Equifax vs Experian

masonic

nearlyretired2004 wrote: »

Given that all the above is accurate as far as I can see with nothing missing and nothing extra that I wouldnt have expected to see.... i.e. it looks EXACTLY as I would expect it to, what extra info would I gain from the statutory report ??

It's true that you'd tend to see information about all of your credit accounts from any of the CRAs, but some searches may be directed to specific CRAs and may not be recorded by all of them. It is also possible that there might be a mistake affecting your data at one CRA but not another.

So while accessing a free service like Noddle will allow you to broadly monitor your credit account activity, it is still worth checking the others from time to time.

nearlyretired2004

tigerspill wrote: »

So is it Experian/Equifax/Noodle that is giving the 3/5 and 5/5 "scores"?

As I tried to say, I realise the scoring is somewhat subjective, but it was the detail I was looking for to check accuracy

.....and ...OK Masonic ....get that completely ....and thanks!!

InvestInPoker

TrustyOven wrote: »

Probably be prepared for some heavy marketing to take place, to try to hook you into the monthly fees etc. Just be firm and say you just want the statutory report. Only the statutory report. They will give you a load of text about why you should agree to get the monthly fee service, how good it is for your identity checks, fraud prevention etc..

Haha yes, probably was the hardest sell I have experienced in the last few years (Equifax) - to the point I started getting frustrated by it. Not only are the CS agents on a sole agenda (to trick you into signing up to the monthly fee) but the website also is designed to try and force you into it. This is from a few years ago but the £2 once off report was made incredibly difficult to find and buy when I did it, although it was there via some complicated route.


So I concluded as a company they don't give a **** about anything but getting your money via hard pressure and tricks. Indian call centre as well (phoned daytime UK time). The report was, however, reasonable when I got it so be prepared to handle all of the above and you should be fine.


One positive from Equifax to be fair is that they approved my ID documents very quickly, whilst I was on the phone. Although I had to send them in to view my report there was no delay once I did.

masonic

InvestInPoker wrote: »

Haha yes, probably was the hardest sell I have experienced in the last few years (Equifax) - to the point I started getting frustrated by it. Not only are the CS agents on a sole agenda (to trick you into signing up to the monthly fee) but the website also is designed to try and force you into it. This is from a few years ago but the £2 once off report was made incredibly difficult to find and buy when I did it, although it was there via some complicated route.

So I concluded as a company they don't give a **** about anything but getting your money via hard pressure and tricks. Indian call centre as well (phoned daytime UK time). The report was, however, reasonable when I got it so be prepared to handle all of the above and you should be fine.

One positive from Equifax to be fair is that they approved my ID documents very quickly, whilst I was on the phone. Although I had to send them in to view my report there was no delay once I did.

I just use bookmarked links to the statutory report section of their websites:

http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/statutory-report.html
http://www.equifax.co.uk/Products/credit/statutory-report.html

I've had to answer a couple of security questions based on information in my credit report, but I've never had to upload/email them identity documents or speak to them on the phone and would not.

InvestInPoker

masonic wrote: »

I've had to answer a couple of security questions based on information in my credit report, but I've never had to upload/email them identity documents or speak to them on the phone and would not.

Once I purchased the one off statutory report from them I was prevented from seeing it with the instruction to contact them and quote a code. So I called the phone number and got through to the indian call centre who told me I needed to upload ID documents which I did there and then and was approved on the phone. Once I got off the phone the restriction on my account was lifted and I could view the report.


She said on the phone it does not always happen that documents are required to view the reports but if they can't automatically verify some things the system will require them. I agree with that way of doing things. If you were in that position but did not want to send them your documents or contact them then fine - but I couldn't have viewed the report if I had taken that line.


Throughout the entire phonecall I got the hard sell for the monthly report at repeated intervals :undecided

masonic

InvestInPoker wrote: »

Once I purchased the one off statutory report from them I was prevented from seeing it with the instruction to contact them and quote a code. So I called the phone number and got through to the indian call centre who told me I needed to upload ID documents which I did there and then and was approved on the phone. Once I got off the phone the restriction on my account was lifted and I could view the report.

I probably would have phoned them in that situation, but I think I would find that just a little too unsettling - call redirected internationally, request for highly sensitive documents to be uploaded to a website - spear phishing alarm bells would be sounding. Most likely I would look to abort the process and do a postal application instead (using the excuse that I didn't have the ability to do the necessary scanning of the documents).

Many years ago, when I was doing the matched betting offers, I had to upload a passport and debit card scan in order to withdraw my money from one site, but after I renewed my passport I vowed not to do that sort of thing again. If RSA Security can be breached and have the keys to tens of millions of SecurID tokens taken from them, then it could happen anywhere and I don't want target companies to be holding a scan of my passport when it does (the CRAs already have a very worrying amount of information which is clearly on public facing servers if they are dishing it up online, so you could say what harm is one more thing I guess).

InvestInPoker

masonic wrote: »

Many years ago, when I was doing the matched betting offers, I had to upload a passport and debit card scan in order to withdraw my money from one site, but after I renewed my passport I vowed not to do that sort of thing again.

Haha amazing, MSE strikes again! Glad you won some from matched betting. I understand the concerns with the ID documents. I am kind of used to it after 14 years of gambling online. It is super standard but I totally get why people worry.


EDIT: It did make me a tad uncomfortable that Equifax were basing this customer service in India, not the most reassuring for sending in sensitive documents but the phone number and agent looked perfectly legitimate on basic checks so I uploaded them and it all worked fine. Just taught me a little bit on how Equifax view their customers (targets with money)

redbuzzard

masonic wrote: »

It's true that you'd tend to see information about all of your credit accounts from any of the CRAs, but some searches may be directed to specific CRAs and may not be recorded by all of them. It is also possible that there might be a mistake affecting your data at one CRA but not another.

So while accessing a free service like Noddle will allow you to broadly monitor your credit account activity, it is still worth checking the others from time to time.

No sign of my current account or mortgage on Noddle, presumably because First Direct / HSBC does not contribute data to Call Credit.

I disagree that there is no value in the 5/5 score. It will be derived from the bureau's own generic score which most lenders use as a filter before applying their bespoke scorecards and policy rules to the bureau data (shared loan/payment profile data and public information), affordability criteria, and the demographic/employment/ etc application data.

The affordability checks required by the FCA have thrown a real spanner in the works - and have caught out a number of people trying to remortgage.

nearlyretired2004

...... interesting .....my FD current a/c is on my report.....

redbuzzard

nearlyretired2004 wrote: »

...... interesting .....my FD current a/c is on my report.....

Yes that is interesting. I wondered if it was because I did not have an overdraft limit, but I checked and it is still there. And it wouldn't explain why there is no mention of the mortgage (balance £400 last time I looked!) which was assigned by FD to HSBC soon after I took it out.

They are both joint, but that should not make any difference unless the free view is a limited one.