Arrow Global / Mail Order - Experian

littlehe1per

In a similar vein to this MSE post (/showthread.php?p=56277773) I recently helped my sister order her first Experian credit report as we are due to get a shared mortgage early next year (I know she should have got one before now...).

Her credit rating is good but I noticed there was a default from ARROW GLOBAL LIMITED dating back from 2008. Whilst the default has the correct name of my sister it has a completely different date of birth and uses the suffix Mrs which my sister never, ever uses! (she's always a Ms or Miss).
She has never had any dealing with them or any mail order companies (as i know they purchased a load of debt)

Having raised with Experian I have been told that:

"I am contacting the company concerned for you. This is because I can not amend the information without their consent.
I am adding our standard dispute statement to this information."

Arrow Global have failed to respond directly to me and I feel frustrated that Experian are just blindly accepting and reporting incorrect data on my sisters file.

My questions are:

1. Don't Credit Reference Agencies such as Experian have a responsibility to be reporting information accurately?
2. Having a default registered on my sisters file with information that doesn't belong to her is surely not reporting accurately?
3. Do I attempt to push Experian on this or just lodge a complaint with the data commissioner?

P.s. I'm posting here as I know Experian have representatives who contribute to these boards so am hoping one may try and help sort this (Experian Ref is:EXP/47451532)

JustinCredibleGillespie

Yeah James Jones should be about soon to answer your question but yes your correct Experian should not be reporting incorrect data on your credit file. In my opinion there is too much trust placed with them. I've recently had 2 unexplained defaults removed from my Experian credit file due to them reporting incorrectly. If you get no resolutation make a complaint. Experian were critisied on BBC Watchdog about the way they have been 'keeping' data.

Sign up to Noddle, its free for life & whatever you find on Experian you will also find there.

All the Best

JCG

xx

Experian_company_representative

Excellent idea to check credit reports before applying for a mortgage and I'm sure we'll be able to iron out any discrepancies before you invite a mortgage lender to review your reports.

The correct process for dealing with data disputes of this kind is for us to flag the data as disputed and to take the matter up with the data provider on your behalf. That's what we appear to be doing here. Even though there are clear anomalies with the DOB and title, Arrow have added the data to this credit report so we have to expore why they did this. Investigations of this kind are usually concluded within 10-14 days. In the meantime, the data is clearly identified as disputed to any lenders that carry out a check. And as I said, I'm sure this will be resolved in time for any mortgage application.

James Jones

littlehe1per

Hi James

I appreciate the response and I'll see how it plays out over the next couple of weeks.

I think the main frustration for me is how a company is able to report to a CRA without doing the most basic of checks to ensure the data matches that of the person who's report is being affected.

I would of hoped that as a CRA, Experian would have the ability to flag such entries at the point at which they are made and not just when the user spots the error.

rizla_king

littlehe1per wrote: »

I would of hoped that as a CRA, Experian would have the ability to flag such entries at the point at which they are made and not just when the user spots the error.

That would cost the CRAs too much of their profit margins.

candyk3000

littlehe1per wrote: »

In a similar vein to this MSE post (/showthread.php?p=56277773) I recently helped my sister order her first Experian credit report as we are due to get a shared mortgage early next year (I know she should have got one before now...).

Her credit rating is good but I noticed there was a default from ARROW GLOBAL LIMITED dating back from 2008. Whilst the default has the correct name of my sister it has a completely different date of birth and uses the suffix Mrs which my sister never, ever uses! (she's always a Ms or Miss).
She has never had any dealing with them or any mail order companies (as i know they purchased a load of debt)

Having raised with Experian I have been told that:

"I am contacting the company concerned for you. This is because I can not amend the information without their consent.
I am adding our standard dispute statement to this information."

Arrow Global have failed to respond directly to me and I feel frustrated that Experian are just blindly accepting and reporting incorrect data on my sisters file.

My questions are:

1. Don't Credit Reference Agencies such as Experian have a responsibility to be reporting information accurately?
2. Having a default registered on my sisters file with information that doesn't belong to her is surely not reporting accurately?
3. Do I attempt to push Experian on this or just lodge a complaint with the data commissioner?

P.s. I'm posting here as I know Experian have representatives who contribute to these boards so am hoping one may try and help sort this (Experian Ref is:EXP/47451532)

Hi,
I just newly signed and quite flustered with Experian as of the moment. After sometime not being in the Experian, as I often check MoneySaving expert for my Credit rating and of course advice, i have decided to come back. I paid £14.99 for a membership as they mentioned that I am a returning customer so not entitled for a 30 day trial. And just to find out everything thay have on the report is WRONG!!!!!!!!!
They have to be responsible and credible. That is why people pay for the service. And the person on the other line even blames me as I should be the one telling Experian whether I have been on the Electoral Role or not. What are my latest Credit Cards etc.... They are not even a Government Regulated Body. Experian is a private company and we pay for their business to run. Apparently, they are just one of the pioneers of this type of product where they got the leading brands so they have got the big contracts. Now that requires a bigger responsiblity which I think they are not doing as a service to their customers.
To people that are working for Experian- Get Your Details Right! You have to be accurate and credible. That is what we are paying you for!

cats2012

Guys - calm downa little bit here. How would Experian know something is wrong? I work for a financial company and we simply report what we believe to be true to the bureaus in the interest of "responsible lending" and Experian match it to their records. Obviously mistakes will be made -but would you really want Experian digging even more into you personal information to try to be 100% sure every time a report was made from a company?

Experian are actually doing a service in allowing us all to make easier applications to financial providers, surely it's the least we can manage to occasionally check our report to make sure it's alright?

Oh, and for the record, I don't work at or with Experian and in fact had false information on my own account which led to me nearly not getting a mortgage.

rizla_king

cats2012 wrote: »

How would Experian know something is wrong?

The completely wrong date of birth here would be a slight clue. :rotfl:

littlehe1per

So James, my sister has had the following response:

Our Ref: EXP/47451532

Dear Mrs Warren

*Arrow Global Limited Account (started 15/08/2007)

I have received a reply to the query we raised on your behalf.

Arrow Global Ltd confirm they cannot amend/delete the entry at this time.

They have asked that you contact them directly using the contact details below.

I cannot change this information without their authorisation.

Within the next 28 days the following statement will be removed from your credit report:

"The consumer has disputed the accuracy of this entry and we have therefore asked the provider to investigate it. Given that this data is disputed, please take care if making an assessment of any kind that may include this data."

If you would like there to continue to be a dispute statement on this information, I can add the statement below:

"The consumer has disputed the accuracy of this entry. Given that this data is disputed, please take care if making an assessment of any kind that may include this data."

Please let me know by return if you would like this statement to be added to your report, where it will then remain until we receive further instruction from you.

Alternatively, you may wish to add your own statement to this entry on your report. If you would like to add a 'Notice of Correction' to your credit report, please let us know, in writing, the exact wording you would like to use. We cannot add a statement that is longer than 200 words or one we think is defamatory, frivolous, scandalous or unsuitable for publication for some other reason.

If you wish to dispute this further, you will need to contact them directly.

Their contact details are:

Arrow Global Ltd,
Belvedere,
12 Booth Street,
Manchester,
M2 4AW

Tel: 0800 130 0169
Fax: 0845 459 4817

You may want to provide documents to the company directly to support your comments as this can help them to resolve your dispute.

Please be assured that should the company send us any further instructions regarding this matter, we will act upon them accordingly.

So it appears Experian believe the onus of responsibility lies with my sister to desperately try and get a response out of a company who are reporting data that doesn't even correlate with hers, yet is being marked against her report?

Given that it's Experian reporting this information (to the detriment of my sisters credit rating), why on earth should the responsibility lie with my sister to pursue Arrow who have (since August) not responded on any occasion to written requests from my sister,

Experian_company_representative wrote: »

The correct process for dealing with data disputes of this kind is for us to flag the data as disputed and to take the matter up with the data provider on your behalf. That's what we appear to be doing here. Even though there are clear anomalies with the DOB and title, Arrow have added the data to this credit report so we have to expore why they did this.

James Jones

So, James, having "explored" this can someone at Experian please provide a response that gives us more than the vacuous statement: "Arrow Global Ltd confirm they cannot amend/delete the entry at this time."

This statement does not provide a why which is what you stated Experian would be focussing on getting.

I want a swift resolution to this and believe Experian should be doing what is required to support a speedy resolution to the matter and not fobbing me off with (what appears) to be a default response.

rizla_king

Typical response I'm afraid. They normally try to avoid facing up to their own mistakes.

chanz4

its to stop people removing correct defaults from their files