Camelot Group Searches WARNING

cantor

I'm not a gabling man but i got an old auntie and like almost all pensioners she enjoys the occasional lottery ticket. So every week i stop by the tobacco kiosk in my local supermarket while doing the shopping and pick a couple of tickets for her. I've never taken a penny of her for the tickets and i almost always pay for them in cash.

The area tends to get rather busy with people purchasing tobacco products and since giving up smoking i try to avoid smoking or tobacco related places. So i went online and found out you can actually purchase lottery tickets using Camelot's website. Great, just an online account, you use a card to prepay a balance and use funds out of the balance to play tickets. So i can load some funds and use that to play a couple tickets per week for her without the need to stand in line. She's happy, i'm happy, everyone's happy. Let me make it clear here that it is NOT a credit account, it needs to be loaded with funds beforehand.

Imagine how i felt when i picked my experian report and found SIX(6) searches recorded by the Camelot Group. These are listed as "Unrecorded inquiry" but i really can't see why they need to go over my report for an account that needs to be pre-loaded with funds.

So a couple of questions:

1) Why on earth i'm being credit searched for a pre-pay account?

2) If it's a security/fraud check how could you possibly defraud anyone by playing the lottery?

3) If it's money laundry checks how could you possibly launder money by playing the lottery?

4) What changes in my information did they expect to get out of the last 5 credit inquiries that they performed in the very same day that the first search didn't show? (also in the same day).

Guess it's back to kiosk and cash for me but i would appreciate your feedback.

have a good weekend. :beer:

jimbms

have you tried asking camelot? you never know they may even tell you.

nomoneytoday

It's probably an address check to make sure you are a UK resident

david39

As I understand it, you have to grant permission for someone to make a credit enquiry.

I have the same type of dealings with Camelot as the OP but I don't remember granting that permission. I've looked in the T&Cs and on the initial sign-up form and there is no mention of it.

On the other hand, there is no mention of an enquiry from Camelot on my credit record

balmk

It sounds an identity check to prevent money laundering, which is standard practice. Won't affect your credit file.

sarahg1969

An unrecorded enquiry will be an address check only, and not a credit check. It has no bearing on your credit rating. .

molerat

4. Registration

(A) Registration

• (1) Criteria for Registration
  
  A person intending to become a Player (an "Intending Player") may not open an Account unless and until the following criteria are satisfied:-
  • (a) the Intending Player is a resident of the UK or Isle of Man;
  • (b) the Intending Player is not a Minor;
  • (c) the Intending Player does not already have an Account;
  • (d) where debit card details have been supplied, the debit card details supplied are those of a UK or Isle of Man debit card linked to a UK or Isle of Man bank (or building society) account in respect of which the Intending Player is an authorised user;
  • (e) the card referred to in (d) above has not been reported as lost or stolen or has not been supplied in relation to another Account; and
  • (f) where required the Intending Player is able to verify the authenticity of any information he has supplied to the Company by a method to be determined by the Company in its sole discretion.
  The Company reserves the right to refuse to complete Full Registration or Try Game Registration for any Intending Player for any reason in its absolute discretion.
  The Company reserves the right to carry out checks or request information from Players or Prospective Players from time to time during or after registration to check that the Player or Prospective Player and/or his debit card (where debit card details are supplied) meet the criteria set out in this Clause 4(A)(1).
  The Company reserves the right to refuse to pay a Player a Prize if the Player and/or his debit card no longer meets the criteria set out above.
  

xocbc

It is an address check ONLY.

I know this because I have just tried to update my National Lottery online account with my new address and because I'm not listed by Experian at my new address (been there 1 week), I can't update it...can't do it by phone either for the same reason.

Sssssss

slighty off topic but you say you buy and pay for the tickets for your aunt, what if she wins? there could be probs as to you has a claim on the winnings.

cantor

Sssssss wrote: »

slighty off topic but you say you buy and pay for the tickets for your aunt, what if she wins? there could be probs as to you has a claim on the winnings.

No, there shouldn't be a problem. I give her the tickets. I don't keep them myself. If she wins big she can do whatever she likes.
She has actually won smaller amounts in the past that i have cached for her. I always give her the full amounts although the tickets (or the occasional scratch-card) are always paid by yours truly.

A couple of quid a week to keep a pensioner mentally stimulated wont destroy my balance.

cantor

Thanks guys for the information, appreciated.