Credit File Search with Linked Address - advice?

GSMAnon

Hi there,

On my credit file with experian there is a search from a company from around 2 years ago. At the time I was applying for credit for car finance, and they asked me what my last address was - I told them the address (which was my mum's house). So now that search has given my a "linked address" to that address.

I did live there, but only for a period of just under 1 year, and during that time I was not placed on the electoral role at that address, and I also haven't entered it manually on my credit report as an address for that reason.

Anyway, I just phoned up to cancel my experian account, the the call centre guy told me that I should either insert that address manually as an address I'd previously lived at, or call the company who made the search and ask them to remove that linked address, because it's strange somehow that the linked address is there without being one I've entered myself as having lived at.

So, should I enter it? I haven't done so up until now because, as I said, I didn't get on the electoral role when I was there, and I thought that having multiple addresses in a short period was something that credit companies didn't like (I only moved there for my final year of uni, and then moved into my own rented accommodation since then).

The_Boss

I would. Conflicting data on credit files is never a good idea.

Jonesy_McJones

GSMAnon wrote: »

Hi there,

On my credit file with experian there is a search from a company from around 2 years ago. At the time I was applying for credit for car finance, and they asked me what my last address was - I told them the address (which was my mum's house). So now that search has given my a "linked address" to that address.

I did live there, but only for a period of just under 1 year, and during that time I was not placed on the electoral role at that address, and I also haven't entered it manually on my credit report as an address for that reason.

Anyway, I just phoned up to cancel my experian account, the the call centre guy told me that I should either insert that address manually as an address I'd previously lived at, or call the company who made the search and ask them to remove that linked address, because it's strange somehow that the linked address is there without being one I've entered myself as having lived at.

So, should I enter it? I haven't done so up until now because, as I said, I didn't get on the electoral role when I was there, and I thought that having multiple addresses in a short period was something that credit companies didn't like (I only moved there for my final year of uni, and then moved into my own rented accommodation since then).

So the car finance company asked for your 3 years of address history and you gave it to them, but now you want to pretend you didn't live there, and ask the car finance company to remove that address from their search. Why?

Surely you should have included that address when you applied for your credit file? Just because you weren't on the electoral roll, doesn't mean you didn't live there. I am assuming you weren't on the electoral roll somewhere else at that time?

The bit in red - it's not strange - you gave the car finance company the address, which is now linked to your current address through that application.

Jonesy_McJones

The_Boss wrote: »

I would. Conflicting data on credit files is never a good idea.

And this ^^^

tinkerbell28

It is a linked address though even if you were not on the electoral role.

You lived there, you gave it as a previous address on a financial application and thus the link was created. Which is how it should be.

I don't see how you've got grounds for removal. As they'd have to go to the fianance company who made the link, who will then say it was on your application.

The_Boss

Jonesy_McJones wrote: »

So the car finance company asked for your 3 years of address history and you gave it to them, but now you want to pretend you didn't live there, and ask the car finance company to remove that address from their search. Why?

Surely you should have included that address when you applied for your credit file? Just because you weren't on the electoral roll, doesn't mean you didn't live there. I am assuming you weren't on the electoral roll somewhere else at that time?

The bit in red - it's not strange - you gave the car finance company the address, which is now linked to your current address through that application.

To be fair to the OP it was suggested by Experian but changing the credit file is a must and consistency will be checked in future credit searches.

Jonesy_McJones

GSMAnon wrote: »

Anyway, I just phoned up to cancel my experian account, the the call centre guy told me that I should either insert that address manually as an address I'd previously lived at, or call the company who made the search and ask them to remove that linked address, because it's strange somehow that the linked address is there without being one I've entered myself as having lived at.

The_Boss wrote: »

To be fair to the OP it was suggested by Experian but changing the credit file is a must and consistency will be checked in future credit searches.

I read it as: the guy at Experian told the OP to either add the address (if the OP had lived there and the info was correct) or to call the car finance company and get it removed (if the OP hadn't lived there and the info was incorrect). Obviously could be wrong! (But not sure why someone at Experian would advocate changing / removing correct data?!)

Thrugelmir

GSMAnon wrote: »

I did live there, but only for a period of just under 1 year,

So its factually correct.

Attempting to delete retrospectively raises far more questions.

tinkerbell28

Jonesy_McJones wrote: »

I read it as: the guy at Experian told the OP to either add the address (if the OP had lived there and the info was correct) or to call the car finance company and get it removed (if the OP hadn't lived there and the info was incorrect). Obviously could be wrong! (But not sure why someone at Experian would advocate changing / removing correct data?!)

I read it as the same. As it is factual information. So the company involved shouldn't be removing it, as it is true. I still don't get why you missed it our of your credit report op?

The_Boss

Yeah, having read it again I agree with you guys.

GSMAnon

Hi again...

Sorry if my wording was confusing for some of you.

I'm not trying to get it deleted - it was simply suggested to me by Experian that it should either be deleted if I didn't live there, or I should manually enter it as a previous address on my credit report if I did live there.

It is true that I did live there, but I was simply wondering what was worse:

A) I enter the address manually as one I've previously lived at, which then means I have more addresses within a short period of time, there's no electoral role information for that address, and I WAS on the electoral role at a different address during the period that I lived at this address.

OR

I don't enter it manually as an address I've previously lived at, and it remains on my file as a linked address and only a linked address.

???

Either way, I'm not deleting it or requesting that it be deleted, but I am just not sure whether to manually enter it as a previous address without electoral role information to back that up, or whether just to leave it so that it only shows up on my report as a linked address.

The reason I initially missed it out of my credit report is that I was only living there for a very short period and didn't get on the electoral role while I was there, and I was told that having lots of addresses in a short period was bad for your credit history, as well as having addresses with no electoral role information to back that up.

Also, won't the search (and it's associated linked address) eventually be deleted anyway?

Also, don't "linked addresses" also refer to financial associating with other people. I.e. couldn't a company look at that linked address and interpret that as meaning that perhaps I applied for finance to a company with my mum as a guarantor at that address?

PS I have been awarded credit several times whilst this anomaly was present in the past 2 years. I've picked up 2 credit cards, had my overdrafts extended, and got car finance.