Address variants

MrJ

My partner and I have been looking into our credit reports in preparation for getting a mortgage and have run into a bit of a vicious cycle with our address.
I have checked the Royal Mail's postcode finder and our address is in the format:

Flat 00
The Flats
00 Example Road
Example
EG00 0EG

I first became aware of a problem when I noticed Equifax was showing me as not being on the electoral roll. It does have my address on there, with the correct dates (10-13), but it is a variation of it (basically without the word Flat or the number on the third line) and so is listed under linked addresses rather than current address.
I contacted Equifax and they told me to change my address on the electoral roll. Is that even possible?
Another problem is that Experian uses the variant, and won't let me update it to the official version, saying that 'You are not able to edit your current address as changing it could remove all the data that has been retrieved so far, so it is important that it remains the same.' My only credit card (with Nationwide) is not shown on either Experian or Equifax and I think it might be because the account address is in the official format.
So we are in a bit of a bind. If we leave things as they are then Equifax thinks we're not on the electoral roll. If we change our electoral address to the version shown above then all our Experian data will no longer be linked to the correct address.

happygirl148

i had similar trouble with them and they are unwilling to correct it .
my previous address officially was

First Floor,Flat 2
House Number
Street
Town

Equifax for some reason decided that it was
First Floor, Front Flat
House number
Street
Town

then decided it was
House Number
Street
Town

(as my flat was above shops this last address would have ment i was living in a shop)

I have now moved from this flat but under my previous addresses on credit file it shows me flitting between the 3 addresses several times in the 6 months i lived there and also the last address says last confirmed - 27/09/2011 . don't know how this can be as i moved on in may 2010.

i raised this with Equifax that their information was wrong and they did nothing to help just said it was correct and is staying how it is .seems like this is a fairly common problem with them i hope they get it sorted out for you .

MrJ

Interesting to see this is a common problem if you live in a flat!

I suppose what I'm really wondering is if a mortgage lender checks my Equifax report and sees that I am registered to vote at the 'linked address' version
00 The Flats, Example, EG00 0EG

rather than my current address,
Flat 00
The Flats
Example Road
Example
EG00 0EG

will they see that I am on the electoral roll and the address has just been written differently, or do they only look at the current address and if it's been entered differently then tough luck?

manami_mnm

I have the same issue with address variations as I live in an apartment. Every lender supplies the CRA with his version of my address.

MrJ

Manami mnm, have you tried to apply for credit with all the address variations? I'd be interested to know if you were successful.

If you (or anyone else) hasn't tried applying yet then I found a useful post in this forum by redonion which shows how to avoid having this problem from when you move into a flat. I can't post a link to it as I'm a newbie but it is called 'Flat number or not: what to do' and wasposted on 29/5/13. Perhaps someone with permission can post a link?