Checkmyfile 'unlimited access' - anyone else had issues?

System

Daveb wrote: »

That t&c says 'simplified basis' - not that they have cut out information from your credit file!!!

I didn't say that they 'cut out' information, I said it will be missing, i.e. they will not show you the items of information marked with an 'X' in the above table.

Daveb wrote: »

In my experience I have had a credit file from Equifax before. The information I receive from Checkmyfile contains every piece of information I got in the report from Equifax directly. Yes it is presented differently, ie. Checkmyfile split the report into sections by Credit Card, Bank Account, Loans etc...

Hence the reason the focus of my reply was around Experian.

Daveb wrote: »

Re: Experian - when you go into the Credit Accounts section of your report within Checkmyfile it states the following:

" Your credit report based on Experian is a public credit report, as seen by landlords, employers and most UK companies, who do not share payment history and are therefore unable to view your details. Only around 200 of the largest lenders actually view shared account history, though there are over 4000 registered lenders, banks, building societies, mortgage lenders, credit unions and specialist lenders in the UK.
If you wish to check your credit reports specifically to see your Payment Performance, we recommend you check your report based on Callcredit or Equifax data."

Only 200 of the largest lenders?! What they mean is virtually all the largest lenders!

Payment performance makes up only one element of your credit history and one element that a lender will score you on, so why would you want to view your credit report specifically to see your payment performance?

Two main points:

• Experian may hold information that both Equifax and Callcredit don't - for example credit searches, linked addresses, credit accounts
• How will you ever know that the information Experian hold about you is accurate?

Daveb wrote: »

Are you saying they are speaking out their a*** Underground?

No. But they have cleverly worded it to try and negate the fact that they don't show you critical information from Experian, most probably because Experian want too much money for the information or have refused to share the information to avoid making a hole in Credit Expert sales.

Dave, I'm just trying to point out the facts and shan't post again on the subject. If after checking out what I have said you decide that I am speaking out of my a*** then by all means crack on with checkmyfile!

Regards
UNDERGROUND

CannyJock

Daveb wrote: »

Are you saying they are speaking out their a*** Underground?

Inferior service. Waste of money. You decide

Only an employee of the company would leap to their defence from what I can see

izools

Daveb wrote: »

" Your credit report based on Experian is a public credit report, as seen by landlords, employers and most UK companies, who do not share payment history and are therefore unable to view your details. Only around 200 of the largest lenders actually view shared account history, though there are over 4000 registered lenders, banks, building societies, mortgage lenders, credit unions and specialist lenders in the UK.
If you wish to check your credit reports specifically to see your Payment Performance, we recommend you check your report based on Callcredit or Equifax data."




Are you saying they are speaking out their a*** Underground?

Every single lender in the country searches Experian bar Barclaycard and Sygma.

The information provided by CheckMyFile is the Public version of your Experian credit file. This is not the version lenders see when they search you.

The version Check My File show is the one any tom !!!!!! or harry can see, without your consent. You give your consent under the data protection act when ever you apply for credit so that the lender can see the Private / Personal version of your file.

Experian are unique in that they offer a Public and Personal file only one of which requires the data bearers (you) consent to view. Because they are the most widely used!

Sign up for a free trial from CreditExpert to see the information that Experian hold on your personal credit file and you will see a) just what lenders see and b) just how much information is missing from Check My File.

I am looking at my Experian file from Credit Expert now, and I can see:

32 accounts in total, six active, five defaulted and satisfied, all showing payment history
48 searches in the last 12 months, 20 credit searches 28 unrecorded
All the ER history from all my addresses
Alias information
Bankruptcy order from a few years ago at a previous linked address

This is MASSIVELY more information than CheckMyFile show you.

It is also much more information and more accurate than the information on my Equifax file.

At the end of the day it's up to you who you want to believe but we know from experience that getting credit files from any company other than the CRA themselves is a BAD idea and leads to mis-information, and we're trying to impart that good advice on you.

Take heed if you wish, it's your prerogative!

Daveb

Guys, calm down, I was asking a question, not doubting you.

I didn't realise that Experian did a personal and public report and so like you say ive not seen all the information available from them.

Totally agree with Underground, its probably down to money that they cant get/wont pay for these Experian reports. Which is a joke considering its £15 per quarter.

I genuinely thought it was a good service, well I still do but this does really let it down. If they could get the personal experian report it would be perfect. Probably wont renew and just request reports for £2 from each provider from now on, save a whole £9.

izools

Don't worry mate I made the same mistake with Check My File.

I subscribe to Credit Expert from Experian and Equifax Credit Watch - more expensive than Checkmyfile but more accurate.

The other choice as others say is just your statutory report every month or so.

Given that the overwhelming majority of creditors search Experian it might be best to switch to a Credit Expert subscription - via Quidco.com to bag some cashback, of course!

You may be pleasantly (or unpleasantly...) surprised to see what's lurking on your Experian file