Petition for experian to stop ripping customers off.

meer53

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

What I have done is got copy of my file and ran down it closing any active account showing. Gave my reasons for closing the account as being the firms use of experian. Then when it comes to electoral roll form time i will just fill it in with a false name. I will still get a polling card but best of all experian get junk info fed to their stupid system.

Providing false information when filling in an electoral roll registration form is an offence.

Why is everyone wittering on about CRA's ? You give your permission to lenders to share this information when you open an account.

auto-man

meer53 wrote: »

Providing false information when filling in an electoral roll registration form is an offence.

National statistics show only 2 people have ever been charged with this "offence". Not exactly scary is it :rotfl:

meer53 wrote: »

Why is everyone wittering on about CRA's ? You give your permission to lenders to share this information when you open an account.

Ermm, no we don't agree to let our bank sell our details to all and sundry at all. I allowed my bank, HSBC lets say, to use my data - this does not mean I agree to let them share it with Coventry, M&S Money, 1st Direct, HFC, Beneficial, Metropolitan etc etc etc.

THAT's the problem here. Where do you draw the line eh?

BugsyBrowne

I love it when Quincy jones come on here and defend experian but to be fair he works for the company and I bet he's on a tidy wage also.

Must admit he is always friendly and don't know how he stay cool when answering some of the forums questions that are put forward.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

meer53 wrote: »

Providing false information when filling in an electoral roll registration form is an offence.

I don't particulalrly care and if the Council didn't hand my information on to the CRA's against my wish then I would not need to fib on the form.

Aside from that barely anyone has been convicted of not filling in the form correctly. In fact it is not an offence at all to use a different name either on forms or anything else. It is an offence however to use a different name to commit fraud. So using a different name on an electoral form is not an offence. It is an offence to not fill it in at all.

At the moment my current account is not reported to the CRA's. Not sure why but the moment it is I will be closing it and using a savings account.

giblet10

I've long believed consumers need more protection from the likes of Experian.

Simply because:

1) CRAs take everything from lenders on face value. If it's incorrect, no problem, that's the consumers problem.

2) When consumers identify incorrect data to CRAs, they don't really do anything about it. Just refer consumers to the lender concerned.

3) Worse, the CRAs actually PROFIT from selling data on consumers, to consumers, as well as lenders. They profit even if the data is wrong.

4) Consumers can miss out on hugely life impacting events such as mortgages, key finance etc and all because the CRAs are peddling junk data, but aren't responsible for it.

In no other industry would a company such as Experian be allowed to get away with what it does.

I'll sell you lies, in fact I'll tell others lies about you, but you can't sue me because I'm a credit reference agency.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

I will believe in progress when:

1) The CRA's start correcting the consumers files on the say so of the consumer

2) Start fining the lenders for providing incorrect information. Here I mean a proper value such as £500 per incorrect entry found to be incorrect.

3) Start passing on some of the above fine to the consumer say £200 per event.

4) Banning lenders from their systems if they consistently fall foul.

This won't happen as we all know Experian et al aren't there for us they are there for the lenders despite any claims to the contrary.

Since my experience several years ago I now no longer have anything reported to their systems and since discovering that the council still pass my information onto them despite ticking the "do not pass on" box I will be putting a different name on the electoral form.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

I am also rather shocked at the amount of non lending organisations that seem to be able to dip into one's file.

I was astonished to find a search by an insurance company I got a quote from. Now why do they need to put a search on my file?

One bitten twice shy - time to use a different name and a different address for an insurance quote.

I already have a selection of phone box numbers to put into "telephone number" fields on websites that require my phone number. They can dial up and have their call connected to a phone box ringing in the middle of nowhere.

BugsyBrowne

I just love how CRA's treat us all like lost little sheep, it's OUR bloody private info and we as a consumer have to pay to see it it's wrong.

I have just checked experians wealth on company check and the company is worth millions.

YorkshireBoy

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

So using a different name on an electoral form is not an offence.

Section 15 of The Electoral Administration Act 2006 would seem to state otherwise...

Supplying false information: section15

Section 15 EAA inserts section 13D to the Representation of the People Act 1983 ("RPA") and creates an offence of supplying false information to the Electoral Registration Officer, in connection with the registration of electors. The elements of the offence are: the provision of any false information to an Electoral Registration Officer for any purpose in connection with the registration of electors. This offence is summary only and carries a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/election_offences/

But I'm not a lawyer...are you?

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

No. But if I wish to call myself by another name that is not illegal so I am sure it isn't illegal to use that name on an electoral form. Anyway I don't care. I know people that just chuck it in the bin year on year withtout filling it in and never even get a fine let alone a prison sentence.

I doubt anyone will come round checking if I am who I am. If they have money to throw at that then they have no business cutting "essential" council services.