Credit Report searches - What counts and what doesn't?

Simon7685

A few questions relating to my credit report, if someone could please help me out with the answers, I would appreciate it.

My Experian report has a total of 32 searches on it, however this breaks down as follows;

Searches in the last 3 months = 1 - Last time I tried for a card from my bank in December 2012.

Other searches relating to credit applications = 7 in the last 12 months.

Searches relating to obtaining my credit report or insurance quotations = 24

Am I correct in thinking that a lender will only be able to see the actual credit application searches, so that is 8 in the last 12 months. All the other searches are only visible to me?

If not can someone explain exactly what any prospective lender can see?

Also a question relating to a default, which I know is on my report for 6 years. The date of the default according to Experian is 08/01/2008, which I have always assumed is 08 January and not 01 August.

However looking at the report it was last updated with a status 8 on 10 Feb 2013 and there are now a total of 67 status 8's showed on it. So is it possible that the default date is 01 August and not 01 January? When the account is updated for, March, April, May, June, July and August there will be a total of 72 status 8's which is the 6 year period.

So is it likely that this millstone around my neck will be lifted in August this year and not January 2014, or am I set to suffer until then? Unfortunately I do not have the default letter from the time as at that point of my life I was stupid and did not care, thinking it didn't matter. Thankfully I have now turned my life around and learned the hard lessons and that I am responsible for my finances. It would be nice to think that my report will be clear in August and full of lots of green ticks and no red status 8's anymore.

Thanks in advance

RichL74

They wil see every time you have applied for credit.

stephane_2

Only credit applications are visible to lenders....not searches relating to obtaining credit report or insurance quotations. Credit searches will stay on our file for 12 months.
If the default was issued on 08/01/2008 then it will drop off your file on the 08/01/2014.....

Simon7685

That is how I have always looked at it but I am now thinking (hoping) that it relates to 01 August not 01 January because of the enteries relating to the default, in August there will be 72 status 8's showing on the account record.

Maybe I am clinging to a long shot but it might be nice, to get to a clean report sooner than I think.

stephane_2

If Experian is showing that default was issued on 08/01/2008 then it will drop off on the 08/01/14 & NOT in August.....simple!

Simon7685

I realise that but the date the default was registered was 08/01/2008. This can be read as 08 January 2008 or 01 August 2008 depending on how they report their dates. IE. day/month/year or month/day/year.

The number of entries on the report will equal 72 in August this year. So this is where I am thinking along the lines I am. As I did not bother with my credit report back in 2008 I cannot say when the default appeared on it.

I have emailed experian anyway to try and get it clarifed by them. No doubt it will be 08 January but if that is the case then by January there will be 77 status 8 entries when there is only room on the report for 72.

Either way it has been a long time with it round my neck, my own fault yes but a lesson that won't be repeated.

Hopefully you can see where I am coming from regarding the dates and number of entries, which is why it is not just clear and simple:)

stclair

Simon7685 wrote: »

I realise that but the date the default was registered was 08/01/2008. This can be read as 08 January 2008 or 01 August 2008 depending on how they report their dates. IE. day/month/year or month/day/year.

The number of entries on the report will equal 72 in August this year. So this is where I am thinking along the lines I am. As I did not bother with my credit report back in 2008 I cannot say when the default appeared on it.

I have emailed experian anyway to try and get it clarifed by them. No doubt it will be 08 January but if that is the case then by January there will be 77 status 8 entries when there is only room on the report for 72.

Either way it has been a long time with it round my neck, my own fault yes but a lesson that won't be repeated.

Hopefully you can see where I am coming from regarding the dates and number of entries, which is why it is not just clear and simple:)

All UK lenders will report the dates in the UK format.

stephane_2

Simon7685 wrote: »

I realise that but the date the default was registered was 08/01/2008. This can be read as 08 January 2008 or 01 August 2008 depending on how they report their dates. IE. day/month/year or month/day/year.

The number of entries on the report will equal 72 in August this year. So this is where I am thinking along the lines I am. As I did not bother with my credit report back in 2008 I cannot say when the default appeared on it.

I have emailed experian anyway to try and get it clarifed by them. No doubt it will be 08 January but if that is the case then by January there will be 77 status 8 entries when there is only room on the report for 72.

Either way it has been a long time with it round my neck, my own fault yes but a lesson that won't be repeated.

Hopefully you can see where I am coming from regarding the dates and number of entries, which is why it is not just clear and simple:)

It WILL drop off on the 08th January 2014......

Simon7685

So where do the statuses come into it? In effect doen't that mean that the lender was reporting the account in default as a status 8 for 5 months before they actually registered it as such?

I appreciate that it is entirely down to me in the first place and I understand that but that means that the effects of the default will have impacted my report for 6 years and 5 months. If the rules say 6 years for a default then isn't that a bit unfair?

stephane_2

Just refer to the date the default was issued and 6 years from that date....that's what counts....NOTHING else....

Simon7685

So if someone defaults on a credit arrangement today and the lender does not register the default until next January then that person suffers the effects of the default for 6 years 10 months?

Is that right, as that is how I am understanding it.