Equifax - what do I do????!!!!

sundevil_rachael

Edited - apologies if it didnt make sense!!
Hello all,

OK I need some advice re checking my credit report! I have been refused for a loan with my bank which really surprised me ( I know they can refuse anyone and thats ok) which prompted me to want to check my credit scores as not did it in a couple of years.

I checked Experian - everything fine - despite moving address just a few months ago and changing back to my maiden name everything was there bar my Bank of Scotland mastercard. I am at 50% of my potential borrrowing and all good. Nothing untoward turned up and their credit score for me was 999. Great - panic over!!

However I tried to buy an online report with Equifax at the same time and despite it obviously pullling up my records as they asked me to confirm which company had provided my mobile phone since Feb - they said I had to call and speak to an officer during office hours.

I have just had a torturous 30 mins on a phone with EQUIFAX to some far flung part of the world who are telling me that they can find NOTHING for me - there are no credit agreements at both my current address and my previous address. How can this be - I have five cards, a mortgage, a phone and Experian pulled up 12 records both current and settled. Equifax don't have any records for me.

My current address is a new build and I have had so many problems that I haven't changed most of my things over to that address yet - purely because my previous address is still mine - it is a mortgaged flat I am removating and still have access to so the need to change address has been less important as they are both my properties at the moment.

Equifax recommend you use a credit card registered at your current address to buy online - I did - the Bank of scotland mastercard. They said it is not showing up there - and didnt with Experian either! I wasn't too alarmed it didnt show up with Experian as everything else had - but now Equifax can't find it either.


But now I am wondering if this is connected with my refusal for a loan - Equifax have no trace of any credit agreements for me. Both my addresses are flats which with the was Scottish flats are expressed has always caused problems.

Equifax are saying there is nothing they can do - I have no credit agreements and they can't find anything for me under either name or address. I know I should have changed everything over but as both flats are mine and as my new build still doesnt show up on most companies databases I havent hurried to do it - but surely they should find me somwhere!! What can I do? The foreign call centre is useless - she couldnt understand me - I had to spell every single part of my name and address and was asked what my forename was when I was married after painstakingly spelling out the surname!!!!:rotfl:

Any advice on how I can address this would be greatly appreciated as I am not going to be able to get a loan if somehow I don't exist on Equifax!!!

sundevil_rachael

I should add the lady today on the phone told me to contact them through the website as she couldnt help me - she didnt know what to do as there was no record of me. However when I try and log into Equifax it just tells me to cal their number.

I am so frustrated and cannot believe I do not exist with them and feel this will take weeks to try and fix!

Wutang_2

sundevil_rachael wrote: »

Hello all,

OK I need some advice re checking my credit report!

I have did this previously with Esperian - and it has always been fine but for some reason Equifax never manages to complete my check online and I have a nightmare calling them due to their foreign based called centre so I have always just used Esperian.

However I have been refused for a loan with my bank which really surprised me ( I know they can refuse anyone and thats ok) which prompted me to want to check my credit scores as not did it in a couple of years.

I checked Esperian - everything fine - despite moving address just a few months ago and changing back to my maiden name everything was there bar my Bank of Scotland mastercard. I am at 50% of my potential borrrowing and all good - other than 12 aliases which seem to be repeats of both my married and maiden name. Nothing untoward turned up and their credit score for me was 999. Great - panic over and just accept the refused loan.

However I tried to buy on Equifax and despite it obviously pullling up my mobile phone contract from 2002 (as they asked my phone company from feb 02) - they said I had to call and speak to an officer.

well I have just had a torturous 30 mins on a phone with some far flung part of the world who are telling me that they can find NOTHING for me - there are no credit agreements at both my current address and my previous address. How can this be - I have five cards, a mortgage, a phone and Esperian pulled up 12 records both current and settled. Equifax can't provide me with anything !!!

My current address is a new build and I have had so many problems that I haven't changed most of my things over to that address yet - purely because my previous address is still mine - it is a mortgaged flat I am removating and still have access to so the need to change address has been less important as they are both my properties at the moment.

Equifax recommend you use a credit card registered at your current address - I did - the bank of scotland mastercard. They said it is not showing up there - and didnt with Esperian either! it actually shows as settled in 2008 - this was when it changed from a visa to mastercard. I wasnt too alarmed - just thought it was a clitch!

But now I am wondering if this is connected with my refusal for a loan - Equifax have no trace of any credit agreements for me. Both my addresses are flats which with the was Scottish flats are expressed has always caused problems but Esperian don't seem to have difficulty!

Equifax are saying there is nothing they can do - I have no credit agreements and they can't find anything for me under either name or address. I know I should have changed everything over but as both flats are mine and as my new build still doesnt show up on most companies databases I havent hurried to do it - but surely they should find me somwhere!! What can I do? The foreign call centre is useless - she couldnt understand me - I had to spell every single part of my name and address and was asked what my forename was when I was married after painstakingly spelling out the surname!!!!:rotfl:

Any advice on how I can address this would be greatly appreciated as I am not going to be able to get a loan if somehow I don't exist on Equifax!!!

Are you actually speaking to Experian or Esperian??

EDIT: also a lot of this doesn't make much sense

sundevil_rachael

Apologies for my spelling error - it was Experian I meant and I have edited my post - hope it makes more sense now however the main issue is EXQUIFAX.

The crux of the matter being Experian have all my credit agreements bar one, all is showing as excellent and nothing of concern listed.

However Equifax can find no records for me at my current or previous address and are saying there is nothing they can do. Obviously this shouldn't be the case - and I am unsure how to fix it in light of my loan refusal. Both banks I have worked in used Equifax and it is Abbey that have refused my loan - I am concerned this is due to Equifaxes lack of records for me. How can I make myself exist with them!???

Lizzy

As the loan was with your bank make an appointment and ask them why you have been refused. Take in the credit report that you do have and ID etc. If you have been with them a number of years there is no doubt you do exist. Take in the credit card statements and proof of any loan agreements. It is not your fault they can't find you.

KrazyKate

Hi There!

Not sure if this is still the case but as far as i am aware, different companies use different agencies to do the credit searches. For example, the company I used to work for only used experian, however the company I bought my TV from used only Equifax. Therefore if the companies you have your credit with are the companies who only use Experian, this may be why Equifax have no records of you, as there wouldn't be any to have? Hope this makes sense! I think there is another Credit Referencing Agency called Callcredit... You might want to have a look and see if you have any records them as well?

HTH xx

sundevil_rachael

Thanks ladies,

I am awaiting the refusal letter from the bank to see what the reason was. I haven't backed with them for long - just since December which is probably not ideal! I left Bank of Scotland after 20 years because of their new bank charges - they werent going to affect me but I left on principle!

I would have thought Equifax would have at least had something - surely not everything I have ever had from DFS sofas to storecards etc is with Experian.

They certainly had my mobile phone bill at the security point - but the problem was probably made worse by the foreign operator not understanding me!

Enfieldian

I have checked my files with both Equifax and Experian recently.

Both show searches and accounts with different lenders and some are the same.

Not all lenders report to all three of the major credit reference agencies or use more than one for a search.

HTH.

sundevil_rachael

I realise that but it just seems a very large coincidence that anything I have ever had in the last six years happens to not be on Equifax - especially as they asked me at security stage to confirm my mobile phone provider.

Anyway I am not going to stress about it just now - half the problems seems to be their foreign based call centre and I don't think I have the patience to try and deal with that again anytime soon!! At least Experian was as I expected - Equifax can worry me another time!

Thanks for the replies folks!

huckfinn

sundevil_rachael wrote: »

I should add the lady today on the phone told me to contact them through the website as she couldnt help me - she didnt know what to do as there was no record of me. However when I try and log into Equifax it just tells me to cal their number.

I am so frustrated and cannot believe I do not exist with them and feel this will take weeks to try and fix!

This sounds like something that 'should' be fairly easy to sort out. Did you apply for credit at your new address, if so, this is almost certainly the reason for the refusal. Being registered on the Electoral Roll is one of the first thing lenders look for, I had this problem when I moved last. I heard that Equifax have just moved their entire UK call centre to The Philippines so I guess this is the kind of customer service we are going to have to get use to from Equifax.:eek:

They have got a great online dispute service, however. You should register you're problem there (sorry I can't post a link as I'm new to the forum) but is at equifax.co.uk and it's in their frequently asked questions.

or insist that the call centre transfer your call to a UK operator :T

sundevil_rachael

I am on the voters roll at my new addres - as the General Election was coming up the council were doing a big drive and Experian show me as being registered since October 2009 at my new address. I hadn't applied for any credit at my new address other than my current account application - which is with Santander group too!

Im am not stressed about the refusal - my issue is Equifax saying I don't have any credit accounts and they cant find me - even at my old address which I have lived at on and off since ten years old! I am on the voters roll there from my 18th birthday 15 years ago!

The call centre was awful - awful awful awful! The woman I sppoke to sounded like a computer, asked what my forname had been during marriage, asked how to pronounce my name (rachael - not a hard one!) and asked how to Spell every part of my addresses - current and previous.

The woman also said she could not transfer me to another operator in the UK!!

I will try their online dispute services - I just want to be able to prove I exis!!