17-year-old got credit by accident with NEXT, now at 22 can't get any kind of credit

novysprite

When I was 16 or 17 I wanted to buy a jacket online with my debit card on NEXT.com . I had bought various things online before and paid straight up on my debits card with money from a saturday job in a cafe.

I had no idea at the time, but Next's sort of 'default' payment method was through a credit agreement. At that age I genuinely had no idea about credit agreements or anything of that nature, I just wanted to buy a jacket online from a big respectable clothing store. I remember it said 'you must be 18 to buy from next.com' and I had no idea why, so when I tried my date of birth it wouldn't let me. Anyway, so as a teenager would do, I added a year or two (honestly can't remember) and tadah I was able to buy the jacket. I really didn't realise that this was a serious thing, I wasn't buying alcohol or doing anything dodgy.

I paid for the jacket (and some interest, although I didn't understand what this was) and got it a few days later, and forgot about it all.

Fast forward 5 years and I'm now 22. I know and basically understand what credit is and the importance of a good credit score to obtaining future loans, mortgages etc etc. I wanted to open a new bank account, not even with the intention of using any overdraft or anything like that. I've never had a mobile phone contract (always pay as you go) or had any kind of loan or credit. I've been very careful about this.

Applying for just a regular bank account was a nightmare. 2 different high street banks just said 'your credit score is too low' and they literally couldn't explain anything more. So I signed up to experian credit expert to find out about my situation. They couldn't 'locate' my file so I sent in bank statements, passport, driving licence, proof of address etc etc and they eventually 'located' my file.

It crossed my mind that I might be having problems with it due to this bloody Next jacket that I bought when I was a kid, when I was trying to get a Broadband contract with Virgin Media for my student flat and they said 'there is some problem with your date of birth' so I provided them with passport and driving licence proving my correct DOB, and the 'auditing team' accepted me. Even with a clean record with Virgin media (paid everything on time by direct debit), nothing has changed on my credit report and I'm still having trouble. My credit score with Experian is actually extremely high (900ish - being on the electoral roll, eventually getting Natwest to open me a grown-up bank account) but no banks or lenders or phone companies can seem to 'find' me.

Does anyone have ANY advice? I literally have no idea who to speak to. Don't wanna get arrested or anything or accused of fraud. I've never run up any debts or anything.

Tried asking Experian why my (settled) Virgin media account isn't showing up, and they said 'ask virgin media why they aren't sharing the information with us' , and Virgin media have (after 11 months of playing email ping-pong) said they don't know why it's not showing up and can't really do anything about it.

How can I ever get the link recognised between "my excellent current real credit score" and "grown-up responsible me wanting to get a new phone contract" ???

Sorry for the essay, and thanks in advance for any advice.......

DCFC79

1. Welcome to MSE

2. A good credit score doesn't exist, all the banks/lenders see is your credit history.

3. Your credit score of 900ish (extremely high) is an example the score means nothing.

4. You did actually commit fraud by lying to Next and I suspect (as yourself said) that because of what happened 5 years ago your finding problems with getting a bank account.

5. What exactly does your experian file say, is there anything from Next on it.

Maybe check the other reference agencies like noddle and the other which I cant recall the name.

maas

It may not be anything on your "credit file", but perhaps there's a marker on one one of the fraud prevention data sharing services (e.g. NHunter) which gets flagged up when you apply elsewhere with a different DOB.

But you can try getting all 3 of your credit files (£2) and see if there's any details of the other DOB.


Equifax (instantly)
Experian (up to 4 days)
Callcredit (instantly)

novysprite

1. Thanks, and thanks for v quick reply

2./3. Didn't realise this. Not ideal.

4. Any idea if I'll 'get into trouble' because of this? The F-word is a scary word.

5. My experian credit report has absolutely no mention of it (or anything else of interest) whatsoever anywhere. Only past addresses, previous searches, electoral roll, and one current bank account. I'll check with Equifax.

thebritishbloke

I did a similar thing when I was like 11 through Littlewoods, although I never actually used the credit services, I paid on my debit card. I've never tried to buy anything from Littlewoods since, so I don't know if it's affected me on that front, but I've never had any problems obtaining credit since I turned 18.

Make sure you're registered on the electoral roll.
Get yourself a credit card, you'll probably have to start with Vanquis or Aqua, and set up a direct debit to pay it in full every month (doing this, you won't be charged any interest, regardless of the interest rate).

novysprite

maas wrote: »

It may not be anything on your "credit file", but perhaps there's a marker on one one of the fraud prevention data sharing services (e.g. NHunter) which gets flagged up when you apply elsewhere with a different DOB.

But you can try getting all 3 of your credit files (£2) and see if there's any details of the other DOB.

That's an interesting point. Do you know much about these fraud prevention data sharing services?

For example
- Would it be wise to contact NHunter (or other) and find out if there is some kind of mark against my name? I could be kind of vague and call it a typo or something?
- If there was some kind of fraud marker against me, is this a permanent fixture for literally the rest of my life? Of if I 'came clean' on my huge massive crime could it be cleared?

Right now it's not too much of an issue in that I have a bank account that works fine and I keep out of the overdraft, I'm on the electoral roll etc, but in a few years I might want a mortgage or even a mobile phone contract and this might prove impossible??

Thanks for your help so far!

danthemoneysavingman

IF there is no adverse info on your files, this is not the problem.

If you have "multiple" files at an agency, it should be possible to get them combined. The credit reference agency should help you with this.

There are many aspects to your credit file so make sure you check the whole thing at each agency. Indeed you should pay the £2 to get "your" files from each.

If the credit file you (seem to) expect is not among them, you need to find out why.

If there is any single detail that is wrong, you need to raise this with each agency it is relevant to do so.

You may not be linked to a file with a different date of birth, but maybe by address and name. Each agency has its own suite of matching alrogithms which are not perfect, and certainly not set up to match someone with different dates of birth! So that old record shouldn't link to yours.

You need to close the relationship with Next completely. I understand this can be very difficult, anecdotally, as they are very unhelpful / unknowledgable. Search for other such stories about this.

Good luck but sounds like a challenge ahead!

DCFC79

Forgot to say as you bought the jacket 5 years ago it will drop off after 6 years, whether its the cause of the problem isnt definite but you can try to put it right.

ChumpusRex

The NEXT thing will fall off your credit report 6 years after the account has been completely closed-down. After that time it will be deleted from all credit reference and identity databases.

However, even if you can't close the account - it will be very difficult to link you to the account after 6 years if you have moved house. If you haven't lived at the address next have for 6 years, then there may not be any information in the database to link you.

The fraud databases (for example N Hunter) are very secretive and don't speak to the general public at all (except when required to by law). If you just randomly ask them about your file, they'll say they don't take queries.

However, they are legally required to send a copy of all data they hold under the data protection act, for a fee of £10. N Hunter require you to provide proof of address, proof of date of birth and proof of ID (e.g. by sending a copy of your driving license and a copy of a bank statement). They will ONLY search for the details you can prove - which means that if there is something on your file under the wrong DOB, you won't be able to get a copy of it.

Also remember that what the credit and fraud databases give to their customers (retailers, banks, phone companies) can be different to what they are legally required to give you.

If you ask for a credit report or fraud report, you only get the facts in the database which correspond to the ID that you can prove.

If a bank does a credit check, they get the facts, but they also get additional information such as warnings (if they pay for the service). So in addition to the basic facts they may get warnings like: "Identity check problem: A file exists for the same name and same address but different date of birth. Take extra care to verify customer's details."

antrobus

DCFC79 wrote: »

....4. You did actually commit fraud by lying to Next and I suspect (as yourself said) that because of what happened 5 years ago your finding problems with getting a bank account....

Mmmm, I'd say not.

Fraud is a type of criminal activity, defined as: 'abuse of position, or false representation, or prejudicing someone's rights for personal gain'.

http://www.sfo.gov.uk/fraud/what-is-fraud.aspx

It doesn't appear that the OP made any illicit gain as a result of misrepresenting their age to Next. They "paid for the jacket" after all. No gain. No crime.

Still a bit naughty 'tho.

novysprite wrote: »

....4. Any idea if I'll 'get into trouble' because of this? The F-word is a scary word. ...

If by "trouble", you mean, criminal trouble, then I'd say 'no'. Fraud is basically theft by deception. You may have 'deceived' Next, but you didn't steal anything.

maas

novysprite wrote: »

That's an interesting point. Do you know much about these fraud prevention data sharing services?

For example
- Would it be wise to contact NHunter (or other) and find out if there is some kind of mark against my name? I could be kind of vague and call it a typo or something?
- If there was some kind of fraud marker against me, is this a permanent fixture for literally the rest of my life? Of if I 'came clean' on my huge massive crime could it be cleared?

Right now it's not too much of an issue in that I have a bank account that works fine and I keep out of the overdraft, I'm on the electoral roll etc, but in a few years I might want a mortgage or even a mobile phone contract and this might prove impossible??

Thanks for your help so far!

First thing is to get all 3 copies of you credit file and check them as it may be nothing to do with these fraud prevention companies.

About NHunter, AFAIK they dont put a 'mark' against you in any way. They simply collect, store and share information given from customers, on applications for credit/insurance etc such as Salary/Address/DOB/Employment Term. Then, if a new application for credit/insurance is made, their database is cross-referenced automatically and any discrepancies (like DOB) are flagged up. This would then result in a request for further information (ID/Employment etc).

When you apply for credit there's usually a sentence in the terms and conditions saying they will pass your information on to fraud prevention agencies.

It may be that your application to Next with the incorrect DOB is on one of these databases. Then again it may be something on your credit files. The easiest and fasting thing is to check the credit files first.