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Experian Credit Report as Security Check?
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GirlFromMars_2
Posts: 459 Forumite
I was attempting to buy a phone online, and after it all seemed to go through smoothly, I found an email telling me I had to phone the company (Mobile Phones Direct) and answer a heap of further security questions.
Now, if I were buying this phone on credit I'd have some patience with this, but I wasn't, I was paying in full.
So, after sitting in a queue for 15 minutes, then passing the basic security to access my account I was subjected to the security questions.
The questions were from Experian, who I've had difficulties with in the past, even getting hold of my Credit Report, as I simply couldn't answer the ludicrous questions they seemed to think I should know the answer to.
Questions included
My Middle Name, which of course I was able to answer.
The address that I lived at prior to the two addresses I'd given them. This is an address I lived at for a short period over 15 years ago. I couldn't remember the house number. Yes, of course, I could have looked it up, but it would only have been in some ancient paperwork somewhere.
The name of the bank that financed a computer I bought in 2005. I bought the computer from PC World, but that's not the name of the bank that financed the loan, and that loan was paid off years ago, so how would I know who it was paid to?
And the name of the company I purchased either a mobile contract with, or a cable service in 2010? Now I don't know about everyone else, but I've had plenty of mobile providers, but how on earth should I know which one specifically they're referring to. A computer credit score may know exactly what I was doing in 2010, but I'm not so sure.
Is this really a legitimate way of checking someone's identity? Or is this just Expedian trying to get me to pay for their extortionate fee so that I can access my credit rating and find out what stupid information they have on me that I may need to know to answer some random questions in the future?
I just don't feel this is a sensible use of anybody's time, and personally it makes me irate to be asked questions that I simply don't know the answer to without looking through a stack of paperwork.
It turns out, you only need to get two of the four questions right to pass the test, so even Expedian must understand that people don't know these kinds of details.
Anyhow, I won't be recommending Mobile Phones Direct to anybody in the future. Are there any other companies using this ridiculous check that I need to stay away from in the future?
Now, if I were buying this phone on credit I'd have some patience with this, but I wasn't, I was paying in full.
So, after sitting in a queue for 15 minutes, then passing the basic security to access my account I was subjected to the security questions.
The questions were from Experian, who I've had difficulties with in the past, even getting hold of my Credit Report, as I simply couldn't answer the ludicrous questions they seemed to think I should know the answer to.
Questions included
My Middle Name, which of course I was able to answer.
The address that I lived at prior to the two addresses I'd given them. This is an address I lived at for a short period over 15 years ago. I couldn't remember the house number. Yes, of course, I could have looked it up, but it would only have been in some ancient paperwork somewhere.
The name of the bank that financed a computer I bought in 2005. I bought the computer from PC World, but that's not the name of the bank that financed the loan, and that loan was paid off years ago, so how would I know who it was paid to?
And the name of the company I purchased either a mobile contract with, or a cable service in 2010? Now I don't know about everyone else, but I've had plenty of mobile providers, but how on earth should I know which one specifically they're referring to. A computer credit score may know exactly what I was doing in 2010, but I'm not so sure.
Is this really a legitimate way of checking someone's identity? Or is this just Expedian trying to get me to pay for their extortionate fee so that I can access my credit rating and find out what stupid information they have on me that I may need to know to answer some random questions in the future?
I just don't feel this is a sensible use of anybody's time, and personally it makes me irate to be asked questions that I simply don't know the answer to without looking through a stack of paperwork.
It turns out, you only need to get two of the four questions right to pass the test, so even Expedian must understand that people don't know these kinds of details.
Anyhow, I won't be recommending Mobile Phones Direct to anybody in the future. Are there any other companies using this ridiculous check that I need to stay away from in the future?
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Comments
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Why do you need to answer ANY security questions to buy a phone on this basis? Why do they need to check your identity? You can go into Tesco and pick one up there without answering anything. I don't understand what they're tying to do.
Also, why would Experian have details of your financial transactions dating back almost 10 years and beyond?
This company seemed to have access to details about you supplied by Experian. Did you give permission for them to access this?0 -
These types of questions sound like the ones you would enter on experian yourself to obtain a copy of your credit file (the easy alternative is to order a paper copy to be posted to you).
Are you saying that the mobile phone company asked you on the phone to answer these questions? if so that sounds very unusual and is not information anyone would recommend you gave out to a phone company or any lender.
If you were on the phone to the mobile phone company that it almost sounds like they were signing up to experian as though they were you, which would have allowed them to access your entire credit report and information a lender would not normally have access to. Could be wrong but if I were you I would get a copy of your credit file and look to see if it shows the mobile phone company searching your credit file, or if it shows as though you searched the file yourself on that day. If it did happen to be the latter then that would be totally unacceptable.A smile enriches those who receive without making poorer those who giveor "It costs nowt to be nice"0 -
Why do you need to answer ANY security questions to buy a phone on this basis? Why do they need to check your identity? You can go into Tesco and pick one up there without answering anything. I don't understand what they're tying to do.
Also, why would Experian have details of your financial transactions dating back almost 10 years and beyond?
This company seemed to have access to details about you supplied by Experian. Did you give permission for them to access this?
I was buying a phone from them as I bought a phone from them in the past, and it was a smooth peaceful experience. And I'm disabled, and can't easily get to Tesco (or anywhere else) to buy a phone in person ... I've been planning to go every day for a couple of weeks now, and I've just not been able to unfortunately.
And yes, I'm pretty sure I gave them permission to ask me the security questions, although I'm not entirely sure it's actually a secure way of doing this at all.
They said it's nothing to do with getting credit, as obviously I'm not getting credit for this phone, and all about an extra level of security?
And yes, I could have said no to all this, but I needed the phone today, and it was getting late.
Of course, the phone's not actually turning up today, because despite checking out and passing security a full hour before their deadline for next day delivery, they failed to pass on my order to the warehouse. This is just about my worst online shopping experience ever.
And as I said I have used this company before, and was happy with the previous service.0 -
These types of questions sound like the ones you would enter on experian yourself to obtain a copy of your credit file (the easy alternative is to order a paper copy to be posted to you).Are you saying that the mobile phone company asked you on the phone to answer these questions? if so that sounds very unusual and is not information anyone would recommend you gave out to a phone company or any lender.If you were on the phone to the mobile phone company that it almost sounds like they were signing up to experian as though they were you, which would have allowed them to access your entire credit report and information a lender would not normally have access to. Could be wrong but if I were you I would get a copy of your credit file and look to see if it shows the mobile phone company searching your credit file, or if it shows as though you searched the file yourself on that day. If it did happen to be the latter then that would be totally unacceptable.
Thanks!0
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