Entries on Credit Reports

bozzy_2

I was recently turned down for an increase in my credit card limit. Being surprised I requested my credit reports and was shocked to see so many entries. A few months back - I was looking for wardrobes and in order to access the catalogue websites I've had to give my details to open accounts but I did not order anything from them. The catalogues went straight into the recycling bin!

I also shopped around for car insurances and those entries were added to the credit files so I've got a lot of entries but all showing nil balances as they were never even used them!

Is there anything I can do to remedy this? I am worried that this will affect my applying for a mortgage early next year.

climbgirl

I don't know if there's anything you can do to remove them, apart from closing down the accounts. Catalogue accounts are notoriously difficult to close. They always try and keep them open, just dormant. So when you call make it quite clear you want the account closed for definite and you want evidence in writing that it's happened. Should show up on your credit report then.

There's not much you can do about the insurance searches - apart from making it very clear when you ask for a quote that it's exactly that - a quote and not an application.

Be very wary of catalogues and store cards too. The way they pitch them in stores makes it sounds like a discount card. They're not, they're effectively credit cards with MASSIVE aprs, and they will do a credit search to open one. The staff pitching htem don't even realise this most of the time, had a rather interesting conversation with a girl who tried to get me to open one last week, she denied it was a store card and said it wouldn't incur a credit search. Her colleague ended up setting her straight (as did I!)