Equifax, Insurers and the DPA

Vortigern

I've just checked my Equifax record and found the following alerts:

EUI LIMITED T/A ADMIRAL, a Insurance company, has made an inquiry against your credit report on dd/mm/2014. If you were not aware of or did not consent to this search, contact EUI LIMITED T/A ADMIRAL or Equifax for clarification.

HASTINGS INSURANCE SERVICES LTD, a Insurance company, has made an inquiry against your credit report on dd/mm/2014. If you were not aware of or did not consent to this search, contact HASTINGS INSURANCE SERVICES LTD or Equifax for clarification

• My car insurance is due to renew soon.
• The dates I've obfuscated are exactly one month before my renewal date.
• Neither of the above insurers is my current insurer.
• I have insured previously with Hastings, but never with Admiral
• I have not recently done a quotation search on a comparison site, although I did one last year and intend to do another soon.

What right do these companies have to make such speculative enquiries with the CRAs?

Is it not a breach of the DPA for these insurers to hold my data for longer than is necessary?

Nasqueron

Did you do a comparison search this year or last?

I believe these searches are known as "soft" searches and only you see them not any lender or other company, comparison sites often result in a bunch of the checks to ensure your name and address is legit - use semi-fake details to avoid them as they do it each year I find and then email you the offers to try and get referall fees

GingerBob_3

Nasqueron wrote: »

Did you do a comparison search this year or last?

I believe these searches are known as "soft" searches and only you see them not any lender or other company, comparison sites often result in a bunch of the checks to ensure your name and address is legit - use semi-fake details to avoid them as they do it each year I find and then email you the offers to try and get referall fees

.

Good advice. Always use bogus, but realistic, details when using a comparison site. If you then select a supplier go direct to them with your real details.

As for the data protection implications of this, it seems to be a dubious practice at the very least. I have not seen anything on the comparison sites which explains that this will happen. The CRAs are always banging on that you must give permission for all so called "searches" of the files they hold about you. Could be worth checking with the Information Commissioner's Office.

Here's what GoCompare says about it:

Credit and other searches

Many insurance providers operate a credit scoring system and will carry out checks with credit reference agencies, fraud prevention agencies, and other public and privately available sources of information. These checks will include electoral roll and credit information.
These insurance credit checks are registered as general insurance searches and may be viewed by other companies when you apply for credit or insurance. These searches shouldn’t harm your credit profile or adversely affect your credit profile
PLEASE REMEMBER while we do not carry out credit searches on our website, our partners may do so at any stage of the quote or purchase process. This may happen regardless of whether you get a quote via the internet or phone for any of these services.

No mention of recurring searches. It seems these companies think that permission once is permission for ever.

In fact, I wonder about the permission aspect of it. It's almost an assumed permission.

YorkshireBoy

GingerBob wrote: »

I have not seen anything on the comparison sites which explains that this will happen.

Confused.com say this may happen "If you are subscribed to our renewal reminder service"...

http://www.confused.com/privacy-and-security/privacy-policy (see 'Renewal Quotes' and the subsequent 'Credit and other searches' sections)

...so be sure you're not subscribed to it! Then again, if they're soft searches what does it matter?

Vortigern

Thanks for all the responses.

I like the idea of using fake but realistic data for comparison sites, but would an insurer refuse to quote if the name/address can't be verified?

What does it matter? - Just the principle. I don't like the idea of companies snooping at my credit file when they've no reason to.

As far as I am concerned, the insurance companies do not give credit. I pay for insurance annually in advance, quarterly in advance or monthly in advance. Their charge for credit is just a rip-off scheme.

Anyhow, Homer Simpson is now about to visit some comparison sites.

Nasqueron

Vortigern wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses.

I like the idea of using fake but realistic data for comparison sites, but would an insurer refuse to quote if the name/address can't be verified?

What does it matter? - Just the principle. I don't like the idea of companies snooping at my credit file when they've no reason to.

As far as I am concerned, the insurance companies do not give credit. I pay for insurance annually in advance, quarterly in advance or monthly in advance. Their charge for credit is just a rip-off scheme.

Anyhow, Homer Simpson is now about to visit some comparison sites.

Use fake data on the comparison sites not with the insurer

Easy to use the same car and year (just choose the car rather than enter the reg) and then a similar address with fake name with same no claims discount and see what you get without getting any actual searches.

I believe (open to correction) that the monthly payments are actually a form of loan, in that the company pays the full amount and then "lends" you the balance, reduced each month with your payment, hence needing to credit check