Dodgy data on credit file

tylerdurden

Last year I got a spurious letter advising me I owed money to a catalogue company I rang them and explained that I wasnt the person they were looking for and was told it was a mistake. The address was listed as Southend on Sea whereas I live in Manchester.

I now find that they have put an associated address to Southend on Sea on my credit file. I have complained to Experian but they seem reluctant to help unless I pay for their credit service. I was declined on a re-mortgage application because of this even though I have never missed a payment on anything.

Is there anything else I can do to redress this?

Thanks

GingerBob_3

tylerdurden wrote: »

Last year I got a spurious letter advising me I owed money to a catalogue company I rang them and explained that I wasnt the person they were looking for and was told it was a mistake. The address was listed as Southend on Sea whereas I live in Manchester.

I now find that they have put an associated address to Southend on Sea on my credit file. I have complained to Experian but they seem reluctant to help unless I pay for their credit service. I was declined on a re-mortgage application because of this even though I have never missed a payment on anything.

Is there anything else I can do to redress this?

Thanks

Another example of the dysfunctional credit reporting industry, where no QA is applied. Shortly you'll receive advice from other posters as to the best approach here. I'm guessing the first step is to contact the CRAs (all three of them!!) requiring them to fix this data on pain of being reported to the ICO.


Thereafter, you might consider a claim for compensation, probably against the organisation that screwed up your ability to obtain credit. Perhaps write to them in the first instance and see what they offer, then reject it and take it from there, up to and including obtaining legal advice.

tylerdurden

Its partially my fault I only checked one credit agency when this first arose I release now that I should have checked them all.

I understand that mistakes are possible with the reporting, but I did speak to the company and they decided to report me anyway

Doubly annoying is that the bank who refused me I have used for 20 years, and they know my address history yet they fall back on the computer says no response.

GingerBob_3

tylerdurden wrote: »

Its partially my fault I only checked one credit agency when this first arose I release now that I should have checked them all.

I understand that mistakes are possible with the reporting, but I did speak to the company and they decided to report me anyway

Doubly annoying is that the bank who refused me I have used for 20 years, and they know my address history yet they fall back on the computer says no response.

It's not your fault at all. Why should anyone be obliged to continually check to see if they've been blacklisted by the CRAs. It's a reasonable expectation that if your finances are in order then you shouldn't be blacklisted.

tylerdurden

I reported it to action fraud who were very helpful.

I reported it to Experian who were not very helpful, they have to contact the thrid party which takes between 5-15 working days.

Until they do that I'm stuffed to re-mortgage.

fermi

tylerdurden

fermi, they will look into it without being a member of the credit expert stuff. Only snag is they wont speak to you on the phone, only via mail or email and they quote different timescales for resolution. As I am in a hurry to get it sorted I decided it was for the 14.99 (I already had a free trial about 5 years ago you only get one every six years).

fermi

tylerdurden wrote: »

I have complained to Experian but they seem reluctant to help unless I pay for their credit service.

So not 'reluctant' to help exactly, but sticking to the procedure and time scales.

https://www.creditreporthelp.experian.co.uk/statutorydisputes/

http://www.experian.co.uk/consumer/contact-us/

http://www.experian.co.uk/assets/consumer/contact-us/complaint-handling-procedure.pdf

tylerdurden

I have to disagree with you there fermi. They quote different timescales and do not accept phone calls to anybody who does not have an account.

The call handler I spoke to wasn't able / will to track the email enquiry I had made prior becoming a member. The call handler simply put the details on file and I have to wait for a response. So I am left in the situation of having to chase to get my own data corrected.

In the meantime I am left without any ability to get reasonable rates in spite of an impeccable record of borrowing.

fermi

What timescale are they quoting then?

There are several major ones.

Their obligations under s159 CCA1974 which is an initial 28 days for them to tell you what they intend to do about any entry you believe is incorrect and may prejudice you.

Or regards anything that is the CRAs fault in addition to that, 8 weeks to give a final response before you can take them to the FOS.

ICO timescales for a DPA complaint are not as set, but roughly they like you to have waited 4 weeks for a response and then a reminder, and say another 4 weeks. So roughly in the FOS ballpark in many case.

It is very frustrating that things won't move quicker when something is simply not your fault. Unfortunately the regulation is simply not there to force them to get their backsides moving quicker.

tylerdurden

So many many letters later I finally have the information removed. What I have found its that even when presented with overwhelming evidence that data is incorrect experian will not act, you have to force the third party.

In my case as the debt had been sold to a collection agency I had to convince both the original company and the debt agency, this involved the kaftkaesq situation in which I had to prove I never lived at an address I never lived at!

My takeaway is that the credit reference agencies do far too little to readdress issues, putting a notice of dispute does nothing when most lenders use automated screening which ignores such comments