credit rating - I seem to have none

dunstonh

With respect, you have totally failed to grasp what they are certifying when they countersign the passport copy.

Those in financial services have a further liability on it where it is used for the purchase of a financial product.

ses6jwg

Just to echo what the Experian rep has said, certain things can cause issues with electronic ID - common ones which I come across day to day, are properties with both a number AND a name, mis-spelling of the house name vs. what is held on the voters roll, duplicate voting roll entries.

calypso_rhapsody

Would applying for a credit card help? You'd have to prove your identity of course but then you'd at least have a credit record ... you can lock it away and not use it!! Perhaps the Experian rep can comment?

seven-day-weekend

I recently had to have some documents certified for a re-mortgage. My Bank (LTSB) would not do it. They named a list of people who I could ask including a Dr. I have a friend who is a Consultant Geriatrician and asked if he would be acceptable, they said he would. He wrote on the back of the copies something like 'I certify that this is a true copy of an original document which I have seen', signed it and put his official stamp on it. The copies were accepted by the remortgage company.

So I would imagine any professional person would suffice.

As to the credit rating, my son recently got a mortgage; he too has never had credit. However, he is on the electoral roll and had a Council Tax bill in his name, and could produce Bank Statements and Wage slips, this sufficed for the mortgage and he has had his official offer today.

ses6jwg

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I recently had to have some documents certified for a re-mortgage. My Bank (LTSB) would not do it. They named a list of people who I could ask including a Dr. I have a friend who is a Consultant Geriatrician and asked if he would be acceptable, they said he would. He wrote on the back of the copies something like 'I certify that this is a true copy of an original document which I have seen', signed it and put his official stamp on it. The copies were accepted by the remortgage company.

So I would imagine any professional person would suffice.

As to the credit rating, my son recently got a mortgage; he too has never had credit. However, he is on the electoral roll and had a Council Tax bill in his name, and could produce Bank Statements and Wage slips, this sufficed for the mortgage and he has had his official offer today.

things like loans and mortgages are credit scored differently to overdrafts and credit cards.

For mortgages especially, the affordability aspect is much more important to a lender than your formal credit history (however this is still important as well). It is in their interest for you to make your payments in full each month for the required term.

For credit cards, companies are not particularly bothered about whether you can actually afford to repay the whole balance (in fact some actively discriminate against those who do this all the time). They are more interested in you having a track record of being able to make at least the minimum payment without missing payments or being late. This makes them lots of lovely interest.

Ifts

ses6jwg wrote: »

For credit cards, companies are not particularly bothered about whether you can actually afford to repay the whole balance (in fact some actively discriminate against those who do this all the time). They are more interested in you having a track record of being able to make at least the minimum payment without missing payments or being late. This makes them lots of lovely interest.

IIRC wasn't it EGG that got rid of loads of its credit card customers that paid the balance off in full each month

thenudeone

Ifts wrote: »

IIRC wasn't it EGG that got rid of loads of its credit card customers that paid the balance off in full each month

I've used egg credit cards for many years and never paid a penny in interest or charges so I'd be surprised if that had happened, because if so, they must have missed me!

dunstonh

thenudeone wrote: »

I've used egg credit cards for many years and never paid a penny in interest or charges so I'd be surprised if that had happened, because if so, they must have missed me!

Egg get a cut of the retailer charge when you used the card. They probably have some calculation that works out how much you pay as interest (nil in your case) and how much they make from your transactions via retailers and as long as its above a certain amount, they dont get rid of you. They did cull a large number of non-profitable card holders a few years back on a couple of occasions.

Ifts

thenudeone wrote: »

I'd be surprised if that had happened

I thought I remembered something like that happening, although it was back in 2008

http://www.moneywise.co.uk/news/2008-02-01/egg-to-withdraw-credit-cards-161000-customers

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7264344.stm

joyfull

Update

I signed up for free trial with experian. Will cancel before month is up.

My score is 'excellent', as quoted below -

A score between 960 and 999 puts you into the Excellent category. This is the score that the rest of the population would like to reach.
It indicates that you have always made payments on time and probably have no arrears. This type of credit history is an asset that can help you to get the deals you want and means you should pay lower interest rates than people with a poorer credit status.

I'm on the electoral role, address is correct, no house name or house number disparities.

Why is my identity so hard to prove.. I don't even want credit! I just want to put my cash into savings accounts.

Bit reluctant to call their 0844 number (cost). So if anyone has ideas, I'd be most interested.

Experian Rep maybe?

Thanks