Can Family members debt affect our credit rating?

juicygirl

Hi,

Looking for some advice. A few years back we received some letters from a debt collection agency that were for a family member. Her name was on the letters but they were sent to us at our home ( at which she has never lived). She said she had contacted the company and was dealing with it.

Fast forward almost 4 years and the letters have started again. Googling the return address shows it to be for the same company as before. To say I am angry with her is an understatement!

My question though is this - can this affect my credit rating? I am pretty sure that she hasn't used our address for anything, from research on here and other sites it seems like it is a legal thing for companies to do. They will have run a search on her then tried to contact anyone she has lived with/ been linked with in credit history ( in this case my husband). But can this affect us?

Thanks.

[Deleted User]

No. Credit files belong to individuals, not families or houses.

Unless your husband was financially linked (ie via credit)?

DCFC79

And you don't have a credit rating but a credit history, return said letters as not as the address.

juicygirl

No he wasn't. He just lived at the same address, but not for the last 9 years. Makes me so angry they can do this.

Letter has been sent back unopened.

Credit rating.....credit history....... Not sure I get your point. Are we not being rated by institutions through our credit report?

DCFC79

juicygirl wrote: »

No he wasn't. He just lived at the same address, but not for the last 9 years. Makes me so angry they can do this.

Letter has been sent back unopened.

Credit rating.....credit history....... Not sure I get your point. Are we not being rated by institutions through our credit report?

Yes but its not based on the rating provided by the credit reference agency's, its based on what's on your credit history eg a score of 999 doesn't guarantee you get the best loan rates.