the ICO.

I did this with Equifax, my accounts now show at the correct address, and in the process, Equifax "Lost" my linked addresses... oh dear what a pity no averse information if a creditor searches my Equifax. Not my problem if Equifax want to omit derogatory information when a creditor asks to see it...

coldoasis

"I can't help but think that the people you have spoken to about this at Experian are grossly incompetent?" Quote

Nail on the head Izools

think we have a very similar problem here

Don't seem to have the same issues with Equifax and Call Credit although my credit file just looks rough on both of them all the time lol

Yeh the linked addresses are shocking i think i'm on 51 (links that is not addresses)

Mines the other way round my previous address (also a flat)

was number,street name ,area county

but my current one has a house name

I have written to them with my details periods of time time lived at addresses etc

but their software is sh*te

I'm busting my b*lls trying to get back on the credit ladder and these fools are just charging me £6 a month to see half the details they hold on me

I said to the bloke yesterday when i phoned that i was unsure about him tidying it up because it was 95% correct but he insisted that he could sort it (why should i settle for 95% i want it correct even if it does show some past mistakes until January)

yeh lose my last address and all my good credit accounts plus the BR and CCJ leaving me with just a contract phone account thats good

Shelldean

not sure if i'd ahve this problem with Experian, but I DO have a problem getting most systems to regonise my address.

Bit difficult to explain.... I live in a court which consists of mixed housing and flats. I live in a BIG 3 storey town house in this court.
There are three courts all the same.
The properties are all numbered in sequence.
So I live at
** Blah blah Court
Any road
Anytown
Any postcode
But for some weird reason when i put my post code into a search for address box it ALWAYS comes back as Flat **. IT'S NOT A FLAT. I have my own front door, no communal doors needed. It's not just online address forms either I get it when I try and book things via the phone the CS person says oh yeah flat ** and I then reply Nope just **

And to make matter even MORE frustrating, sometime when you put in the post code it omits the court part, so you get
** Blah Blah road
Anytown,

which is doubly annoying as there really is a ** Blah Blah road:mad:

coldoasis

Shelldean

It's quite annoying when you think that you could be wasting a credit application purely on the fact that you get an instant reject just because the system does not recognise your address in the format you use not being recognised by the lenders software

I've been advised that if it doesn't match their format that pretty much ensures you wont get an instant decision online

And then it does not bode well further down the line

izools

coldoasis wrote: »

"I can't help but think that the people you have spoken to about this at Experian are grossly incompetent?" Quote

Nail on the head Izools

think we have a very similar problem here

Get as much information you can on paper, e.g. copies of statements, copies of a voting card if you can, copy of c'tax bill, copy of some of the information from your credit report, and most importantly a copy of the way Equifax and Call Credit show your data.

Suggest in your letter that the reader escalate the case to the most senior Data Controller to ensure the case is resolved in a manner that would mean you don't have to escalate the case to the ICO.

Equifax sorted out my shenanigans within three working days of reading my letter - which is damn good considering they have four weeks!

Bit of a slog, but worth it

RE: Linked addresses - I have over 100 on my Experian report, all from six actual addresses, it looks really messy...

Shelldean

coldoasis wrote: »

Shelldean

It's quite annoying when you think that you could be wasting a credit application purely on the fact that you get an instant reject just because the system does not recognise your address in the format you use not being recognised by the lenders software

I've been advised that if it doesn't match their format that pretty much ensures you wont get an instant decision online

And then it does not bode well further down the line

Should've also added the address the council uses for the electrol role is different again
** Blah Blah court
** to ** anyroad
anytown
Anypostcode

..... but only the council EVER use it in this format

I've not got access to my curent credit report but I don't recall having any problems when I accessed the free trial a while back???/ Think I had to manually enter the address??? not sure tho


EDITED to add, the last two cards I applied for online I got confirmation striaghtaway, tho that was 18mths and a yr ago.
Not applied since.

coldoasis

Yeh i think that's the way to go

They keep saying its the ERO's fault as that's how they sent the address across

Luckily i work in my Town Hall and the ERO office is merely a one minute walk away with some friendly people in there.


So So Annoying

Experian always have been a pain whenever i applied for a £2 statutory report i had to send in proof of address even though i'd received reports off them before

Whereas the other two would just send the reports out

Although this time as i have moved CallCredit want proof of address before releasing my credit report to me